艾易艾斯（aeas)写作技巧 -动词搭配错误： Didn’t + 条件从句

英语写作中，表达如果，假设的 if 从句十分常见。而同样常见的，是对 if 从句的错误使用。比如想要表达“如果当时没有怎样，那么现在可能会…” ，这种句子该怎么写呢？

1. 如果泰坦尼克号没有沉船会怎样？

Incorrect: What would have happened if the Titanic didn’t sink?

Correct : What would have happened if the Titanic hadn’t sunk?

2.如果 Dave Roberts 没能盗二垒成功，赛果会如何？

What if Dave Roberts didn’t steal 2nd base?

What if Dave Roberts hadn’t stolen 2nd base?

3. 她本可能活到90岁的要是那件事情没有发生。

Incorrect: She probably would have lived to 90 if this didn’t happen.

Correct : She probably would have lived to 90 if this hadn’t happened.

4. 但试想一下我要是没能靠着工作上了医疗保险。

Incorrect: But imagine if I didn’t have access to health insurance through my job.

Correct : But imagine if I hadn’t had access to health insurance through my job.

5. 如果Brian Epstein 没有死，而John Lennon 没有遇见Yoko Ono, 那么Beatles 乐队是不是就不会解散了呢？

Incorrect: If Brian Epstein didn’t die and if John Lennon didn’t meet Yoko Ono, would the Beatles have stayed together?

Correct : If Brian Epstein hadn’t died and if John Lennon hadn’t met Yoko Ono, would the Beatles have stayed together?

综上五个句子，不难发现，只要用了if 就不要加 didn’t， 而是要用完成时态的 hadn’t. 这也是过去式和完成式的区别，过去时描述过去发生的事情，完成时描述过去发生事情的同时还强调这个事情对当下的影响。