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Magda Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Conditional
Hi,
could you tell me whether this sentence is correct?
"If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us."
could you tell me whether this sentence is correct?
"If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us."
Top answer
Magda Hi, could you tell me whether this sentence is correct? " It should be: If Tim hadn't retired (= then) he would be here with us (= now). (mixed conditional)
- Magda Hi, could you tell me whether this sentence is correct?
- " It should be: If Tim hadn't retired (= then) he would be here with us (= now).
- (mixed conditional)
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8 Answers
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MagdaHi,It should be:
could you tell me whether this sentence is correct?
"If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us."
If Tim hadn't retired (= then) he would be here with us (= now). (mixed conditional)
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I missed the here... I was about to say it was fine.
If it were "there with us" then you could use the tenses as you had shown.
If it were "there with us" then you could use the tenses as you had shown.
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"If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us."
Just a question: the speaker is in the same place as Tim would have been, if he had not retired. How would you say that, then?
That is, if "here" would refer to the place where Tim would have been with us, as well as the place where the speaker is now.
Just a question: the speaker is in the same place as Tim would have been, if he had not retired. How would you say that, then?
That is, if "here" would refer to the place where Tim would have been with us, as well as the place where the speaker is now.
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1. If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us now.
2. If Tim hadn't retired he would be here with us now.
I must admit, both sound fine to me. The only difference I can see is that #1 suggests "here with us now on this occasion", while #2 suggests "here with us now at this moment".
Thus #1 expresses a broader sense of "here and now".
MrP
2. If Tim hadn't retired he would be here with us now.
I must admit, both sound fine to me. The only difference I can see is that #1 suggests "here with us now on this occasion", while #2 suggests "here with us now at this moment".
Thus #1 expresses a broader sense of "here and now".
MrP
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1. If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us now.
To me, 1 is broader in general, because you can apply most of it to the past:
If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us yesterday/on that day.
That is to say, to a past which can be extend
To me, 1 is broader in general, because you can apply most of it to the past:
If Tim hadn't retired he would have been here with us yesterday/on that day.
That is to say, to a past which can be extend
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I agree with Marius. Strictly speaking, the first sentence is correct.
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This is a classic Conditional 3 sentence. Here is a link to a quick reference. http:// http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blconditionals.htm.
In sum, Magda's sentence is correct.
In sum, Magda's sentence is correct.
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