contrex wrote:McTag wrote:contrex wrote:Who is this "Fowler"? My copy of Usage and Abusage is by Eric Partridge.
I checked my bookshelf afterwards- sorry- it's
Modern English Usage
Both books good.
(I have to refer to it so seldom...... :wink: )
Indeed.
Going back to an earlier topic, capability/ permission may/might... I have come up with this.
Jim the BrE speaking amateur sailor was sailing in his little boat at night when it was caught up in a storm. He thought he would drown but at length it was swept onto some rocks. he leapt on to one of them and thought he would be marooned for days. However, when day broke, he could see that there was a line of barely submerged rocks between him and the shore, and he realised that at low tide he
might (future in the past) easily walk to land. When the tide had receded enough, he said to himself, "Now I may (present) gain the shore.". Later, when he told his friends about his adventure, he told them how he realised that he might (past) walk to safety.
"So then", says Jim, "*I might walk to the shore*."
"... he realized that he might be able to/could walk to shore."
This shows nothing but the potential to walk to shore, just as "Now I may gain the shore" does. It doesn't describe a past event. "I walked to shore" describes a past event.
Later, when he told his friends about his adventure, he told them how he realised that he might walk to safety. "But", said Jim, "I chickened out and just sat and waited. Luckily, a boat came by and picked me up.
Later, when he told his friends about his adventure, he told them how he realised that he might walk to safety [had the potential to walk to safety]. I said to myself, "Now I may gain the shore". He started out but it was deeper than he thought, so he turned back and waited for a passing boat.
