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According to a grammar book named Top 20, both the if-clause and the main clause describe situations that are or were always true in the first type of conditional sentence.

Here’s an example of conditional 1 in the past tense: If I was late for work, my boss got really angry at me.

That italicized phrase sounds a little off.

I feel like it should be: my boss would get really angry at me

Is this how you’d normally say it?

If not, how should I rephrase it?

Thank you.

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  • "If I am late for work, my boss gets really angry at me."
    – CinCout
    Dec 14, 2017 at 11:58
  • 1
    I know that many speakers of AmE would not bother to use the modal in the main clause there, and would treat if as a synonym for whenever. If (whenever) I was late, my boss got angry. Dec 14, 2017 at 13:32

1 Answer 1

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In the past:

In my last job, one time I was late for work, my boss got really angry at me.

Anytime in the past

If I was late for work, my boss would get really angry at me.

Today:

If I am late for work, my boss gets really angry with me

Later today and in the future:

If I am late for work, my boss will get really angry with me

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