3 ms·

Title is from the original article. What's your reason for could instead of might?

by milesf 9y ago

mc32 9y ago
The tense/mood is wrong. It implies it could have been the cause of something that did happen rather than it having had a possibility of causing something that did not happen. Text of article has correct tense: "In what one aviation expert called a near-miss of what _could have been_ the largest aviation disaster ever..."
- milesf 9y ago
  Of course :) I see it now. Didn't intend to be link bait, although the original may have intended that. Changed.
  - tritium 9y ago
    It's still click bait. For clarity, exchange 'might' for 'could' and include 'almost' as an improvement. SFO near miss could have almost triggered aviation disaster This would clearly mark the situation as an event that did not happen, and also did not result in other terrible things.
- StavrosK 9y ago
  That's exactly right, I parsed the title as "a great aviation disaster happened, and the cause could be an SFO near miss".
  - jakub_g 9y ago
    Being non-native English speaker, I didn't notice the subtle distinction - but it makes sense now with the explanations. Thanks for your comments.
- acchow 9y ago
  But the aircraft did actually align for Taxiway C and start an approach. That did happen.
  - pluma 9y ago
    Yes, but the aviation disaster didn't happen. Might have triggered: SFO near miss happened, either it's unknown whether the aviation disaster happened (but there are suspicions it did), or it's unknown whether the two events were related (but there are suspicions they are). Would have triggered: SFO near miss did not happen, but if it had happened, it would have triggered the aviation disaster. Could have triggered: SFO near miss did happen, but there was no aviation disaster, though there could easily have been one if it hadn't been actively averted.
    - pmoriarty 9y ago
      "Might have" and "could have" are 100% synonymous.
      - pluma 9y ago
        No[0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. [0]: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/modals-and-modality/could-may-and-might http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/m... [1]: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/modal-verbs-may-might-can-could-and-ought http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/modal-verbs-may-might-c... [2]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/64374/might-have-vs-could-have https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/64374/might-have... [3]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/99957/what-is-the-difference-between-can-could-may-and-might https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/99957/what-is-th... [4]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/4661/it-could-might-may-be-funny-what-is-the-correct-usage https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/4661/it-could-mi... [5]: https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/question/would-could-should-might/ https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/question/would-could-should-... [6]: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/could-vs-might.2520657/ https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/could-vs-might.25206... [7]: http://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbs-can-could-may-might-must.aspx http://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbs-can-could... [8]: https://www.englishforums.com/English/CouldVsMight/blmxzx/post.htm https://www.englishforums.com/English/CouldVsMight/blmxzx/po... EDIT: Quote from [2]: > Could and might are often, but not always, interchangeable. He might have come / studied = 'We don’t know whether has come / studied or not', but you could substitute could. If you want to indicate ability or permission, however, you need He could have come / studied = ‘He had the ability to come / study.' > It's possible that he came from a different culture would be used in considering a historical figure who didn’t seem to fit into his environment. If you were talking about a current situation, you’d say It's possible that he comes from a different culture. It’s hard to think of any circumstances in which It's possible that he come from a different culture would be used, even if you regard ‘come’ as subjunctive. > English modal verbs are both important and subtle. You're unlikely to gain a full understanding of their use in exchanges such as this and if, as I assume, Noah, you are a non-native speaker of English you really need the help of a qualified English teacher.
cperciva 9y ago
Because it didn't. "Might have" means "we don't know if it did".
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
PhasmaFelis 9y ago
I read the title as "Here's a story about the greatest aviation disaster in history and what might have caused it".
dingo_bat 9y ago
Because it seems like we don't know yet. I opened up google news and scanned for an airplane crash.
joshwa 9y ago
I personally went looking to see if somehow there was new information connecting SFO to the Tenerife Disaster [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_disaster

Title is from the original article. What's your reason for could instead of might?

by milesf 9y ago

Title is from the original article. What's your reason for could instead of might?

mc32 9y ago

The tense/mood is wrong. It implies it could have been the cause of something that did happen rather than it having had a possibility of causing something that did not happen. Text of article has correct tense: "In what one aviation expert called a near-miss of what _could have been_ the largest aviation disaster ever..."

milesf 9y ago
Of course :) I see it now. Didn't intend to be link bait, although the original may have intended that. Changed.
- tritium 9y ago
  It's still click bait. For clarity, exchange 'might' for 'could' and include 'almost' as an improvement. SFO near miss could have almost triggered aviation disaster This would clearly mark the situation as an event that did not happen, and also did not result in other terrible things.
StavrosK 9y ago
That's exactly right, I parsed the title as "a great aviation disaster happened, and the cause could be an SFO near miss".
- jakub_g 9y ago
  Being non-native English speaker, I didn't notice the subtle distinction - but it makes sense now with the explanations. Thanks for your comments.
acchow 9y ago
But the aircraft did actually align for Taxiway C and start an approach. That did happen.
- pluma 9y ago
  Yes, but the aviation disaster didn't happen. Might have triggered: SFO near miss happened, either it's unknown whether the aviation disaster happened (but there are suspicions it did), or it's unknown whether the two events were related (but there are suspicions they are). Would have triggered: SFO near miss did not happen, but if it had happened, it would have triggered the aviation disaster. Could have triggered: SFO near miss did happen, but there was no aviation disaster, though there could easily have been one if it hadn't been actively averted.
  - pmoriarty 9y ago
    "Might have" and "could have" are 100% synonymous.
    - pluma 9y ago
      No[0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. [0]: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/modals-and-modality/could-may-and-might http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/m... [1]: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/modal-verbs-may-might-can-could-and-ought http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/modal-verbs-may-might-c... [2]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/64374/might-have-vs-could-have https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/64374/might-have... [3]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/99957/what-is-the-difference-between-can-could-may-and-might https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/99957/what-is-th... [4]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/4661/it-could-might-may-be-funny-what-is-the-correct-usage https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/4661/it-could-mi... [5]: https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/question/would-could-should-might/ https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/question/would-could-should-... [6]: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/could-vs-might.2520657/ https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/could-vs-might.25206... [7]: http://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbs-can-could-may-might-must.aspx http://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/auxiliary-verbs-can-could... [8]: https://www.englishforums.com/English/CouldVsMight/blmxzx/post.htm https://www.englishforums.com/English/CouldVsMight/blmxzx/po... EDIT: Quote from [2]: > Could and might are often, but not always, interchangeable. He might have come / studied = 'We don’t know whether has come / studied or not', but you could substitute could. If you want to indicate ability or permission, however, you need He could have come / studied = ‘He had the ability to come / study.' > It's possible that he came from a different culture would be used in considering a historical figure who didn’t seem to fit into his environment. If you were talking about a current situation, you’d say It's possible that he comes from a different culture. It’s hard to think of any circumstances in which It's possible that he come from a different culture would be used, even if you regard ‘come’ as subjunctive. > English modal verbs are both important and subtle. You're unlikely to gain a full understanding of their use in exchanges such as this and if, as I assume, Noah, you are a non-native speaker of English you really need the help of a qualified English teacher.

cperciva 9y ago

Because it didn't. "Might have" means "we don't know if it did".

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

PhasmaFelis 9y ago

I read the title as "Here's a story about the greatest aviation disaster in history and what might have caused it".

dingo_bat 9y ago

Because it seems like we don't know yet. I opened up google news and scanned for an airplane crash.

joshwa 9y ago

I personally went looking to see if somehow there was new information connecting SFO to the Tenerife Disaster [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_disaster