if you look at this word for a long time

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
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My sentence:

-If you look at this word for a long time/for 3 seconds etc, you wouldn't feel it's a word.

Is it correct English? I am not sure, because FOR suggests a period, and the perfect tense should be used: YOU HAVE LOOKED. But I am not sure whether the present simple tense does the work.

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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 657 • Replies: 13

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You can use 'for' with a period of time whether it was in the past, is in the present, or will be in the future.

I could say:

I looked at the word for three seconds. (After I looked at it)
I am looking at the word for three seconds. (While I am looking at it)
I will look at the word for three seconds. (Before I look at it)

I am not sure where you got the idea about the perfect tense from. If you are describing a hypothetical situation you might write:

If you looked at this word for a long time, you wouldn't feel it was a word.

If you are suggesting an action you might write:

If you look at this word for a long time, you won't feel it is a word.

2 Replies

@contrex,

Thank you~

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Quote:

because FOR suggests a period, and the perfect tense should be used: YOU HAVE LOOKED

Not necessarily.
"For" can refer to past, present or future.

Example: Next month I'm going on holiday for two weeks.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Thank you both.

But for the WOULD hypothetical part; do you not think when something is likely to happen, we can still use the present tense for the main clause?:

-If you start to learn Japanese after you are 2 years old, I would say it is difficult.

WOULD doesn't require the past tense/hypothetical form.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Then can I say this?:

-Simultaneous biliguals are children who learn more than one language from birth.

FROM BIRTH sounds like we need WHO HAVE LEARNED; do you think WHO LEARN is wrong?

1 Reply

@WBYeats,

If you stare at this word (term, expression, name, caption, title, etc) for more than a few seconds you'll momentarily deem (reckon, sense, suppose) it isn't a word

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Quote:

Then can I say this?:

Simultaneous biliguals are children who learn more than one language from birth.

FROM BIRTH sounds like we need WHO HAVE LEARNED; do you think WHO LEARN is wrong?

Not wrong. I would say that both are roughly equivalent, but it would be more common to use "who have learned". They already have their speaking skills, and so "have learned" is appropriate.
But your example seems to be a definition:

Quote:

Simultaneous biliguals are children who learn more than one language from birth.

In that case, I would say "who learn" is equally valid, and not grammatically wrong.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Thank you

0 Replies

@WBYeats,

Do native speakers not think WOULD/COULD does not require the past tense in the IF clause?:

eg If you're not careful, you could finish up seriously ill.
eg If you're not careful, you would finish up seriously ill.

1 Reply

@WBYeats,

Quote:

If you're not careful, you could finish up seriously ill.

This is the one I'd use.

I'm not sure what you mean by your reference to a past tense. This sentence describes a possible future outcome.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Were you thinking of something like, "If you had not been careful, you would have....."
That refers to the past, with an outcome for the present (or, later than the "careful" action referred to).
Sorry if that appears rather obscure.

1 Reply

@McTag,

um....Contrext says I had to use LOOKED, but what word requires us to use LOOKED to show this is hypothetical?

In English we find:

-If we DO something, we WOULD/COULD/MIGHT DO...

The existence of WOULD etc doesn't mean we must use DID etc in the if clause.

1 Reply

@WBYeats,

Contrex wrote this:

Quote:

If you are describing a hypothetical situation you might write:
If you looked at this word for a long time, you wouldn't feel it was a word.
If you are suggesting an action you might write:
If you look at this word for a long time, you won't feel it is a word.

Which is quite correct, and very clear. You can use "look" or "looked" depending on circumstances.

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if you look at this word for a long time

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