看一篇讲述英国清教徒当初乘5月花号到美洲文章一句话they might allhave died if it were not for help they received from Native Americans thatlived in their area。
我记得虚拟语气语法中说，在主句中用过去完成时表假使语意，那我想这里是不是应写成…if there had beennot help they received…才符合语法习惯呢？
还有原句中为何要用for help？单词for在这里起什么语义用途呢？
请老师帮助指教我上面问题。
我不了解你这个句子的出处和语境，我感觉应该改为：... if it had not been for the help they received from Native Americans that lived in their area. help 前也应该有定冠词较妥。if it were not for/if it had not been for... 是虚拟语气条件句的一种形式, 前者表示与目前事实相反的假设，后者表示与过去事实相反的假设。for 表示缘由。你可以参考https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/if-it-were-not-for-if-it-had-not-been-for的讲解，你改的部分有误，我略作改动为if there had not been any help they received...也可以，但表达方法略微有不同。