Conditional Sentence

Question

Have I correctly established the timelines? Also, is 'I think' part of the conditional?

a. I think I will go to the game if it hasn't started.

If the game hasn't started at the time I say this, or some known time in the future, I will go to the game.

b. I think I would go to the game if it didn't start before dinner.

If the game didn't start before dinner (it may or may not have), I would go.

c. I think I would go to the game if it hadn't started.

I don't believe this is correct...

d. I think I would have gone to the game if it hadn't started before dinner.

If it hadn't started in the past before dinner, I would have gone in the past.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

These are a mixture of reported speech and conditionals.

Here are the patterns I use:

I think I will go... (present; future action, first conditional)

I thought I would go ... (past; one action in the future relative to the past, first or maybe second conditional)

I used to think I would go...(habitual past; habitual action, first conditional)

I think I would have gone.... (present musing concerning a hypothetical past action, third conditional)

English 1b3 · Answer

Hi Alphecaa,

Thanks very much. Could you please exaplain your third sentence and how you came to the decision it's first conditional? My understanding, which could be wrong, is that the first conditional invariably is invariably in the present or future tense.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Here is a good resource with clear explanations:

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-conditional_2.htm

The main clause "I think" is not part of the conditional. The conditional is in the dependent noun clause (object of think).

A conditional has the structure "if X, then Y" or "unless X, Y."

English 1b3 · Answer

Hi,

I'm aware that 'I think' is not part of the conditional; your third sentence uses would not will.

Conditional Sentence

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