Conditional transformation
Hi,
This sentence from Virginia Evans FCE :
You weren't offered the job because you were not qualified.
After the transformation, according to the key should be:
I wish I was/were qualified. If I was/were qualified I would have got the job.
My intuition and most of my students' is to use third conditional in the first part as the first sentence refers to past moment - I wish I had been qualified. (on the day of the interview). If I had been qualified (on the day of the interview) I would have got the job.
What do I get wrong here?
Top answer
Karol Silski 5217 I wish I was/were qualified. If I was/were qualified I would have got the job. If the interview was relatively recent, and the speaker's qualifications are the same now as on that day, then this version would typically be used.
- Karol Silski 5217 I wish I was/were qualified.
- If I was/were qualified I would have got the job.
- If the interview was relatively recent, and the speaker's qualifications are the same now as on that day, then this version would typically be used.
- It is still possible in this case to use "had been qualified" in the second sentence, but it seems less likely in the first, and with the two sentences being juxtaposed, it may be thought preferable to stick with the same form in both.
- Karol Silski 5217 I wish I had been qualified.
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Karol Silski 5217I wish I was/were qualified. If I was/were qualified I would have got the job.
If the interview was relatively recent, and the speaker's qualifications are the same now as on that day, then this version would typically be used. It is still possible in this case to use "had been qualified" in the second sentence, but it seems less likely in
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