LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 23.AUG.2000 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 22.AUG.2000 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Language varieties

Ian wrote:

>The "logical" argument is that the main clause ("The police knew") is
already in the past tense, so some people argue that the following
subordinate should be present (because at the time the police knew, "they
need" was actually present, if you see what I mean). The most obvious
example of this debate is "I'd have loved to have been there" versus "I'd
have loved to be there" - <

Of course, it's also possible to see "I'd have loved to have been there" as
a confusion between (or emphatic combination of ?) "I'd have loved to be
there" and "I'd love to have been there". The second seems most "logical" in
that the speaker is talking about his present feelings about something in
the past (but logic has nothing to do with language).

I'm still inclined to think that the apparent loss of the weak ending in the
cases I mentioned is a matter of articulation, because I haven't noticed it
except where there is  a repeated dental. I note that Ed said that he hadn't
heard my last two examples. I take that as support for the view that the
phenomenon is growing.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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