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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

conditional 3

Are the correct?

1. It would have been great if we could have gone together.
2. It would have been great if we had gone together.

I am not sure about the first one, specifically the use to 'could have gone'!
  

Top answer

Both are fine.

— AlpheccaStars

  • Both are fine.
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31 Answers
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AlpheccaStarsBoth are fine.
Thank you. Is 'could have gone' in the past (a past perfect) and a third conditional?
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AnonymousThank you. Is 'could have gone' in the past (a past perfect) and a third conditional?
It's a third conditional sentence, Could have gone is a modal perfect.
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fivejedjonIt's a third conditional sentence, Could have gone is a modal perfect.
Thanks, fj. I thought that a third conditional had to have a past perfect in it, such as the one with 'had gone'. So does that mean that 'could + have' equals 'had'?

I know that the first clause is seen in a third, but Is 'could have gone' itself a third conditional? Als
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AnonymousWhat does a modal perfect mean.
A modal perfect is a modal + have + past participle

examples:

would have sent
could have happened
should have made
ought to have smiled
might have been
may have succeeded
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Modals have no past perfect as such. In some contexts, could have done conveys the same message as had been able to do.

It is sentences that are 'first/second/third conditional', not verb forms.
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Anonymous I thought that a third conditional had to have a past perfect in it, such as the one with 'had gone'. So does that mean that 'could + have' equals 'had'?
Effectively, yes. The modal perfect adds the idea of possibility or opportunity.

It would have been great if we could have gone together. =
It would have been great if we had had t
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fivejedjonModals have no past perfect as such. In some contexts, could have done conveys the same message as had been able to do.It is sentences that are 'first/second/third conditional', not verb forms.
I see. So a modal perfect can be used for first/second/third conditionals. Is that what you mean?
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AlpheccaStars Anonymous I thought that a third conditional had to have a past perfect in it, such as the one with 'had gone'. So does that mean that 'could + have' equals 'had'?Effectively, yes. The modal perfect adds the idea of possibility or opportunity. It would have been great if we could have gone together. = It would have been great if we had had the possibility /
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AnonymousI see. So a modal perfect can be used for first/second/third conditionals.
No. I did not say that.
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