Hi, Anton!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

AH>  I'm reminded here of Jacqueline Susann's novel VALLEY
AH>  OF THE DOLLS, where women in particular were given pills
AH>  which may have made them feel better temporarily but
AH>  which did not address the underlying problem(s).

AS>  [A learner's question:]
AS>  I never became friendly with this consturction: may have
AS>  made. Does it mean "it is possible that they made"? If so,
AS>  is it correct to use the present tense to describe events
AS>  in a novel introduced in the past tense (were given)?


           It is possible [that] they made the users feel better temporarily...
yes.  Either way the events of the story are in the past tense, and whatever we
write in the preamble has far more to do with our own reasoning processes.  One
of the things which may be confusing you here is an idiomatic use of "it".  ;-)



AH>  Recently I've heard that some folks have run afoul of the
AH>  laws re practising medicine without a licence in advertisements
AH>  for vitamin & mineral supplements, claiming they'll prevent
AH>  or even cure COVID-19.

AS>  Yeah, perfidious peddlers of lucrative lies.


           Nice alliteration... [chuckle].



AH>  the results can't be guaranteed... and there is a lot of
AH>  evidence suggesting that a person's spiritual beliefs &/or
AH>  relationships with other people may help too.

AS>  Scientific evidence? I wonder how and what they found out.


           While I don't know of any formal scientific studies on the topic I'd
highly recommend Bernie Siegel's book LOVE, MEDICINE & MIRACLES.  The author is
an oncologist who noticed that some of his patients appeared to be doing better
than expected, and made it his business to figure out why.  Over the years I've
noticed similar comments from various other front line workers as well....  :-)



AH>  When I read his biography I see why this author may have
AH>  found neither of the latter met his needs....  :-Q

AS>  Bierice? Because he was so bitter?


           Apparently he had some doubts about religion... he divorced his wife
... then she & two of his children predeceased him, one by suicide.  Perhaps he
started out with a healthy skepticism which turned to bitterness later....  :-/




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+