BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

If my mother did not attend the London  School (Man

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:42 am
Thanked: 2 times

If my mother did not attend the London  School (Man

by arashyazdiha » Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:48 pm
This sentence was among the Manhattan SC flash cards that I was reviewing: 
If my mother did not attend the London 
School of Economics, she might not meet my 
father, and I might not have been here now. 

The corrected one is :
If my mother had not attended the London School of
Economics, she might not have met my father, and I might not be here
now.

My question is that why the last sentence is not better with present perfect? Isn't it better to be parallel with the former sentence?

Thanks
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Legendary Member
Posts: 784
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:51 am
Thanked: 114 times
Followed by:12 members

by patanjali.purpose » Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:08 pm
arashyazdiha wrote:This sentence was among the Manhattan SC flash cards that I was reviewing: 
If my mother did not attend the London 
School of Economics, she might not meet my 
father, and I might not have been here now. 

The corrected one is :
If my mother had not attended the London School of
Economics, she might not have met my father, and I might not be here
now.

My question is that why the last sentence is not better with present perfect? Isn't it better to be parallel with the former sentence?

Thanks
The presence of 'here' shows the speaker talks about present.

'might not have been' is in past tense (its not present tense). Present tense is shown by 'might not be'.

He could not be a genius or He can not be a genius ==> Present tense
I could not have been a genius ==> Past tense
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1574
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:52 am
Thanked: 88 times
Followed by:13 members

by aspirant2011 » Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:11 pm
arashyazdiha wrote:This sentence was among the Manhattan SC flash cards that I was reviewing: 
If my mother did not attend the London 
School of Economics, she might not meet my 
father, and I might not have been here now. 

The corrected one is :
If my mother had not attended the London School of
Economics, she might not have met my father, and I might not be here
now.

My question is that why the last sentence is not better with present perfect? Isn't it better to be parallel with the former sentence?

Thanks
I think present perfect in the last sentence would have been wrong because present perfect has/have symbolizes something which started in the past and continues till present...........if the sentence would have been

If my mother had not attended the London School of Economics, she might not have met my father, and I might not have been here now....

the part in red would mean that u were born earlier than ur mother met ur father,which is wrong...........

hope I make sense
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 102
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:42 am
Thanked: 2 times

by arashyazdiha » Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:16 pm
Thanks
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1