I was wondering if one could use if + past simple / would + have + past participle.
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This is correct. It is a very good example of usage of conditionals.– KarlomanioCommented Feb 22, 2019 at 15:30
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This sounds weird to me. I would say either "If I knew, I would tell you" or "If I had known, I would have told you." Searching the OP's sentence returns a scholarly paper on nonstandard conditionals: doi:10.2478/rjes-2014-0001 and a few other discussions of the unidiomatic nature of this construction.– shooverCommented Feb 22, 2019 at 16:51
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1 Answer
Yes, you most definitely could.
if + past simple / would + have + past participle.
You have two verbs in the past form (to know and to tell). Therefore, the tense is consistent in the context.
You also begin with a dependent if clause, which is correct. The usage of the auxiliary would in the independent clause is obviously appropriate here as you're using it is a conditional verb.
On another note, would can be replaced with could and might. It will change the meaning, but it's something to keep note of because it is still grammatically correct.
