0
CW Tan Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Conditional
Hi teachers,
While I was reading a newspaper, I came across a sentence written like this :
If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity.
My question : Why the if-clause is the present real conditional but the main clause is the past unreal conditional? Is that possible?
Shouldn't the sentence be written as follows :
If we don't take these oppotunities now, the windows will be closed, others will seize it, we will miss(or will be missing) the opportunity.
Please enlighten me.
Thank you very much in advance.
While I was reading a newspaper, I came across a sentence written like this :
If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity.
My question : Why the if-clause is the present real conditional but the main clause is the past unreal conditional? Is that possible?
Shouldn't the sentence be written as follows :
If we don't take these oppotunities now, the windows will be closed, others will seize it, we will miss(or will be missing) the opportunity.
Please enlighten me.
Thank you very much in advance.
Top answer
If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity. The above sentence is correct except I would add an 'and' after the last comma. The 3 'would's' used therein are indicating in each case a possibility or tendency and not referring to something in the past.
- If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity.
- The above sentence is correct except I would add an 'and' after the last comma.
- The 3 'would's' used therein are indicating in each case a possibility or tendency and not referring to something in the past.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity.
The above sentence is correct except I would add an 'and' after the last comma.
The 3 'would's' used therein are indicating in each case a possibility or tendency and not referring to something in the past.
The above sentence is correct except I would add an 'and' after the last comma.
The 3 'would's' used therein are indicating in each case a possibility or tendency and not referring to something in the past.
00
Welcome to English Forums!
You're right. The writer was asleep!
The version you wrote is correct.
CJ
You're right. The writer was asleep!
The version you wrote is correct.
CJ
00
When I read 26's reply, I thought my understanding of hypothethical tenses was off again. Glad that we're in sync...hehe
00
0
Related Questions