They will never have known ...

[Gość: sisi]

I've just read this sentence somewhere. No context. No idea what it is.

[Gość: Mgr Wypych]

Nigdy nie dowiedzieliby sie.

[Gość: sisi]

Nie dowiedzieliby się?
= They would not have known (learnt).
Why WILL then? I'm fully aware it's a bit pointless for native speakers and
most learners of English, but isn't it yet another example of "If I was"?

[Gość: nat]

Isn't it something along the lines of: 'By Monday, I will have known about it
for a week'. Was it called Future Perfect?

[Gość: MaciekS]

Gość portalu: nat napisał(a):

> Isn't it something along the lines of: 'By Monday, I
will have known about it
> for a week'. Was it called Future Perfect?


Yes, but it's British English "invention".

Americans don't use that.

[Gość: krecha]

This is everyday English - also in America.

[Gość: sisi]

By Monday they will never have known, because they will have been dead for two
days. Right?

[Gość: Sir Mixalot]

They will have known can refer to the past. "He will have done it by now",
or "They'll never have known". This about somebody asleep in a car when it hit
a wall, killing everyone innstantly... "They'll never have known what hit
them.." So "will" shows that, at the time of speaking, the speaker is certain
about what they are saying.
i.e. the doorbell rings and you're expecting George Bush to pop round "Oh,
that'll bew Dubya now". Will always expresses the speaker certainty about
siomething at the time of speaking.

[Gość: krecha]

They will never be in a state in which they will have known something.

For example, if they become sick with an unknown desease and die, they
will never have known what has killed them.

[Gość: sisi]

wise as usual :-)

[Gość: Wojtek]

Dear Mr/s Krecha,

would an "unknown desease" include those germs in "germanisation" of the
English language? I value your opinion on that.

[Gość: krecha]

What is the meaning of your post?

[Gość: Wojtek]

to keep the conversation going

[Gość: nat]

'Victoria and me was very happy' - says English national icon David Beckham in
a recent interview- while you Polish perfectionists strive to achieve levels of
proficiency beyond the reach of your average English native speaker here. Very
commendable indeed.
Add to it unbelievable utterances by presidents (Bush), ministers (Prescot),
sports commentators (Ian Wright) and you will realise that your English is
already better than most.
Few months back it was reported in The Times that a group of Oxford Uni
students when asked to change a simple sentence from Active to Passive mode did
not have a clue what was expected of them. There is no formal teaching of
grammar at English schools and it's only among foreign students of the language
that you can encounter debates on tenses, articles and the likes.Nothing wrong
with that, of course, just don't let it worry you too much.
In a reader's letter printed by a national newspaper I spotted a beauty 'I
should of known' - very common mistake for 'should have' when put in writing.
What's more, nobody worries about it. Amazing.

[Gość: Wojtek]

Good post!

But maybe their French is better? There is something about foreign language -
people take more care due to ... lack of 'absolute' security?

[Gość: nat]

Absolutely. I blame all those successful headers executed by the organ probably
inferior by nature of educational neglect in the first place. Combined with a
choice of so called 'posh' spouse, it all adds up. Oh Romeo, Romeo, how could
you have deserved it?

[Gość: nat]

For those in need of entertainment but not prone to violent indigestion, I
wholeheartedly recommend the English language version of Polish Cookbook, by
Zofia Czerny.
It's not just that potatos, cabbage and beetroot transpire as national staple
diets. In common with pierogis and just about everything else, they are all
masterfully finished off with 'dice fat back, render, brown crackling'. Well,
unless you have been bred on these delights, I don't suppose you would have
guessed that 'skwarki'were hiding behind this dramatic description. Culinary
directions include 'cook until ready', 'pour over with fat', 'heat over
boiling water', 'the mashrooms should be thick and not float in sauce', when
meat ceases to secrete rare juice set on platter, one cutlet after the other'
etc etc. I have tried to point out all the absurdities of the translation (few
pages full) to PWN but their reply was that the two ladies who painstakingly
did the job were competent translators and mine was the only criticism they
have had. I can only conclude, that if the ladies in questions succumbed to
their recipes then they must be brown bread by now. Not a great loss for the
profession..

[Gość: Wojtek]

Could one speculate on sale figures of the book in its English version bearing
in mind that yours was the only criticism the publisher received?

[Gość: nat]

Well, I bought the book some 5 years ago. On my recent visit in the Polish
bookshop I scanned the shelves in search for a copy, out of curiosity, but
there was none. Either a complete sell out or withdrawn from sale. I am sure
however that there are others to take its place.