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Hi!
In the following sentences, the underlined parts are similar grammatically.
1. It would be better to say...
2. You will be obliged to sign a contract before starting employment.
3. You'll have to let me know when it arrives.

Can the statement below (4) be written as (5)according to the structure above?
4. Dad would be really mad if he knew we borrowed his car.
5. Dad would be really mad to know we borrowed his car.

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@tara85,

Quote:

the underlined parts

Para they ain't

Quote:

(4) be written as (5),,,?

Sure

Quote:

according to the structure above?

Dunno, old fella need help here. Cen ??

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@tara85,

tara85 wrote:

Can the statement below (4) be written as (5)according to the structure above?

Yes

Mother would be really happy if she saw you win the race.
Mother would be really happy to see you win the race.

My uncle would be sad if he left his house.
My uncle would be sad to leave his house.

John would be excited if he saw your photograph of him.
John would be excited to see your photograph of him.

Etc.

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@centrox,

Quote:

My uncle would be sad if he left his house.
My uncle would be sad to leave his house.

'Course Cen, there's a subtle diff. If he's sad to leave, it might be for some other reason

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@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

If he's sad to leave, it might be for some other reason

The two sentences are equivalent. Sad if he left, sad to leave. No difference. Any "other reason" would apply equally to both and is therefore irrelevant and your invocation of it is mischievous.

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@centrox,

Quote:

mischievous

Not atoll, Cen, tis time I'm absolutely right

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@centrox,

dalehileman wrote:

If he's sad to leave, it might be for some other reason

He might be sad at the moment of leaving for a hundred reasons, he loved the house, he had to have the dog put down, whatever. That is irrelevant. The sentence says he WOULD be sad to leave/if he left. Not he IS sad.

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@centrox,

Quote:

My uncle would be sad if he left his house.
My uncle would be sad to leave his house.

dalehileman wrote:
If he's sad to leave, it might be for some other reason

Quote:

...sad .... for a hundred reasons..... irrelevant. The sentence says he WOULD be sad to leave/if he left. Not he IS sad.

Don' think t'matters one way r'tother, Cen, whether WOULD or IS. There's a subtle diff. However it's the sorta thing folk like us write books about, but I'm too old

Punk, Hal. Oli, Pond, Yoshi, HELP

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Dale, the topic of this thread is this question:

Are statements of this type:
[Noun] would be [adjective] if [pronoun] [past participle of action verb]
Spot the dog would be happy if he had a bone.

equivalent in meaning to statements of this type:
[Noun] would be [adjective] to [infinitive of action verb]
Spot the dog would be happy to have a bone.

The answer is "yes". Don't get hung up on the examples.

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@centrox,

Ah thanks Cen
I had got hung up

But gosh how I wish I could 'stand t'all !!
Get the puns ? !

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@centrox,

Thanks a lot Centro. I appreciate your help.

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Would

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