[Grammar] News resources indicate that at least seven atypical pneumonia cases were reported

Status
Not open for further replies.

kadioguy

Key Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Taiwan
Current Location
Taiwan
(The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control’s e-mail to the WHO International Health Regulations focal point on Dec. 31 last year.)

-----------
News resources today indicate that at least seven atypical pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan, CHINA.


Their health authorities replied to the media that the cases were believed no SARS; however the samples are still under examination, and cases have been isolated for treatment.

I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us. Thank you very much in advance for your attention to this matter.

Best Regards
-----------

Is there anything sounding unnatural to native speakers?

For me, I would say I will greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information ....

What do you think?
 
It's wordier than what I would write, and there's at least one typo. But nothing is unnatural.

We do not say, "I will appreciate it if you share it." The if means I have doubt. But saying will would mean I have no doubt. So the sentence would contradict itself.

- I would appreciate it if you share it.

- I will appreciate it when you share it.

See the difference?
 
It's wordier than what I would write, and there's at least one typo. But nothing is unnatural.

We do not say, "I will appreciate it if you share it." The if means I have doubt. But saying will would mean I have no doubt. So the sentence would contradict itself.

- I would appreciate it if you share it.

- I will appreciate it when you share it.

See the difference?
Thank you, Charlie Bernstein. :)

But sentences like We'll stay at home if it rains seem very common.
 
The point Charlie Bernstein's making I think is that will has a sense of 'real' and would has a sense of 'unreal'. If you use will, you're fully expecting that people will have relevant information.

There's a major error here:

Their health authorities replied to the media that the cases were believed no SARS
 
Thank you, Charlie Bernstein. :)

But sentences like We'll stay at home if it rains seem very common.
Good point! Maybe it's another of those things that's just a matter of taste — what sounds good to whoever says or writes it.
 
Note that this is a real conditional.

Are you implying that this one is a second conditional?

a. I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us.

Is it the same as this one, as a second conditional?

b. I would greatly appreciate it if you had relevant information to share with us.

 
Are you implying that this one is a second conditional?

a. I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us.

Is it the same as this one, as a second conditional?

b. I would greatly appreciate it if you had relevant information to share with us.


Only b. is a true second conditional, since it uses had, not have.
 
Only b. is a true second conditional, since it uses had, not have.

a. I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us.

Is (a) a sentence between the first conditional and the second conditional?
 
First of all, I don't usually think in terms of first or second conditional types, because those are types of form, not meaning.

But yes, it does seem on the surface as though the speaker is stuck somewhere between real and unreal. I think this is because I would appreciate it if ... is something of a standard expression to make a request. The latter part, with the present tense, shows he/she was thinking of it as a real possibility.

In terms of form, you could think of it as 'mixed'.
 
I think this is because I would appreciate it if ... is something of a standard expression to make a request. The latter part, with the present tense, shows he/she was thinking of it as a real possibility.

How abut this one?

c. I would greatly appreciate it if you would have relevant information to share with us.

Is (c) used to make a polite request?
 
No, you can't use would in that clause.
 
How abut this one?

c. I would greatly appreciate it if you would have relevant information to share with us.

Is (c) used to make a polite request?

I think the sentence makes more sense if it is corrected to:

I would greatly appreciate it if you would share with us the relevant information.

You are appreciative not for someone having the information but for their willingness to share the information with you.
 
Last edited:
How abut this one?

c. I would greatly appreciate it if you would have relevant information to share with us.

Is (c) used to make a polite request?

No, you can't use would in that clause.

I followed this example to use that.

https://learnersdictionary.com/definition/appreciate

b used to make a polite request

  • I would appreciate it if you would tell your father to call me. [=please tell your father to call me]
Hi, jutfrank. :)

Could you please tell me your opinion about why would can't be used in this one:

c. I would greatly appreciate it if you would have relevant information to share with us.
 
You can use would when the following verb denotes an action. For example, in the dictionary sentence, the writer is requesting the reader to perform the action of telling his/her father to call him/her.

In your example, would is not possible because have relevant information is not an action that can be performed. It seems to denote a state (where have is used in its possessive stative sense). If you look at tedmc's correction in post #16, you'll see he changed the verb have to share, which is a good correction because share denotes an action.
 
Could you please tell me your opinion about why would can't be used in this one:

c. I would greatly appreciate it if you would have relevant information to share with us.
Because it has to be followed by an action verb, your reader expects something like I'd appreciate it if you would do this. Having information is a state, not an action. You could say I'd appreciate it if you would get relevant information to share with us.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ask a Teacher

If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know:

(Requires Registration)
Back
Top