OG 12 SC 67. 时态后移的问题，看前帖未解~

饿~楼主不要想得忒复杂哈。

楼主的想法是很对滴。但是你看这道题的context, B这种表述也是很对的，因为不管是不是conditional, 但是事实是，在20世界的前一半（已经过去的时间里），法国对摩洛哥有了interest，所以对阿尔及利亚的控制就很secure.这个已经是发生的，他要用would在这里也很makes sense.当然你这种表述也对，我个人觉得。

哈哈，好啦语法这种东西就不要太去抠他，特别是在这种选项明确的情况下。

希望对你有帮助。

额，我个人的理解是：without it与过去事实相反，而后面的their grip on Algeria would never be secure是assumed的动作发生时对未来的情况的主观推测。从而主句是主语+would+do/be。
参考

Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.
(A) if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure
(C) their grip on Algeria was not ever secure if they did not hold it
(D) without that, they could never be secure about their grip on Algeria
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it
这道题，看了很多帖子，请教一个还是没弄明白的一个问题。关于B选项
今天看Manhattan，里面说
With a past tense reporting verb. move Present to Past. Past to Past Perfect. and Future to Conditional (that is.will to would).
转述动词，从句里的动词时态应该后移。
例：Scientist: The supercollider IS ready, it DID not COST too much, and it WILL PROVIDE new insights into the workings of the universe."
The scientist ANNOUNCED that the supercollider WAS ready, that it HAD not COST too much, and that it WOULD PROVIDE new insights into the workings of the universe.

同理，B选项和上面的例子很类似，看未划线部分they assumed that without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure...后面的动词也应该后移啊。
既然would就是原形表示虚拟conditional，那放在这样的past tense reporting verb也应该后移变成 would have never been secure...才对啊~
不然这里的would never secure只能理解成will的过去时态，就不是OG所说的虚拟语气了。
求问我的想法错在了哪里呢？
谢谢啊~~~

1. 你给的Manhattan书上的例子很对，恰恰说明B选项是正确的。
The scientist ANNOUNCED that the supercollider WAS ready, that it HAD not COST too much, and that it WOULD PROVIDE new insights into the workings of the universe.
they assumed that without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure...


2. 虚拟语气叫做subjunctive mood. 这里的"would never be"和"would provide"叫做conditional tense （详见Glossary）。
subjunctive mood和conditional tense是两回事，有交集但不相等，不要混为一谈。详见Manhattan verb那一章。