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Pastimes : SI Grammar and Spelling Lab
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To: Sowbug who wrote (814)1/21/1998 7:30:00 AM
From: Jack Clarke  Read Replies (1) of 4710
 
Sowbug,

>>"If I only
would have known that X, then I would have Y," instead of the proper "If I had only
known that X . . .,"

That incorrect usage has become very frequent in the last couple of decades. I noticed in my teen age kids first, and now it's everywhere, even (gasp!) on TV. I posted some of the grammatical rules about it earlier, but don't have the time to look it up now. There is a problem with confusing subjunctive with conditional, aggravated by tense confusion in the auxiliary. I'll try to elaborate later tonight. Day job calleth.

Jack
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