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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Chance of conditionals
1) If you were able to meet your mother, what question would you ask?
2) If you are able to meet your mother, what question will you ask?
An adoptee is looking for her birth mother and someone asked the #1 question and I thought #2 is better because #1 implies the chance to be able to meet your mom is almost impossible. So I think that the #2 sounds better and polite. What do you native English speakers think?
Thank you.
2) If you are able to meet your mother, what question will you ask?
An adoptee is looking for her birth mother and someone asked the #1 question and I thought #2 is better because #1 implies the chance to be able to meet your mom is almost impossible. So I think that the #2 sounds better and polite. What do you native English speakers think?
Thank you.
Top answer
I agree with you.
- I agree with you.
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2 Answers
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I, in contrast, see no significant difference in politeness.
I also do not think the use of the second conditional implies that its condition is almost impossible to satisfy. Rather, it just means the speaker is thinking in theoretical terms, whether the condition is satisfied or not.
Lastly, if the speaker herself chose to express the thought the first way instead of the second
I also do not think the use of the second conditional implies that its condition is almost impossible to satisfy. Rather, it just means the speaker is thinking in theoretical terms, whether the condition is satisfied or not.
Lastly, if the speaker herself chose to express the thought the first way instead of the second
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