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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I was thinking, if you are/were interested, you could
I was thinking, if you are / were interested, you could come over to dinner tomorrow.
Could someone please tell me if are and were are both natural here?
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would be a good time if
a. Now would be a good time to play the guitar if my hand wasn't broken yesterday.
b. Now would have been a good time to play the guitar if my hand wasn't broken yesterday.
c. Now would have been a ...
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Why the subject is eliminated after "if"?- "I will be able to provide meaningful contributions if accepted."
First of all, I want to ask whether the below sentence is correct.
If so, in the next, why the subject is eliminated after "if"?
And finally, is this elimination formal or informal?
I will be ...
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2
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"Had you told me earlier" vs "If you had told me earlier." [duplicate]
I've been asked to give a speech tomorrow. Since I'm not prepared I said:
"Had you told me earlier I could've prepared for it."
Q 1) Was the response correct?
Q 2) Is it the third conditional since ...
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I had been practicing or I practiced
I've always used 'had been' in conditionals but today I was talking with a friend online and before logging in I practiced speaking English with myself for 30 minutes. So I said:
"I had been ...
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Could you tell me if this sentence is correct? [closed]
Had you not wanted him to talk so much why not tell him?
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2
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How to use two IF conditions in one sentence?
Please help in framing sentence using two If condition. I will form sentence using below if conditions.
if zero conditional.
"If I change this data and again someone change this, which data should I ...
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1
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If you didn't/couldn't find it you would've told your father
Jack lost his expensive earpods now his maid found it and told him that she found it in the living room. But Jack is sure that he hasn't been to the living room in the last few days. After listening ...
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Is "if one day I had something to say I would write a book" correct?
is the sentence correct to express something that could happen or not in the future:
"If one day I had something to say I would write a book"
Thank you all.
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Future "If" clauses and usage of present simple and present continous
what is the difference in the sentence:
We won't be able to go out if it is raining.
We won't be able to go out if it rains.
Or are there interchangable?
Thanks a lot.
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"I to have been" instead of "I would have been"?
In Breaking Bad Extras an actor talks about a scene in which he would wish to be part of:
..for some reason that episode is just lodged in my mind and I to have been a fly on the wall or a roach in ...
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Second Conditional
If Jack could teach any type of student, he would choose business students.
I have been told that this is the second conditional. However, I am confused as the form for the second conditional is If +...
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How to use would have + past participle without conditionals
I've come across many sentences that contains would have + past participle, I know how to use it in conditionals sentences but my problem is how to use it without conditionals sentences
For example ,...
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What's the difference between what I was hoping would happen? vs. What I was hoping that would happen?
The sentence "What I was hoping that would happen?" is possible? If possible, what is the function of that? Is it one of relative pronouns or what?
My understanding for "What I was hoping would ...
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What is the difference in meaning between "if I do something" and "if I am going to do something"?
What is the difference in meaning between if I do something and if I am going to do something? For example:
If I take a cab, I will be just in time.
If I am going to take a cab, I will be just ...
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remove subject in if clause
I was reading a book, and I saw this sentence:
They also contain a lot of fat and hydrocarbon which, if eaten in
quantity, can result in ...
I was wondering whether it is possible to remove ...
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Can I use "If I Would had... I would have + (past participle)" in conditional sentence?
I know how conditional if clause sentences work. But I found situation where someone use "would had" in sentence which looks like III conditional at first sight.
"If I'd had my phone with me, I'd ...
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Is “if they could be” conditional? What does it mean?
What is the meaning of following sentence?
Is "if they could" a conditional ?
It was about this time that Professor William Crookes conducted his
inquiries into the medium's powers, and issued ...
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Can I use in a sentence "It could" + if + "it will be"?
The sentence I'm referring to is:
It could benefit both banks and households if this measure will be applied wisely.
Is it correct?
I can't match it with any of the 4 conditionals form.
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2
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Had broken or had been broken
I have never seen any use of 'passive voice' in a conditional sentence before.
I was reading a story book and found one of the story characters saying,
What would have happened if the bridge had ...
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0
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Using two If clauses in this sentence
I have received an invitation to visit a research lab for "several hours" in a well-known institution for potential hiring. I have provided them with my availability but I followed that with this ...
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0
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mixed conditional: present-tense in the if-clause and "would" in the main clause
I have seen quite a few mixed conditionals, and I'm wondering whether the following is correct:
a. If John is in Tokyo now, he would be in a coffee shop.
If the above is correct, how does it ...
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Distinguishing present from future in a conditional sentence
Consider the following sentences, used in an email message:
I'm going to be on vacation next week. If you need anything, call me.
It could mean
If you need anything now, call me, because next ...
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Is it a correct conditional sentence?
Today I read the following sentence in the newspaper:
"If you have noticed boys who play gully cricket, you would have figured out how they...."
Now I have to ask:
Is it a correct conditional ...
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How to understand the sentence if it is unreal Conditional Present or future?
a) If you did not study hard, you would not pass the exam.
b) If you studied hard, you would pass the exam.
b) If I had time, I would visit him.
c) if you helped me, I would finish the work early.
...
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When to use "If I was (or If I were to)" vs "If I was(or if I was to)" vs If I have to [closed]
I want to know in what circumstances, I will use these forms
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0
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Only if do you need
I do not understand why we say this "only if he asks do you need to tell him" instead of this "only if he asks you need to tell him"
can you help me please
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Were allowed or had been allowed
This is not a bad analogy for global immigration policy. When migrants move from a poor country to a rich one, they typically make three to six times as much money as before.
If everyone who ...
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3
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If he had time, he always called in to see us
If he had time, he always called in to see us.
The structure of this sentence is making me puzzled. I mean why it could not have been like this- "If he had time, he would have called in to see us."
...
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2
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confusion of conditional constructions
Am I crazy? If I am, would I realize it?
Why can't I use will here? I think it is in first conditional form. So will should be used
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"something I’d do as a matter of course had I not been under Atticus’s interdict" — why "I'd do" and "had I not been"?
From To Kill a Mockingbird:
In later years, I sometimes wondered exactly what made Jem do it, what made him break the bonds of “You just be a gentleman, son,” and the phase of self-conscious ...
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"What if you asked him if the sun rise / rose in the east?" Universal truth
Two confusing sentences:
What if you asked him if he love / loved you?
What if you asked him if the sun rise / rose in the east? (universal truth)
Is there any rule that we should use only ...
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Replying to "Shall we…" with "…if we shall"
My friend asked me:
Shall we head up to the North again?
I'm wondering about the suggestion. Is it correct to answer with:
I am wondering if we shall?
or:
I am wondering if we should?
Also,...
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If clause with passive sentences
Which one is correct?
If you select this mode, no more question is asked.
If you select this mode, no more question will be asked.
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Type 3 conditional vs mixed conditional
I have to comment on the following situation using an if clause (i.e. write a conditional sentence regarding the given situation) :
They never agree to anything I suggest. That's how they lost ...
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Is there any conditional in this sentence?
Maybe it will be possible to pass the English speaking interview in a few months if you will be watching movies with English subs every day and clarify the misunderstanding of English grammar.
Is ...
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1
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I would be a writer vs I would have been a writer
I want to know what is the difference between these two examples below.
.1 If I had studied English grammar very hard, I would have been a good writer.
.2 If I had studied English grammar very hard, ...
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0
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If we used or if we have used
I'm wondering which one of these two sentences is correct? And if they both are correct, then what's the difference between them?
For displacement maps we use 32 bit depth images in order to avoid
...
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"Should you require X, you are to advise us by date Y"
When someone says:
Should you require X, you are to advise us by date Y
— does that also mean that I am to advise them even if I do not require X? Or does that only say that advising them is only ...
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First or Second conditional form?
Which form would a native English speaker use here?
I'm the kind of person who doesn't like a movie if it's not very convincing.
I'm the kind of person who wouldn't like a movie if it wasn't very ...
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1
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Can we use "then" in the first conditional sentences?
I want to know if I can use 'then' with first conditional sentences. For example.
If you want to learn anything, then read a lot of books in the same field.
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whether + infinitive
I am not sure how the construction "whether + [infinitive verb]" is used. Examples:
I don't know whether to turn left or right. (= I don't know if I turn left or right ?)
I don't know whether to turn ...
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Past Perfect tense in "if clause" type 3
"If he had come here yesterday at 5 p.m., he might have seen his sister."
What does this sentence mean and which situation do I imagine with this sentence?
Do I imagine the situation that he came ...
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structure "had it been.." vs "was it.."
I am still confused about the "had it not been" structure after reading so many related threads.
When describing, say Elon Musk, about his drive and passion (which he has been having), which of the ...
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If you heat ice, it melts/it will melt
I know the conditionals but I have doubts regarding the use of probable conditional for universal truths. and the conversion of them into indirect speech
I have referred to Michael Swan's and Raymond ...
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3
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"would" vs "would have" in “I would remember it”
"Are you sure you did not see her?"
What should be the ideal response from below choices :
"Yes, if I saw her, I would remember it."
OR
"Yes, if I had seen her, I would remember it."
OR
...
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2
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"Were he able to go, he would have gone" is this correct?
I would like to know whether the sentence "Were he able to go, he would have gone" is correct in English.
Or shall I always say " If he were able to go, he would have done so"?
I ...
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0
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First Conditional Sentences
In order to make a first conditional sentence, I need to build my sentence this way:
If the train is delayed, I'll be late
or
If it snows, I won't go to the party.
I've read though in the ...
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3
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Use of "When" in present vs "whenever"
I know that if and when are conditionals and you don't say "If I will" OR "when I will".You use present to talk about future:
When I become a millionaire, I will go to Paris
But what if I actually ...
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0
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conditional sentence:Type 2 vs type 3
Context from an article: "People here are really fat. It's because parents here give mobile phones to young kids. I think ..
If they did not do it, kids would be of normal weight
If they had ...
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