Question

Hi everyone!I want to ask if when to use 'wouldn't have gotten' or 'would have ' in a sentence or in daily use. Thank you very much in advance! More power to EnglishForward.

Nugso · Accepted Answer

Hi mabad. Most of teachers would probably first want to see what's in your head first. Anyway:

Moderator's note. That being so, I have deleted your response to give mabad a chance. fivejedjon

Mabad · Answer

I wouldn't have gotten through the late night shifts without your help.
I won't get through the late night shifts without your help. (Is this sentence a present tense form of thr first one?)

CalifJim · Answer

mabadI won't get through the late night shifts without your help.

I won't = I will not. (Future of the Present) There is no need to establish present time with this one.
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The past form requires the writer to establish a past reference point first, as in "I told him", below:

I told him that I wouldn't get through the late night shifts without his help.

Here, I wouldn't = I would not. (Future of the Past).

mabadI wouldn't have gotten through the late night shifts without your help.

This is related to a present or future time conditional statement:

I wouldn't get through the late night shifts [if you did not help / without your help].

It's the hypothetical version of I won't get through ... quoted at the top of this post.

The past of a hypothetical is normally contrary to fact. Here's the past:

I wouldn't have gotten through the late night shifts [if you hadn't helped / without your help].
(You did help, so I did get through the late night shifts.)
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So now you have the four sentences that go together in pairs, one pair being hypothetical.

CJ

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