An independent clause that refers to a hypothetical situation contingent on another set of circumstance.
45
votes
4answers
3k views
How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?
Non-native speakers often get confused about what the tenses in English mean. With input from some of the folk here I've put together a diagram that I hope will provide some clarity on the matter.
I ...
5
votes
3answers
11k views
When should I use “Would”, “Would have”, “Will”, and “Will have”?
I hope someone, once and for all, can clarify (with examples) the difference in usage of will vs. would vs. would have vs. will have.
8
votes
5answers
2k views
Future tense in conditional clauses
All the textbooks I have ever come across during the course of my studying English emphasize that future tense should not be used in conditional clauses.
For example,
If it rains in the evening, ...
2
votes
4answers
5k views
“If I go..” vs. “If I will go..” referring to the future [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Future tense in conditional clauses
Which one is correct?
option 1: If I go there, I can meet her
or
option 2: If I will go there, I can meet her
I clearly ...
7
votes
3answers
420 views
“Would have” in conditional clauses
I have been taught to use the if I had form in conditional clauses referring to the past:
If the president had asked me, I would have told him the same thing.
As far as I can tell though, the ...
4
votes
1answer
450 views
Conditional sentences not starting with “if”
Were I rich, I would live on Long Island.
If I were rich, I would live on Long Island.
Is the first sentence still used, or is used in particular contexts (in example, to give emphasis to the ...
1
vote
2answers
649 views
Usage of “will” and “would”
Which one is correct?
What would I do without you.
What will I do without you.
You would always be my favorite travel buddy.
You will always be my favorite travel buddy.
31
votes
13answers
1k views
Why do I instinctively want to use the present tense with a conditional?
My boss is not a native speaker of English, so he often asks me to correct his writing. The problem is, he wants me to explain why I make changes, and doesn't accept "it just sounds better that way" ...
8
votes
2answers
754 views
“Will have” vs. “Would have”
By the end of the year, I would have attended this school for five years.
Of course, the "most" correct way of writing this would be:
By the end of the year, I will have attended this school ...
5
votes
2answers
442 views
Future tense usage: “When you see it …”
I wonder why the phrase is "When you see it you will shit brix," and not "When you will see it you will shit brix."
Is the version with two will incorrect? What grammar rule says that you should not ...
4
votes
2answers
340 views
Conditionals in the future
My colleague and I have a hot discussion about which is correct.
My version is:
If you don't fix the bug I will send you a patch.
and his one is:
I would send you a patch if you don't fix ...
7
votes
3answers
741 views
Different conditional clauses — “if you saw”, “if you were to see”, “if you had seen”
Given the following sentences, what is the difference between the conditional clauses in them?
If you saw a lion in a thick forest, what would you do?
If you were to see a lion in a thick ...
5
votes
5answers
529 views
Is it correct to say: “I would do something, be it me”?
I mean that "I would do something, if it only were me. But it was not me, so I've done nothing".
3
votes
1answer
919 views
Speculative conditional: Why does it use the past tense or past perfect tense?
We use simple past to state a hypothetical present situation that we would like to speculate about (If they were here, I would be happy), past perfect for a hypothetical past (had they been here, I ...
2
votes
3answers
300 views
Second conditional when making plans for the future: “If it rained tomorrow, I would go to the cinema.”
If it rained tomorrow, I would go to the cinema.
If it didn't rain tomorrow, I would go to school.
Which conditional is the best for this use case? Is it correct to use the Second ...
1
vote
3answers
810 views
Is “even if…” followed by present or future tense?
Is it correct to say:
even if only James Bond will benefit from...
or
even if only James Bond benefits from...
3
votes
2answers
397 views
When is “will” used in an “if” clause?
Given the following sentences that use will in the if clause (which is seldom with if-clauses and therefore, I'm not sure they all are even grammatical or not).
If you will/would kindly lend me ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
Is the conditional a mood or a tense?
Is the conditional a mood or a tense? I've heard it described in both ways.
It seems more like a mood as it is often lumped with hypothetical constructions and the subjunctive mood. I could see it ...
2
votes
2answers
300 views
Past perfect sentence in “I would have killed the snake if I had hit him…”
Is the following a correct past perfect sentence?
I would have killed the snake if I had hit him hard with a stick.
6
votes
5answers
1k views
“If I knew you're coming I wouldn't have come”
Is the statement
If I knew you're coming I wouldn't have come
correct? Should we use
If I had known you're coming, I wouldn't have come
instead? Please consider American-British ...
5
votes
3answers
244 views
“Even were he not to…”
I am currently reading "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" by P.K. Dick and I have come across a grammatical structure I don't quite understand. The excerpt is the following (no spoilers, don't ...
2
votes
0answers
88 views
if or should to ask possibility? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
A special use of “should”?
I have received an email which was starting wih this:
Should you have any questions, please call at this number...
So could ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
“If not for you” meaning
Today I have encountered a phrase:
If not for you, I would be poor.
I would think it is like "if there were not you", is it like that?
On the other hand, how would I say the following as the ...
1
vote
3answers
774 views
The third conditional for “if I could”
What is the third conditional for "if I could"? For example, we say:
If I had studied hard, I would have passed the exam. How about this:
If I could study, I would have passed the exam.[Is ...
0
votes
5answers
746 views
Difference in meaning: “would have had to be” vs “would have had to have been”
Being a non native speaker, I cannot spot the difference here:
He would have had to have been there.
He would have had to be there.
The only thing that comes to my mind is that in the first case, ...
0
votes
2answers
305 views
would have and would in non conditional statements
Can we use both would have and would in non conditional past statements? For example:
Last year during the summer, I would go home on weekends. past habitual
Last year during the summer, I ...
