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had done better to confess

English translation: he would have done better to confess during his lifetime

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:had done better to confess
Selected answer:he would have done better to confess during his lifetime
Entered by: airmailrpl

12:26 Jul 15, 2012
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: had done better to confess
They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime.”
Michael Kislov
Russian Federation
Local time: 15:19
he would have done better to confess during his lifetime
Explanation:
he had done better to confess during his lifetime = he would have done better to confess during his lifetime =>
Selected response from:

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 09:19
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +3it would have been better to confess
Martin Riordan
5he would have done better to confess during his lifetime
airmailrpl


  

Answers


7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
it would have been better to confess


Explanation:
He should have got it off his chest!

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 09:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 275

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mohammad Ali Moinfar (X): Perhaps " had done better" is a dated form of the modern third conditional.
34 mins
  -> Thanks, Omid! I suspect you know a lot more about technical grammar than I do!
agree  Lirka
38 mins
  -> Thanks, Lirka!
agree  Phong Le
3 days 17 hrs
  -> Thanks, Phong Le!
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1 day 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
he would have done better to confess during his lifetime


Explanation:
he had done better to confess during his lifetime = he would have done better to confess during his lifetime =>

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 09:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 88
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