“might” vs “might have” in a narrative set in the past The Next CEO of Stack OverflowAre “might” and “should” past tenses of “may” and “shall”, respectively?Unreal situation in the pastDropping the 'have' before a past participlePast vs. perfect in present-tense narrativeUsing “must have” in the past“In the past” or “Into the past”?Do you ever use 'is' in a past tense narrative?could past perfect tense and present perfect tense coexist in a compound sentence. Please do not mark as duplicate if you have not read the questionPast continuous 'have been'is/are + past participle vs. have been + past particple
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“might” vs “might have” in a narrative set in the past
The Next CEO of Stack OverflowAre “might” and “should” past tenses of “may” and “shall”, respectively?Unreal situation in the pastDropping the 'have' before a past participlePast vs. perfect in present-tense narrativeUsing “must have” in the past“In the past” or “Into the past”?Do you ever use 'is' in a past tense narrative?could past perfect tense and present perfect tense coexist in a compound sentence. Please do not mark as duplicate if you have not read the questionPast continuous 'have been'is/are + past participle vs. have been + past particple
The men kept walking well into the night, because if it rained the
next day, they might not [reach / have reached] the village before the
enemy arrived. At around midnight, they came to a clearing a few
miles west of the village and finally decided to set up camp for the
night.
Which would you choose in this context, "reach" or "have reached"?
A colleague of mine insists that "have reached" is the only correct option because the sentence refers to a possibility in the past and that "might" can only refer to the present (e.g. "He might be a mathematician.")
In contrast, another colleague argues "reach" should be chosen because "have reached" is only reserved for situations where something happened before the point of reference (e.g. "The doctor suspected that the patient might have taken an overdose of the medication.")
I would tend to agree with the first ("reach") but I am not completely sure.
Thanks.
past-tense
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 6 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |
The men kept walking well into the night, because if it rained the
next day, they might not [reach / have reached] the village before the
enemy arrived. At around midnight, they came to a clearing a few
miles west of the village and finally decided to set up camp for the
night.
Which would you choose in this context, "reach" or "have reached"?
A colleague of mine insists that "have reached" is the only correct option because the sentence refers to a possibility in the past and that "might" can only refer to the present (e.g. "He might be a mathematician.")
In contrast, another colleague argues "reach" should be chosen because "have reached" is only reserved for situations where something happened before the point of reference (e.g. "The doctor suspected that the patient might have taken an overdose of the medication.")
I would tend to agree with the first ("reach") but I am not completely sure.
Thanks.
past-tense
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 6 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
Note that it doesn’t say, “because if it had rained the next day”...
– Jim
Feb 26 at 16:33
@Jim That's the point I was trying to get at. If the preceding clause is "if it had rained the next day," "might have" would be the only choice. Which would you choose in the context above?
– Barouche
Feb 27 at 16:02
I’d match tense with “if it rained” and choose “might not reach”
– Jim
Feb 27 at 16:05
add a comment |
The men kept walking well into the night, because if it rained the
next day, they might not [reach / have reached] the village before the
enemy arrived. At around midnight, they came to a clearing a few
miles west of the village and finally decided to set up camp for the
night.
Which would you choose in this context, "reach" or "have reached"?
A colleague of mine insists that "have reached" is the only correct option because the sentence refers to a possibility in the past and that "might" can only refer to the present (e.g. "He might be a mathematician.")
In contrast, another colleague argues "reach" should be chosen because "have reached" is only reserved for situations where something happened before the point of reference (e.g. "The doctor suspected that the patient might have taken an overdose of the medication.")
I would tend to agree with the first ("reach") but I am not completely sure.
Thanks.
past-tense
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
The men kept walking well into the night, because if it rained the
next day, they might not [reach / have reached] the village before the
enemy arrived. At around midnight, they came to a clearing a few
miles west of the village and finally decided to set up camp for the
night.
Which would you choose in this context, "reach" or "have reached"?
A colleague of mine insists that "have reached" is the only correct option because the sentence refers to a possibility in the past and that "might" can only refer to the present (e.g. "He might be a mathematician.")
In contrast, another colleague argues "reach" should be chosen because "have reached" is only reserved for situations where something happened before the point of reference (e.g. "The doctor suspected that the patient might have taken an overdose of the medication.")
I would tend to agree with the first ("reach") but I am not completely sure.
Thanks.
past-tense
past-tense
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
asked Feb 26 at 15:49
BaroucheBarouche
78129
78129
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 6 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 6 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
Note that it doesn’t say, “because if it had rained the next day”...
– Jim
Feb 26 at 16:33
@Jim That's the point I was trying to get at. If the preceding clause is "if it had rained the next day," "might have" would be the only choice. Which would you choose in the context above?
– Barouche
Feb 27 at 16:02
I’d match tense with “if it rained” and choose “might not reach”
– Jim
Feb 27 at 16:05
add a comment |
Note that it doesn’t say, “because if it had rained the next day”...
– Jim
Feb 26 at 16:33
@Jim That's the point I was trying to get at. If the preceding clause is "if it had rained the next day," "might have" would be the only choice. Which would you choose in the context above?
– Barouche
Feb 27 at 16:02
I’d match tense with “if it rained” and choose “might not reach”
– Jim
Feb 27 at 16:05
Note that it doesn’t say, “because if it had rained the next day”...
– Jim
Feb 26 at 16:33
Note that it doesn’t say, “because if it had rained the next day”...
– Jim
Feb 26 at 16:33
@Jim That's the point I was trying to get at. If the preceding clause is "if it had rained the next day," "might have" would be the only choice. Which would you choose in the context above?
– Barouche
Feb 27 at 16:02
@Jim That's the point I was trying to get at. If the preceding clause is "if it had rained the next day," "might have" would be the only choice. Which would you choose in the context above?
– Barouche
Feb 27 at 16:02
I’d match tense with “if it rained” and choose “might not reach”
– Jim
Feb 27 at 16:05
I’d match tense with “if it rained” and choose “might not reach”
– Jim
Feb 27 at 16:05
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
I would personally not have written "might/might have" in that context, because it would sound a lot more natural if you changed it to
"Because if it rained the next day, they wouldn't reach the village before the enemy arrived."
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
add a comment |
IMO “might not have reached” is the correct choice of the two, as it reflects the past tense in agreement with the context of the sentence.
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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I would personally not have written "might/might have" in that context, because it would sound a lot more natural if you changed it to
"Because if it rained the next day, they wouldn't reach the village before the enemy arrived."
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
add a comment |
I would personally not have written "might/might have" in that context, because it would sound a lot more natural if you changed it to
"Because if it rained the next day, they wouldn't reach the village before the enemy arrived."
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
add a comment |
I would personally not have written "might/might have" in that context, because it would sound a lot more natural if you changed it to
"Because if it rained the next day, they wouldn't reach the village before the enemy arrived."
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
I would personally not have written "might/might have" in that context, because it would sound a lot more natural if you changed it to
"Because if it rained the next day, they wouldn't reach the village before the enemy arrived."
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
answered Feb 26 at 16:32
KyleKyle
1013
1013
add a comment |
add a comment |
IMO “might not have reached” is the correct choice of the two, as it reflects the past tense in agreement with the context of the sentence.
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
add a comment |
IMO “might not have reached” is the correct choice of the two, as it reflects the past tense in agreement with the context of the sentence.
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
add a comment |
IMO “might not have reached” is the correct choice of the two, as it reflects the past tense in agreement with the context of the sentence.
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
IMO “might not have reached” is the correct choice of the two, as it reflects the past tense in agreement with the context of the sentence.
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
answered Feb 26 at 17:46
Deborah LaubachDeborah Laubach
112
112
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Note that it doesn’t say, “because if it had rained the next day”...
– Jim
Feb 26 at 16:33
@Jim That's the point I was trying to get at. If the preceding clause is "if it had rained the next day," "might have" would be the only choice. Which would you choose in the context above?
– Barouche
Feb 27 at 16:02
I’d match tense with “if it rained” and choose “might not reach”
– Jim
Feb 27 at 16:05