How should I understand the underlined sentence? Every gate was closed and barred and heavily guarded, though; no one was allowed to enter or depart the castle without Lord Bolton’s leave. _Even if he

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How should I understand the underlined sentence? Every gate was closed and barred and heavily guarded, though; no one was allowed to enter or depart the castle without Lord Bolton’s leave. _Even if he found some secret way out, Theon would not have trusted it._ He had not forgotten Kyra and her keys. And if he did get out, where would he go? (A Dance with Dragons, novel) 1.Even if he found some secret way out, Theon would not have trusted it 2. Even if he had found some secret way out, Theon would not have trusted it Hi. How should I understand 1, the original sentence, which is neither a third conditional nor a mixed conditional? Thank you.

Sep 26, 2018 1:12 PM

Answers · 6

English people use perfect tenses, and to an English eye the writer's grammar is wrong, the correct wording is your no. 2. Americans generally avoid using perfect tenses, the writer is presumably American. Poor things, they can't spell, either ;-).

September 26, 2018

It is narrated entirely in the past tense. So, if I were to put that sentence in the present tense, I would say that Theon has yet to find that secret way out, but if he does, he wouldn't trust it. Now, in the past tense, it is: "Even if he found some secret way out, Theon would not have trusted it." Theon had yet to find a secret way out, but if he found one, he wouldn't have trusted it. Why is it "have trusted" instead of "trust"? Because the act of "not trusting" that way out isn't continuous, ongoing or habitual; instead, it has a beginning and an end. So, let me try to simplify it: Theon doesn't trust the door, so he goes on and forgets about it. I hope that helped.

September 26, 2018

it's both true dude

September 26, 2018

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