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Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear)



 
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ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
what does "cut" mean here? | Correction: 'You will prepare curry yourself' vs 'You will make curry yourself'
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Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear) Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:06 am  Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear)
 

1/ If only I (never bear)

=> The above sentence is just a wish (unreal), so had we better use subjunctive mood here? Or should it be:

If only I have never been born

2/ She knows little or nothing about that
=> does the above sentence sound awkward?

Thanks a lot
Nessies
nessie
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Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear) Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:29 am  Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear)
 

#1 "I wish I'd never been born."

#2 is OK.
Molly
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Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear) Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:03 am  Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear)
 

Thanks a lot, Molly. However I still wonder how the sentence should be if we use "if only"
nessie
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Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear) Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:00 am  Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear)
 

Quote:
However I still wonder how the sentence should be if we use "if only".

Non-idiomatic, IMHO.
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Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear) Wed Apr 09, 2008 13:05 pm  Usage of subjunctive: If only I (never bear)
 

.
"If only I'd never been born!"
(had never been born)

I cannot think of any context in which the present perfect would be possible.
.
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what does "cut" mean here? | Correction: 'You will prepare curry yourself' vs 'You will make curry yourself'
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