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Consider the following:

If you were to buy this, then ask me.

Or should it be:

If you were to buy this, then you would need to ask me.

Is the use of would necessary here? If we go with the first one, doesn't it break the rules of conditional statements?

Or how would you construct the hypothetical structure of the following:

If you want to buy this, let me know.

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2 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

If (something) then (result): if the thing is bought, then ask you about it? After it has been bought?

That doesn't accord with your final quote where the thing is not bought [merely wanted] and you can help with buying it.

For this structure,

If you want to buy this, let me know,

telling you precedes buying. So it's

If you were to buy this, you would have to have asked me [first].
If you were to buy this, you would have needed to ask me [first].

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Thanks. I am asking about the hypothetical. For example: If he were to buy this, I wouldn't talk to him. ? – Noah Aug 17 '12 at 11:01
Right: then yes, you do need would (both my examples use would, as does Barrie's). – Andrew Leach Aug 17 '12 at 11:04
So the first one is wrong, right? – Noah Aug 17 '12 at 11:06
Yes, the first one is wrong. The conditional if clause needs to be followed by would. – Andrew Leach Aug 17 '12 at 11:08
Then how is this: That’s just what I was looking for, even if it isn’t a threefold distinction for me personally. Where is the second part of the if statement. Sounds fine to me, but cant untangle it grammatically. – Noah Aug 17 '12 at 11:21
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up vote 3 down vote

The first has no meaning. The second is possible, but in isolation it’s difficult to see quite how it would be used. More likely would be If you wanted to buy this, then you would need to ask me. Your final sentence would be a perfectly reasonable response to a potential buyer.

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Thanks Barrie... – Noah Aug 17 '12 at 11:10

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