OG 13 69 是否是虚拟语气；Affording strategic

caroline莲莲

题目：
69.        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
不知道怎么回事题干划不上线，见谅
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OA: B;
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Q1: 这句话到底是不是虚拟语气？
我理解是与过去事实相反的虚拟语气；但是，过去事实相反的虚拟语气--时态应该是：If past perfect, then would/could present perfect, 与正确答案would never be不符，would do只能表示对现在或者对将来的虚拟，到这里理解无能。
OG的说明：Conditional constructions require specific verb tenses. For a past condition, the subordinate clause introduced by “if” uses the past indicative, and the main clause uses the conditional “if x happened, then y would happen.” -->从for a past condition和if x happened, then y would happen可以判定不是虚拟语气，would只是will的过去式。Ron也说不是虚拟语气。
但是Ron对conditional的定义就是虚拟语气，难道Ron的conditional和OG的conditional不是一回事？
而对不是虚拟语气也理解不了。
晕菜了，牛牛指点指点啊，谢谢大家

Q2：A OG说wordy和imprecise，是因为if they did not hold it可以简化为without it吗？

brfmzbjz

1. “If x did, y would do" 是典型的虚拟语气， would be 就是 would do 的一种啊，为何不符？
1)主句从句都用过去式:if ..did, ..did; 表示对过去观察的描述;
2)主句conditional从句过去式: if ..did, ..would do; 是在假设可能的结果;
3)条件从句: if ..did, ..would do..; if ..does, ..will do;

除此之外，以下的形式也是虚拟语气：
But for N, S + should/would/could/might + V / (have Vpp.)
= If it were not / (had not been) for N
= Were it not for N / (Had it not been for N)
= Without N（介词只有without可表虚拟语气）

2. A选项没有用虚拟语气，这是最大的问题。wordy是很次要的错误，你那么理解也没问题。

caroline莲莲

1. “If x did, y would do" 是典型的虚拟语气， would be 就是 would do 的一种啊，为何不符？
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是虚拟语气没错，但是这种是对现在或将来的虚拟。而从句子意思看应该是对过去的虚拟，而且OG也说for a past condition，而对过去的虚拟应该是if X had happend, then Y would have happend.

brfmzbjz

brfmzbjz 发表于 2014-5-25 10:14
1. “If x did, y would do" 是典型的虚拟语气， would be 就是 would do 的一种啊，为何不符？
1)主句从句 ...

根据Manhattan,
if X did, Y would do" means "Unlikely case (in the future)
if X had done, Y would have done means " CASE THAT NEVER HAPPENED (in the past)
根据本句的句子意思，是没法判断 in the future or never happened
The French到底在句子描述的那个时候，是否实际上hold Morocco?
1)如果the French当时hold Morocco, 那应该用if X had done, Y would have done. 意思即如果当初French没有占有Morocco, 他们对Algeria的控制就不可能牢靠。
2)如果the French当时没有hold Morocco, 那就应该用if X did, Y would do. 意思即如果French不占有M, 他们对A的控制是不可能牢靠的。

Therefore, either way makes sense.

退一万步说，根本没有 if x had done, y would have done" 的选项供你选择
So why even bother?
Pick the best one, not the perfect one.

以上供参考。