Second conditional
Should it be past tense all throughout when writing hypothetical sentences?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who were saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lived. (I find it a bit odd)
Or are these also acceptable?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who are saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lives.
tenses conditionals
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
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Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Should it be past tense all throughout when writing hypothetical sentences?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who were saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lived. (I find it a bit odd)
Or are these also acceptable?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who are saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lives.
tenses conditionals
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Many people will tell you that the present tense is nowadays possible. But personally it doesn't sound right to my ear.
– WS2
6 hours ago
So are you someone who would use past tense all thorughout, or are you embracing tense flexibility?
– Curious Lingo
6 hours ago
In the examples you have given I would always use the past tense following the conditional.
– WS2
5 hours ago
I think that it would make for very awkward phrases
– Lucio Tanzini
5 hours ago
add a comment |
Should it be past tense all throughout when writing hypothetical sentences?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who were saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lived. (I find it a bit odd)
Or are these also acceptable?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who are saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lives.
tenses conditionals
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Should it be past tense all throughout when writing hypothetical sentences?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who were saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lived. (I find it a bit odd)
Or are these also acceptable?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who are saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask where she currently lives.
tenses conditionals
tenses conditionals
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
edited 6 hours ago
jimm101
7,37992239
7,37992239
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
asked 6 hours ago
Curious LingoCurious Lingo
1
1
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Curious Lingo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Many people will tell you that the present tense is nowadays possible. But personally it doesn't sound right to my ear.
– WS2
6 hours ago
So are you someone who would use past tense all thorughout, or are you embracing tense flexibility?
– Curious Lingo
6 hours ago
In the examples you have given I would always use the past tense following the conditional.
– WS2
5 hours ago
I think that it would make for very awkward phrases
– Lucio Tanzini
5 hours ago
add a comment |
Many people will tell you that the present tense is nowadays possible. But personally it doesn't sound right to my ear.
– WS2
6 hours ago
So are you someone who would use past tense all thorughout, or are you embracing tense flexibility?
– Curious Lingo
6 hours ago
In the examples you have given I would always use the past tense following the conditional.
– WS2
5 hours ago
I think that it would make for very awkward phrases
– Lucio Tanzini
5 hours ago
Many people will tell you that the present tense is nowadays possible. But personally it doesn't sound right to my ear.
– WS2
6 hours ago
Many people will tell you that the present tense is nowadays possible. But personally it doesn't sound right to my ear.
– WS2
6 hours ago
So are you someone who would use past tense all thorughout, or are you embracing tense flexibility?
– Curious Lingo
6 hours ago
So are you someone who would use past tense all thorughout, or are you embracing tense flexibility?
– Curious Lingo
6 hours ago
In the examples you have given I would always use the past tense following the conditional.
– WS2
5 hours ago
In the examples you have given I would always use the past tense following the conditional.
– WS2
5 hours ago
I think that it would make for very awkward phrases
– Lucio Tanzini
5 hours ago
I think that it would make for very awkward phrases
– Lucio Tanzini
5 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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No you should not. You should say:
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who say bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask her where she currently lives.
You should think of the past tense, in a second conditional clause, as a non temporal tense, its purpose is to convey the hypotetical nature of the sentence.
Indeed many languages, such as my native language, italian, do have separated tenses for hypotetical use only and english used to possess it as well: "were" is actually a trace of a now gone conditional tense.
Consider this example:
If I had known you were going out with the same guys that had bullied you, I wouldn't have let you out.
If we had to conjugate a verb that is expressing an action that takes place in the same time of the hypothesis according to the tense that you are using in the hypothesis, we wouldn't be able to express the fact that the bullies had already bullied you at the time you went out with them.
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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1 Answer
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No you should not. You should say:
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who say bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask her where she currently lives.
You should think of the past tense, in a second conditional clause, as a non temporal tense, its purpose is to convey the hypotetical nature of the sentence.
Indeed many languages, such as my native language, italian, do have separated tenses for hypotetical use only and english used to possess it as well: "were" is actually a trace of a now gone conditional tense.
Consider this example:
If I had known you were going out with the same guys that had bullied you, I wouldn't have let you out.
If we had to conjugate a verb that is expressing an action that takes place in the same time of the hypothesis according to the tense that you are using in the hypothesis, we wouldn't be able to express the fact that the bullies had already bullied you at the time you went out with them.
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
No you should not. You should say:
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who say bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask her where she currently lives.
You should think of the past tense, in a second conditional clause, as a non temporal tense, its purpose is to convey the hypotetical nature of the sentence.
Indeed many languages, such as my native language, italian, do have separated tenses for hypotetical use only and english used to possess it as well: "were" is actually a trace of a now gone conditional tense.
Consider this example:
If I had known you were going out with the same guys that had bullied you, I wouldn't have let you out.
If we had to conjugate a verb that is expressing an action that takes place in the same time of the hypothesis according to the tense that you are using in the hypothesis, we wouldn't be able to express the fact that the bullies had already bullied you at the time you went out with them.
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
No you should not. You should say:
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who say bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask her where she currently lives.
You should think of the past tense, in a second conditional clause, as a non temporal tense, its purpose is to convey the hypotetical nature of the sentence.
Indeed many languages, such as my native language, italian, do have separated tenses for hypotetical use only and english used to possess it as well: "were" is actually a trace of a now gone conditional tense.
Consider this example:
If I had known you were going out with the same guys that had bullied you, I wouldn't have let you out.
If we had to conjugate a verb that is expressing an action that takes place in the same time of the hypothesis according to the tense that you are using in the hypothesis, we wouldn't be able to express the fact that the bullies had already bullied you at the time you went out with them.
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
No you should not. You should say:
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who say bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I would ask her where she currently lives.
You should think of the past tense, in a second conditional clause, as a non temporal tense, its purpose is to convey the hypotetical nature of the sentence.
Indeed many languages, such as my native language, italian, do have separated tenses for hypotetical use only and english used to possess it as well: "were" is actually a trace of a now gone conditional tense.
Consider this example:
If I had known you were going out with the same guys that had bullied you, I wouldn't have let you out.
If we had to conjugate a verb that is expressing an action that takes place in the same time of the hypothesis according to the tense that you are using in the hypothesis, we wouldn't be able to express the fact that the bullies had already bullied you at the time you went out with them.
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 5 hours ago
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
answered 6 hours ago
Lucio TanziniLucio Tanzini
1012
1012
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Lucio Tanzini is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Many people will tell you that the present tense is nowadays possible. But personally it doesn't sound right to my ear.
– WS2
6 hours ago
So are you someone who would use past tense all thorughout, or are you embracing tense flexibility?
– Curious Lingo
6 hours ago
In the examples you have given I would always use the past tense following the conditional.
– WS2
5 hours ago
I think that it would make for very awkward phrases
– Lucio Tanzini
5 hours ago