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Prolix Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Double Conditional

Hi everyone,

A question about double conditionals.

I think an obvious example would be, "If I would go to the fair, I would enjoy myself."

However, I'm not very sure how far this extends. What about the commonly seen "If you would help me in this matter, I should (or would) be most grateful."

Or what about, "If you could help me in this matter, I would be grateful."

When exactly is a sentence a double conditional?

Thanks for your help!

prolix
  

Top answer

" That does not seem a possible sentence to me. nid=1129&dat=20000407&id=b8haAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LHADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3895,4827674 ). " Here, 'would' and 'could' are polite forms.

— Mister Micawber

  • " That does not seem a possible sentence to me.
  • nid=1129&dat=20000407&id=b8haAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LHADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3895,4827674 ).
  • " Here, 'would' and 'could' are polite forms.
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2 Answers
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prolix"If I would go to the fair, I would enjoy myself."
That does not seem a possible sentence to me. 'Double conditional' is a term for a grammar error ( http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=20000407&id=
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An interesting question, which no-one has bothered to answer for nearly 9 years! I would say double conditionals are at least stylistically verboten, if not grammatically incorrect. I am continuing to search for the truth!

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