Which form should be used? Why? Both are about past situations.
In ancient China, you might be beheaded for a casual remark about the royal family.
In ancient China, you might have been beheaded for a casual remark about the royal family.
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3I would say that either is possible.– Kate BuntingJul 12, 2022 at 7:40
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1I would prefer 'a person' or 'someone' to 'you', since ancient China was a long time ago.– Michael HarveyJul 12, 2022 at 11:22
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@MichaelHarvey Couldn't "you" be used to refer to people in general?– ApollyonJul 12, 2022 at 13:38
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1 Answer
Both are OK:
In ancient China, you might be beheaded for a casual remark about the royal family.
In ancient China, you might have been beheaded for a casual remark about the royal family.
FWIW, I would choose "could" (past tense of "can") instead of "might":
In China, you can be beheaded for....
In ancient China, you could be beheaded for...
In ancient China, you could have been beheaded for....
