navi |
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Friday, May 16, 2014 |
Sunday, August 7, 2022 10:43:17 PM |
613 [0.06% of all post / 0.20 posts per day] |
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1) They told me every group had to have two doctors. I didn't know if two people in my group were doctors. I had to go ask.
2) I didn't know if two people in my group were doctors. Those people were June and Claire. I knew what everyone else did and I know Pete and Margret were doctors.
Are both of the above correct?
The sentence 'I didn't know if two people in my group were doctors.' has been used with two different meanings in them. In A I don't have anyone specific in mind. In B, I do.
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1-Yesterday, we had to be careful on that scaffolding because it could collapse. 2-Yesterday, we had to be careful on that scaffolding because it could have collapsed.
3-Yesterday, we had to be careful on that scaffolding because it might collapse. 4-Yesterday, we had to be careful on that scaffolding because it might have collapsed.
Which of the above are grammatical and meaningful?
Obviously, when we were on it, we knew that it was there and had not collapsed.
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1-Yesterday, we were walking without fear on that scaffolding because it could not collapse. 2-Yesterday, we were walking without fear on that scaffolding because it could not have collapsed.
Are the above sentences grammatical and meaningful?
The idea is that there was no chance of it collapsing.
Gratefully, Navi
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Are these sentences correct:
1) The accident I was afraid of happening finally happened. 1a) The accident I was worried about happening finally happened
2) The expensive plate I was afraid of breaking broke. 2a) The expensive plate I was worried about breaking broke.
In '2' and '2a' was I afraid/worried that the plate might break or that I might break it?
Gratefully, Navi
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1) I was talking to an engineer and entrepreneur. Can we be sure that I was talking to one person?
2) I was talking to an engineer and an entrepreneur. Can we be sure that I was talking to two people?
3) An engineer and entrepreneur walked into the room. Can we be sure one person walked into the room?
4) An engineer and an entrepreneur walked into the room. Can we be sure two people walked into the room?
5) He is the son of an engineer and entrepreneur. Can we be sure one parent is both an engineer and an entrepreneur? Is the sentence natural?
6) He is the son of an engineer and an entrepreneur. Can we be sure one parent is an engineer and the other one an entrepreneur?
Gratefully, Navi
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1) Some men are here to see you.
Could that be two men? Could 'some' refer to two?
2) - Two policemen were following me. - You mean some men who were wearing police uniforms? - Yes.
3)
-Two policeman called at our home today. -You mean some men who was wearing police uniforms? -Yes.
Do '2' and '3' work?
Is the second sentence in the dialogue correct?
Gratefully, Navi
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Which are correct:
1) He did something that Pete got angry. 2) He must have done something that Pete got angry.
3) He did something so that Pete got angry. 4) He must have done something so that Pete got angry.
5) He did something for Pete to get angry. 6) He must have done something for Pete to get angry.
Gratefully, Navi
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Which are correct:
1) Tom was an unpopular public figure and his recent decisions have made him more so. 2) Tom was an unpopular public figure and his recent decisions have made it more so. 3) Tom was an unpopular public figure and his recent decisions have made it worse.
Gratefully, Navi
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1) The money I gave them was for renovating the building.
Can't that sentence have three meanings depending on the context:
a) They had renovated the building and I paid them for that.
b) I paid them so they'd renovate the building. They were supposed to do the job.
c) I paid them that money so they'd spend it on the renovation of the building. They were not going to renovate the building themselves, but were going to spend the money and get the job done by someone else.
Gratefully, Navi
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Is this sentence correct:
1) He was offered a role to play Superman. I think I have heard sentences like that, but I don't seem to be able to parse it.
Is it equivalent to: 2) He was offered a role in order to play Superman.
'2' doesn't make much sense.
Gratefully, Navi
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