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Message de zap posté le 30-09-2012 à 01:12:37 (S | E | F)
Hello,
The following English sentence is ambiguous out of context:
“I was there for two years.”
Its meaning may be: (A) “I was to be there for two years.” (i.e., that was my tour, assignment, scheduled stay, etc.) or (B) “ I actually stayed there for two years.”
Can these two ideas be expressed in French with the verb être, using j’étais for (A) and j’ai été for (B), and what would the full sentences be?
Thank you.
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Modifié par webmaster le 30-09-2012 09:33
forum
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Modifié par lucile83 le 30-09-2012 09:40
Message de zap posté le 30-09-2012 à 01:12:37 (S | E | F)
Hello,
The following English sentence is ambiguous out of context:
“I was there for two years.”
Its meaning may be: (A) “I was to be there for two years.” (i.e., that was my tour, assignment, scheduled stay, etc.) or (B) “ I actually stayed there for two years.”
Can these two ideas be expressed in French with the verb être, using j’étais for (A) and j’ai été for (B), and what would the full sentences be?
Thank you.
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Modifié par webmaster le 30-09-2012 09:33
forum
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Modifié par lucile83 le 30-09-2012 09:40
Réponse: There for two years/aide de gerondif, postée le 30-09-2012 à 11:00:43 (S | E)
Hello,
for me, "I was there for two years" can only mean: I lived/stayed/worked/there for a period of two years:
In your own words: (B) “ I actually stayed there for two years.”
j'ai vécu là-bas pendant deux ans,j'y suis resté deux ans.
He was sent to prison and he was to die there in 1935: il fut envoyé en prison et il devait y mourir en 1935. The meaning is different, the grammatical pattern is different too: "President Kennedy was to meet his fate in Dallas....
(A) “I was to be there for two years.” can also mean: I was supposed to be there for two years but I soon got fed up with the job and I quit!
"I am to meet the manager at 5" means: it has been arranged so that I can meet him at 5, we have planned to meet at 5, am scheduled to meet him at 5.
Réponse: There for two years/aide de lucile83, postée le 30-09-2012 à 12:05:12 (S | E)
Hello zap,
I agree with gerondif.
"I was there for two years" = I stayed there for 2 years = j'ai été/je suis resté là-bas pendant 2 ans.
If you translate: J'étais là-bas pour deux ans, it means you went there but we can't be sure you actually stayed there for 2 years. We miss a context.
I was to be there...has another meaning that gerondif explained.
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