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might have been so still.

12:22 Jul 15, 2012
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: might have been so still.
Is the past perfect applied correctly?

"But I was schoolmistress for the little children in our district last summer, and might have been so still."

Thank you!
Michael Kislov
Russian Federation
Local time: 15:31


SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4might have been still
Martin Riordan
3 -1It's not an educated usage.
Mohammad Ali Moinfar (X)


  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
It's not an educated usage.


Explanation:
Because of the word "still", I think modal+have+pp. is not grammatical here.

Mohammad Ali Moinfar (X)
Iran
Local time: 16:01
Native speaker of: Native in Persian (Farsi)Persian (Farsi)
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Christine Andersen: Sounds perfectly normal, maybe a bit old fashioned, to me. It depends which part of the country the teacher comes from. That is what is so tricky about English...
23 hrs
  -> Thanks for your remarks, Christine.
disagree  Cilian O'Tuama: I disagree that it can't be educated usage and perf. normal English - might have been so still (had certain things not happened afterwards). The "still" does not necessarily mean "now", maybe some time in the past. More surrounding text needed, though.
1 day 7 hrs
  -> Thanks for your instructive remarks, Cilian.
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
might have been still


Explanation:
The word "so" is not necessary here, as it clearly refers to being the schoolmistress. It sounds awkward. The sentence implies that the speaker has an explanation for why she is no longer the schoolmistress. Ex: "But I moved to another town, too far away."

Martin Riordan
Brazil
Local time: 09:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 275
Notes to answerer
Asker: Is the past perfect applied correctly?

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