Correct understanding?
1. I forgot to bring my cellphone and I am already three hours out. If I went back home to get my cellphone, I wouldn’t be able to make it to my flight.
2. I forgot to bring my cellphone and I am already three hours out. If I go back home to get my cellphone, I won’t be able to make it to my flight.
Are the sentences correct? Does the first sentence mean that it’s unlikely that I will go back to home to get my phone and the second sentence mean that it’s likely I will go back home to get my phone?
Top answer
anonymous Does the first sentence mean that it’s unlikely that I will go back to home to get my phone and the second sentence mean that it’s likely I will go back home to get my phone? I would not put it like that. The second one is used if you are actually in the situation you're talking about — and you ARE in that situation as you speak.
- anonymous Does the first sentence mean that it’s unlikely that I will go back to home to get my phone and the second sentence mean that it’s likely I will go back home to get my phone?
- I would not put it like that.
- The second one is used if you are actually in the situation you're talking about — and you ARE in that situation as you speak.
- The first one is used if you are not in the situation you're talking about, but you imagine being in that situation and think about what you might do if you were — but you are NOT imagining anything in the case of this sentence.
- Therefore, only the second sentence is appropriate for the given situation.
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anonymousDoes the first sentence mean that it’s unlikely that I will go back to home to get my phone and the second sentence mean that it’s likely I will go back home to get my phone?
I would not put it like that. The second one is used if you are actually in the situation you're talking about — and you ARE in that situation as you speak. The first one is
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