this might take as long as 25 years?

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
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Does it mean:

If the speaker Bertrand Audoin said on the day May 1,2011 "this might take as long as 25 years," he refers to that on May 1, 2036 we'll have found a cure for HIV?
(Of course it is not necessary to get the cure in the particular May 1, 2036, it just means the need of the time (the 25 years).

Context:

1 June 2011 Last updated at 00:05 GMT

New push aims to find cure for Aids virus
By Jane Dreaper Health correspondent, BBC News

More investment is needed to find a cure for HIV, the new head of the International Aids Society has said.

Bertrand Audoin admits this might take as long as 25 years, but he says a cure is the only way to keep ahead of the HIV epidemic in the long term during tough financial times.

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13605224

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Type: Question • Score: 2 • Views: 544 • Replies: 4

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@oristarA,

I don't think he literally means it will take 25 years. No scientist is that arrogant or that accurate to be able to make this kind of prediction to the day.

I think it's a lazy simile.

I think his point is simply that the cure isn't in the near future but some time away from happening.

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@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

I don't think he literally means it will take 25 years. No scientist is that arrogant or that accurate to be able to make this kind of prediction to the day.

I think it's a lazy simile.

I think his point is simply that the cure isn't in the near future but some time away from happening.

Thank you.

What I want to know is whether my understanding is grammatically correct.

So I'm still waiting...

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@oristarA,

Bertrand Audoin admits this might take as long as 25 years,

'might' means that there is a small to miniscule chance. 'might' means that the speaker has given a window of 25 years. It could very likely come sooner but he allows that there is a small chance that it could take as long as 25 years.

1 Reply

@JTT,

JTT wrote:

Bertrand Audoin admits this might take as long as 25 years,

'might' means that there is a small to miniscule chance. 'might' means that the speaker has given a window of 25 years. It could very likely come sooner but he allows that there is a small chance that it could take as long as 25 years.

How true.
Thank you.

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this might take as long as 25 years?

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