Summary Details

Query:	Mixed Conditional Sentences
Author:	Kenji Kashino
Submitter Email:	click here to access email
Linguistic LingField(s):	Semantics
Summary:	Dear linguists, On November 11 I posted a question (Linguist 14.3084) about mixed conditional sentences on Linguist List. My question was: I would like to know the acceptability of examples (8)--(11). (8) If he weren't such a terrible bore, we'd certainly have visited him more often while he was here. (9) She was so high-keyed that if she smoked she would have been a chain smoker. (10) He would have gone right into your bedroom if I didn't stop him. (11) If she were working for Bill, he would have protected her with a reasonably plausible story. I received ten emails. I would like to thank the following people: Kim Schulte, Mike Matloff, Lisa King, Bruce Deapain, Chris Johns,Rudolph C. Troike, Nick Sobin, Tamara Nicol, Toby Paff, Laura Callahan The result of my survey is as follows: * ? OK NO responses (8) 0 0 9 1 (9) 0 1 8 1 (10) 1 5 3 1 (11) 0 1 8 1 >From this result it is clear that (8) is highest and (10) is lowest on the scale of acceptability. I also received suggestions from Toby Paff about the differences in social and class dialects. Thank you very much. Kenji Kashino Professor of English Linguistics Osaka Shoin Women's University , Japan

LL Issue:	14.3148
Date Posted:	17-Nov-2003
Original Query:	Read original query
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