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Brazil flagLaura Dias
Parents Questions about a boyfriend My mother asked him how long he had known me. My father asked him if he were in the same class as me. My mother asked him what he was planning to do when he left school. My father asked him if he thought he would get married one day. My mother asked him what subjects he studied at school. My father asked him if he played any sport. My mother asked him which football team he supported. My father asked him if his parents were rich.

Corrections · 3

1

Perfect! Just one little mistake, that lots of native speakers would also make:

 

"My father asked him if he were in the same class as me" should be

 "My father asked him if he was in the same class as me."

 

Explanation: the "if" clause is not hypothetical, and not the present unreal conditional, but in fact the past real conditional. It's much more obvious in Portugues, if you try translating it into Portuguese, you'll understand immediately. My Portuguese is a little rusty -- I'm thinking "se ele ficasse" ("if he were" -- incorrect in this context) versus "se ele ficava" ("if he was" -- correct in this context).

 

Bonus correction: It's true we usually say "... as me," but in this context, it would be more "proper" (in formal English) to write "... as I (was).

1

Parents' questions about a boyfriend

My mother asked him how long he had known me.

My father asked him if he were in the same class as me.

My mother asked him what he was planning to do when he left school.

My father asked him if he thought he would get married one day.

My mother asked him what subjects he studied at school.

My father asked him if he played any sport.

My mother asked him which football team he supported.

My father asked him if his parents were rich.


Brilliant!!! :)

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