subjunctive modals I have a question about certain verb tenses of modals, both in the indicative and subjunctive. I found the following construction: "Ich konnte das gemacht haben." Question #1: How

Adam

subjunctive modals I have a question about certain verb tenses of modals, both in the indicative and subjunctive. I found the following construction: "Ich konnte das gemacht haben." Question #1: How is that different in meaning than "Ich habe das machen können."? Wouldn't both constructions mean "I was able to have done that."? Do they differ significantly in meaning? My second question is whether this construction could also be used with modal verbs. For instance, would this sentence construction be valid?: "Ich könnte das gemacht haben." Would that be the same in meaning as "Ich hätte das machen können"? Danke im Voraus! Adam

Nov 28, 2014 11:14 PM

Answers · 3

"Ich könnte das gemacht haben." => I might have done that. Maybe, maybe not. Who knows ... I won't tell you. "Ich hätte das machen können" => I could have done it. But I didn't. (Konjunktiv II) "Ich konnte das gemacht haben." => That's wrong. "Ich konnte das machen" => I was able to do that. "Ich habe das machen können." => This is "Perfekt" tense. => "Präteritum" tense: "Ich konnte das machen."

November 29, 2014

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