anyone could guess you wrote it

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

Moderator: Alan

Locked
Newton
Top
Top
Posts: 42
Joined: April 18th, 2020, 9:50 pm

anyone could guess you wrote it

Post by Newton »

In a classroom, one student (A) to another (B):

A: I'm surprised! How did you know I wrote it on the board?

(The writing is not on the board now. Maybe someone erased it, but B had already seen it.)

B1: It's pretty simple. Looking at the handwriting, anyone could guess you wrote it. (Guessing in the present)

B2: It's pretty simple. Looking at the handwriting, anyone would guess you wrote it. (Guessing in the present)

B3: It's pretty simple. Looking at the handwriting, anyone could've guessed you wrote it. (Guessing in the past)

B4: It's pretty simple. Looking at the handwriting, anyone would've guessed you wrote it. (Guessing in the past)

Are B1, B2, B3 and B4 idiomatic/correct in the given context?
User avatar
Alan
Teacher/Moderator
Teacher/Moderator
Posts: 15539
Joined: December 29th, 2003, 7:56 pm

Re: anyone could guess you wrote it

Post by Alan »

Yes, all possible given the appropriate context/background knowledge.
Locked