Is the tense of the latter part of the sentence correct? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Planned maintenance scheduled April 23, 2019 at 23:30 UTC (7:30pm US/Eastern)Are the tense and syntax in this sentence correct?Can “found” be used, as it is in this sentence, in the future tense?Why do I instinctively want to use the present tense with a conditional?Importance and relevance (and accuracy) of the distinctions of the two forms of the future simple tense“has”+perfect in reported speech of the futureFuture Tense HelpWhy the future tense?Future tense “will be”Future Tense - Will vs. WouldWhich sentence is more grammatically correct?
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Is the tense of the latter part of the sentence correct?
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 23, 2019 at 23:30 UTC (7:30pm US/Eastern)Are the tense and syntax in this sentence correct?Can “found” be used, as it is in this sentence, in the future tense?Why do I instinctively want to use the present tense with a conditional?Importance and relevance (and accuracy) of the distinctions of the two forms of the future simple tense“has”+perfect in reported speech of the futureFuture Tense HelpWhy the future tense?Future tense “will be”Future Tense - Will vs. WouldWhich sentence is more grammatically correct?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
"He couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire eventually burns him down." Is 'burns him down' correct? The speaker is okay with the fire burning him down in the future if that is the consequence of following his passion.
grammatical-structure future
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 5 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 |
"He couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire eventually burns him down." Is 'burns him down' correct? The speaker is okay with the fire burning him down in the future if that is the consequence of following his passion.
grammatical-structure future
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 5 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
.. should eventually burn ..
– Toothrot
5 hours ago
add a comment |
"He couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire eventually burns him down." Is 'burns him down' correct? The speaker is okay with the fire burning him down in the future if that is the consequence of following his passion.
grammatical-structure future
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
"He couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire eventually burns him down." Is 'burns him down' correct? The speaker is okay with the fire burning him down in the future if that is the consequence of following his passion.
grammatical-structure future
grammatical-structure future
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
asked Nov 23 '18 at 17:36
PsyPhiPsyPhi
32
32
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 5 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♦ 5 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
.. should eventually burn ..
– Toothrot
5 hours ago
add a comment |
.. should eventually burn ..
– Toothrot
5 hours ago
.. should eventually burn ..
– Toothrot
5 hours ago
.. should eventually burn ..
– Toothrot
5 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Couldn't is the past tense of 'can't'; the situation being described is in the past; the burning down was a hypothetical possible consequence; the correct verb form for 'burn' is the future in the past (would burn): he couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire would eventually burn him down."
Future in past
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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Couldn't is the past tense of 'can't'; the situation being described is in the past; the burning down was a hypothetical possible consequence; the correct verb form for 'burn' is the future in the past (would burn): he couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire would eventually burn him down."
Future in past
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
add a comment |
Couldn't is the past tense of 'can't'; the situation being described is in the past; the burning down was a hypothetical possible consequence; the correct verb form for 'burn' is the future in the past (would burn): he couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire would eventually burn him down."
Future in past
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
add a comment |
Couldn't is the past tense of 'can't'; the situation being described is in the past; the burning down was a hypothetical possible consequence; the correct verb form for 'burn' is the future in the past (would burn): he couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire would eventually burn him down."
Future in past
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
Couldn't is the past tense of 'can't'; the situation being described is in the past; the burning down was a hypothetical possible consequence; the correct verb form for 'burn' is the future in the past (would burn): he couldn't foresee devoting himself to anything other than that passionate desire, even if the fire would eventually burn him down."
Future in past
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
edited Nov 23 '18 at 20:52
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
answered Nov 23 '18 at 20:13
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
6,99511120
6,99511120
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
add a comment |
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
"I couldn't see myself doing it, even if I would lose" means though I know I will lose I still wouldn't do it. "i couldn't see myself doing it, even if I lost" means that I wouldn't do it and also I am unsure if I will lose. If my meanings are correct then I would like to convey the second meaning on the sentence in question.
– PsyPhi
Nov 24 '18 at 4:31
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
@PsyPhi - Using the "future in the past", to which I linked an explanation, the "would" after "if" applies to the consequence, not the action. It means it was definitely going to happen, if I did the thing. I knew that if I lit the fuse of the dynamite, it would explode.
– Michael Harvey
Nov 24 '18 at 8:30
add a comment |
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.. should eventually burn ..
– Toothrot
5 hours ago