Please help me choose the correct tenses. Thanks. CONTEXT: The ship is ablaze. It has been hit by a torpedo. The battle is not over, but the damage caused by the torpedo is irrepairable. The speaker

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Dmitriy

Please help me choose the correct tenses. Thanks. CONTEXT: The ship is ablaze. It has been hit by a torpedo. The battle is not over, but the damage caused by the torpedo is irrepairable. The speaker knows that the fighting capability of the damaged ship isn't enough to win the battle. SENTENCES: 1. If the torpedo [HADN'T HIT] us and the ship [WEREN'T] ablaze we [WOULD HAVE WON] the battle. 2. If the ship [WEREN'T] ablaze we [WOULD HAVE WON] the battle. 3. If the ship [WEREN'T] ablaze we [WOULD WIN] the battle. QUESTION: Am I right? In this situation, sentences #1 and #3 would be correct in terms of tense, whereas sentence #2 wouldn't be. As I see it, sentences #1 and #3 can be interpreted as follows: Meaning of sentence #1: "The torpedo has hit us and the ship is ablaze, so we will not win the battle (it has already been lost)." Meaning of sentence #3: "The ship is ablaze, so we are unlikely to win the battle (though it hasn't yet been lost)."

1. Nov. 2017 14:27

Antworten · 9

1. If the torpedo [HADN'T HIT] us and the ship [HADN'T BEEN] ablaze we [WOULD HAVE WON] the battle. - the second verb should also be in the past perfect simple tense 2. If the ship [WEREN'T] ablaze we [WOULD HAVE WON] the battle. - incorrect 3. If the ship [WEREN'T] ablaze we [WOULD WIN] the battle. - correct

1. November 2017

I thinh this question you should use conditional sentences type 2 Because the context is in present tense.And you use "if" so use should go back one tense.That is "past simple tense"

1. November 2017

Thanks Aloha and Drew!

4. November 2017

Hey Dmitriy, I agree with your interpretation and based on the context, the third sentence is correct, as the battle isn't over. I think the second sentence may be grammatically possible but it would require the battle having ended, and the ship still being on fire. You would more likely hear, if the ship hadn't been ablaze, we would've won.. Also.. I don't think 'irrepairable' is a word...maybe... irreparable (or unrepairable).

4. November 2017