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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004would or wouldn't ?
What's the difference in meaning between: I wouldn't be surprised if someday you wouldn't be going with us. and I wouldn't be surprised if someday you would be going with us. > What's the difference in meaning between: > > I wouldn't be surprised if someday you wouldn't be going with us. I think it likely that someday we'll go without you. > and > > I wouldn't be surprised if someday you would be going with us. I think it likely that someday you'll come with us. IMHO Cheers, Tony  SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org > What's the difference in meaning between: > > I wouldn't be surprised if someday you wouldn't be going with us. That means, roughly: I think someday you won't go with us. > and > > I wouldn't be surprised if someday you would be going with us. That means: I think someday you will go with us. SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux > > What's the difference in meaning between: > > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > That means: I think someday you will go with us. How about the difference between: I wouldn't be surprised if next year it's not you standing up there winning the grand prize. and I wouldn't be surprised if next year you are standing up there winning the grand prize. > > > What's the difference in meaning between: > > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I wouldn't be surprised if next year it's not you standing up there > winning the grand prize. All right, you can look at this two ways. You can figure that the person lost count of the negatives and wound up saying, literally, the opposite of what they intended. People do lose track of these things. Or you can take it literally. Suppose "you" had won the grand prize year after year after year. Then the person is saying that they think it quite possible that someone else will win it next year. There is also the slight possibility that it could be regional variation. We've seen some odd conditional constructions with "whether" and "doubt" and "miss" and other phrases that seen to have a regional component. > and > > I wouldn't be surprised if next year you are standing up there winning > the grand prize. The usual. "I wouldn't be surprised if" should mean, more or less, that I think the thing could happen. Exactly what degree of probability, from a slight chance to quite probable, is left open. SignatureBest wishes -- Donna Richoux > > What's the difference in meaning between: > > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > That means: I think someday you will go with us. It's a pity you can't use "will" in the same way. Willn't that be good? >What's the difference in meaning between: > >I wouldn't be surprised if someday you wouldn't be going with us. The person is in the habit of going with them, but one day they m,ay stop doing so. >and > >I wouldn't be surprised if someday you would be going with us. The person is in the habit of not going, but might do so. Steve Hayes hayesmstw@hotmail.com http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm |
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