Questions tagged [conditional-constructions]
For questions about constructions which associate a hypothetical or imagined 'condition' with a 'consequence' which is inferred to be true if the 'condition' is true OR predicted to occur if the 'condition' occurs. "If John arrives tonight we will have a party."
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What tense to use when a subjunctive mood sentence has nested clauses
Consider the following sentence:
If I knew what the problem ___, I would be able to help you better.
Should the verb be "is" or "was"?
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Why use Type 3 structure for a present situation: "They would have had lots of training...." instead of "They have had lots of training."
This is from a BBC video, in which people in a spacecraft are shown when they are allowed to unbuckle to experience the zero gravity in a spacecraft. People in a spacecraft (see:00:24-00:30). The ...
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"X and Y" implies conditional
Sequential disasters can also reinforce each other. Heat, droughts and flooding are often connected: hot air picks up more moisture; dry out soil enough and water will run off it like concrete. (From ...
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Can the "for" starts a sentence and becomes the integral sentence?
There is a sentence in the the economist, but it seems not correct:
For there are worse things for a polity than to be led by a cheerful, pragmatic and dedicated leader.
"For" guides a ...
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If...were to, would/Present Simple Tense? [duplicate]
If her dream of being naked in front of Simon were to come true – and she knew, somehow, that it would – she needed to be the
sveltest version of herself that had ever existed. Fries wouldn't help
...
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Difference between "the number of people you would have thought" OR "the number of people you would think"?
This from the BBC website Lost wallet found 5 years on
It is about a story in which somebody lost his wallet 5 years ago after he watched a game in a rugby stadium, and it was found 5 years later. ...
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"I would follow you if that is what you wanted" Why is "would" used here? [duplicate]
God knows that I would follow you if that is what you wanted.
This is a quote from a song called "God knows" (from an anime, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya).
Why is "would" is ...
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Unreal vs Real situations
If you were not blind, you would have avoided the other car.
This is unreal. I want to know what is the "corresponding" real situation:
If you are not blind, you will have avoided the ...
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If you would not date yourself
A current trend on TikTok is captioned: "If you would not date yourself, you should lower your standards."
The sentence makes sense to me and seems grammatical. However, I keep telling ...
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usage of be versus being -
I have find this sentence:
I wouldn't have thought there's much chance of the package _______ here before Friday?
where "_______" has to be filled. My first try was "to be" but ...
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Confused about tenses in conditionals
I've been told that the following examples of conditional sentences are wrong because the tenses don't match the structure of any of the four types: zero, first, second, or third. I'm very confused ...
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it would have been possible
a. It would have been possible for him to steal the money.
Could that sentence mean
b. He could have stolen the money.
?
To me (a) means that if something else had or had not happened, then it would ...
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Would have rescued you vs would rescue you
A -- Jim has been abducted, we need to rescue him
B -- It's too risky, we I can't go.
A -- But he would have done the same for you.
I don't know how to conceptualise this construction.
So what I ...
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Unreal condition in the future [closed]
What are the most appropriate tenses to use in the parts marked in bold font in the sentence below?
The task you mentioned is important to me and on my to-do list. I would/will be surprised if I did/...
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If I knew where she <lived><lives> now, I'd go and see her
(1) If I knew where she lived now, I'd go and see her.
(2) If I knew where she lives now, I'd go and see her.
[Question] Which is correct?
I think that (1) is correct, but a Japanese teacher of ...
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Is it ok to use a zero conditional in this case?
Take this sentence structure:
When X happens, Z typically happens.
It is a zero conditional because it uses "when" and the present simple.
According to the rule, a zero conditional can ...
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"If it wasn’t/weren't for" vs. "If it hadn't been for"
The following is an extract from CNN. I'm wondering if it's okay to use "wasn't" (
or "weren't," if one wants to be formal). Why wasn't hadn't been used?
The family of five — ...
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How to change Conditional sentence of Present unreal into reported speech
How to change Conditional sentence of Present unreal into reported speech. I have an example :
“If the weather is fine, I will go on a picnic with my friends,” she said.
As I read the answer key, the ...
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What conditional?
In a community of Italian people learning English, a user asked:
I've found this sentence in a book, but I hardly understand the used tense: “He have kept that bottled up inside him all these years”
...
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Why "would have been"?
For without the principles of a good will, they may become extremely bad, and the coolness of a villain not only makes him far more dangerous, but also directly makes him more abominable in our eyes ...
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What does she mean by this sentence: "I wouldn't have been a person that would have been able to be awful about the partner."
This is from the ITV, Loose Women Programme see 6:20-6:30.
The ladies talking about abortions that they had in the past, and when discussing the issue, one of them says:
"Do I want to be tied to ...
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Regarding remote conditionals
Don't worry, the boys are fine. Anyway, I have told them to call me if they had any problems.
Do you think the use of the remote conditional construction, marked by "had", is correct? I'm ...
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Zero conditional sentence with "can"
The normal zero conditional sentence has this structure with either "if" or "when", and uses the present simple in both sides:
A happens if/when B happens.
My question is, can I ...
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Why is there a "would" in the if clause, instead of a simple past?: "Decision-making could be easy if you’d think about what’s right for you."
The following sentence is from a text about marriage when to walk away
"Besides the pain you get from the betrayal, knowing when to walk away after infidelity is a lot harder to face. However, ...
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would burst if you continue/continued to fill
Traditional grammar teaches that "would V" is paired with a superficial past tense in conditional sentences of type (b). But nothing is said about sentences like (a), where modal "would&...
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"would have had" vs "should have"
Are these two sentences grammatical and equivalent?
1 If I had not taken my phone there, I would have had to go back home, pick it up, and take it there.
2 If I had not taken my phone there, I ...
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If I meet him, I want to tell him [closed]
Can one use
a. If I meet him, I want to tell him how much he has influenced me.
instead of
b. I want to tell him how much he has influenced me if I meet him.
?
Many thanks.
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If I will show up, I'll let you know at the last minute. Correct?
Not sure whether I'll show up, but if I will, I'll probably let you know at the last minute.
Is it correct or should it be "if I do"? I'm on the fence here because showing up happens after ...
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"I am looking for a good doctor before meeting you." Is this a correct sentence?
I am concerned about the sequence of two works. Can I use present continuous tense (am looking for) like this?
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Use of first conditional
We can't know for sure what will happen in the future. In this case, do we use a first conditional? For instance:
If the weather improves, we're going to the beach. Here, we don't know wheather the ...
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Indicating someone else made a guess about past events
Imagine the following scenario: You were in class, and your professor made a guess and said
Professor: "Climate change may have led the dinosaur to extinction."
After the class, you are ...
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Difference between 'would+present' and 'would have+past participle' in these cases
Difference between 'would+present' and 'would have+past participle' in these cases.
1° EXAMPLE:
When John was 30, the doctor told him that he wouldn't live/wouldn't
have lived past 40. Now he's fifty ...
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Modal Verbs: Should We Use the Second Conditional to Refer to Events That Remain Possible (but Are Unlikely) in Past Tense?
My question relates to hypothetical situations in the past; however, I am looking at it from a narrative perspective, where the outcomes of past events are presented as uncertain.
Traditionally, to ...
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What kind of structure is it?
I’m glad this programme is about singing because I
love it and what I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm!
It's taken from the BBC podcast
I understood the meaning with the help of an ...
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if it was built to help rather than harm
How do we make sense of the boldfaced if-clause? It's at odds with the traditional conception of conditional sentences, which would require a matching main clause containing "would," 'could,&...
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"If he were to be selected, I would be very happy"
I know if I say "If it were to rain, it would be a pleasant day". = If it rained, it would be a pleasant day".
But my query is if I say, "If he were to be selected, I would be very ...
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Though seems conditional Type 2, it is not fully compliant to Type 2. So, is such a Type 2 still acceptable: if+present, would
The following sentence is from a text in which someone is complaining about his brother who has not been interested in his elderly mother. (Here is the link: https://www.insider.com/why-i-cut-contact-...
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Idiomatic mixed conditional sentences
This is related to my other question.
So I went to look up mixed conditionals and the sentence from the linked question fits the form of 'present condition/past result' conditional. Now the rules say ...
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If the boat were to capsize, it’s designed to re-right itself [closed]
The following conditional sentence is hard to reconcile with traditional grammar. I'm wondering what makes it okay as a conditional sentence and how to make sense of it in a way that conforms to ...
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Type 2 IF Conditional. vs Type 3 Situation Comparison
If I am standing there talking to someone while they are getting ready I can use TYPE 2? such as all of these?
If you woke up earlier, then you wouldn’t need to rush.
If you didn’t leave so late, ...
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If conditional If I was him or If I were him or If I was he or If were he? [closed]
Which of the follow are correct and why? I've seen most of these constructions all over the internet but unsure the difference and if even correct at all. These are examples I chose because they're ...
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Difference between past simple and past perfect in conditional tenses
I have been confused about the difference between simple and past perfect in conditional tenses.
“If we had looked at the map, we wouldn’t be lost.”
“If we looked at the map, we wouldn’t be ...
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Whether using present or past simple in the imaginary past event
I might have thought she __ not able to speak, if I had not heard
her singing.
It's just a made-up sentence, please apologize if it doesn't make sense. Anyway, if only if I have to choose between is ...
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He did something regularly to see if I needed anything. An event of need actually occured?
He checked on me regularly during my stay to see if I needed anything.
I've been confused of if I needed anything.
Actually needing something has occured in the first place?
Which article can make me ...
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Conditional statement
I'm Spanish and I'm doing some exercises to practise for my exams and I have just seen this question:
If I ___ eaten so much food, I wouldn't feel sick now.
The options to fill the gap were: hadn't /...
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Can someone explain this conditional? (Past simple + past perfect)
I've just come across one conditional that I don't quite understand.
If what she said was true, Marilyn had almost certainly left town last night.
I understand that the first part of the sentence is ...
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Conditionals: Main clause in negative
Do the rules on conditional constructions depend in any way on whether the main-clause is in negative?
Here is one example:
We are trying to write-down all the steps, so that if another person
wants ...
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Irregular Conditionals
I saw the following example sentence in this link:
If Gina would explain her situation a little better, I think they'd see where she's coming from.
As seen, both the if- and main clauses use the &...
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Which sentence is correct? The first one or the second one?
Which sentence is correct? The first conditional or the second conditional?
A: If I don't start packing soon, I will miss the flight.
If I didn't start packing soon, I would miss the flight.
B: Relax, ...
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Example of a *real* condition in the past
Consider the following hypothetical example. A friend of mine named Alex passed away last year. I've found a notebook in his room with pictures of lions. This suggests that he was likely interested in ...
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