‘have been’ VS ‘were’
He said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
He said with a smile as if he had been talking about an old friend.
What the difference between two sentences?
past-tense mood
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
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Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
He said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
He said with a smile as if he had been talking about an old friend.
What the difference between two sentences?
past-tense mood
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Neither one of those is a complete sentence . . .
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
add a comment |
He said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
He said with a smile as if he had been talking about an old friend.
What the difference between two sentences?
past-tense mood
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
He said with a smile as if he were talking about an old friend.
He said with a smile as if he had been talking about an old friend.
What the difference between two sentences?
past-tense mood
past-tense mood
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
edited yesterday
Andrew Leach♦
80k8154258
80k8154258
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
asked yesterday
Y. zengY. zeng
62
62
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Y. zeng is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Neither one of those is a complete sentence . . .
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
add a comment |
Neither one of those is a complete sentence . . .
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
Neither one of those is a complete sentence . . .
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
Neither one of those is a complete sentence . . .
– Jason Bassford
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
They are both ways of expressing something that is counterfactual: who or what he is speaking about is not an old friend. It could be a stranger, an enemy, or even a comfortable pair of old shoes, say. He is speaking of the subject as if speaking about an old friend.
as if he were... uses the subjunctive form of the verb BE, and as if he had been... uses a back-shifted tense (past perfect of BE).
P.S. Consider the following. Assume as a contextual fact that "She" has never been to this bar before:
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she had been coming to this bar for years.
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she were a regular customer.
The phrase "as if she had been coming to this bar for years" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would predate the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
The phrase "as if she were a regular" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would be contemporaneous with the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
|
show 17 more comments
Your Answer
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1 Answer
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They are both ways of expressing something that is counterfactual: who or what he is speaking about is not an old friend. It could be a stranger, an enemy, or even a comfortable pair of old shoes, say. He is speaking of the subject as if speaking about an old friend.
as if he were... uses the subjunctive form of the verb BE, and as if he had been... uses a back-shifted tense (past perfect of BE).
P.S. Consider the following. Assume as a contextual fact that "She" has never been to this bar before:
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she had been coming to this bar for years.
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she were a regular customer.
The phrase "as if she had been coming to this bar for years" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would predate the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
The phrase "as if she were a regular" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would be contemporaneous with the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
|
show 17 more comments
They are both ways of expressing something that is counterfactual: who or what he is speaking about is not an old friend. It could be a stranger, an enemy, or even a comfortable pair of old shoes, say. He is speaking of the subject as if speaking about an old friend.
as if he were... uses the subjunctive form of the verb BE, and as if he had been... uses a back-shifted tense (past perfect of BE).
P.S. Consider the following. Assume as a contextual fact that "She" has never been to this bar before:
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she had been coming to this bar for years.
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she were a regular customer.
The phrase "as if she had been coming to this bar for years" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would predate the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
The phrase "as if she were a regular" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would be contemporaneous with the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
|
show 17 more comments
They are both ways of expressing something that is counterfactual: who or what he is speaking about is not an old friend. It could be a stranger, an enemy, or even a comfortable pair of old shoes, say. He is speaking of the subject as if speaking about an old friend.
as if he were... uses the subjunctive form of the verb BE, and as if he had been... uses a back-shifted tense (past perfect of BE).
P.S. Consider the following. Assume as a contextual fact that "She" has never been to this bar before:
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she had been coming to this bar for years.
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she were a regular customer.
The phrase "as if she had been coming to this bar for years" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would predate the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
The phrase "as if she were a regular" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would be contemporaneous with the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
They are both ways of expressing something that is counterfactual: who or what he is speaking about is not an old friend. It could be a stranger, an enemy, or even a comfortable pair of old shoes, say. He is speaking of the subject as if speaking about an old friend.
as if he were... uses the subjunctive form of the verb BE, and as if he had been... uses a back-shifted tense (past perfect of BE).
P.S. Consider the following. Assume as a contextual fact that "She" has never been to this bar before:
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she had been coming to this bar for years.
She walked up to the bar and greeted the man tending bar as if she were a regular customer.
The phrase "as if she had been coming to this bar for years" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would predate the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
The phrase "as if she were a regular" refers to a counterfactual condition which, if it were true, would be contemporaneous with the action of walking up to the bar and greeting the bartender.
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
edited 9 hours ago
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
answered yesterday
TRomanoTRomano
17.7k22248
17.7k22248
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
|
show 17 more comments
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
Can you help me analysis their meanings?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
I'm afraid that I cannot, not if you did not understand the opening paragraph.
– TRomano
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
Can you change two sentences to direct references?
– Y. zeng
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
I do not know what you mean.
– TRomano
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
If the sentence 1 is counterfactual, it should use 'had been', because it happened in the past.
– Y. zeng
yesterday
|
show 17 more comments
Y. zeng is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Y. zeng is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Y. zeng is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Y. zeng is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Neither one of those is a complete sentence . . .
– Jason Bassford
yesterday