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How do I ask the 2 questions below?In the 1920, $10 could get you that, but what was their $10 to us now? Was $10 our $100 dollars today?thanks

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

I would be more technical.

In the 1920s, $10 could buy you that, but what was their $10 worth in today's money?
Was their $10 the same as our $100?

Anonymous · Answer

Could you help me understand the conditional?

AWho in their right minds would buy the old one when the new one is available?

BWho in their right minds would buy the old one if the new one is available?

CWho in their right minds would buy the old one when the new one was available?

DWho in their right minds would buy the old one if the new one was available?

EWho in their right minds will buy the old one when the new one is available?

FWho in their right minds will buy the old one if the new one is available?

When using the conditional you can only use 'if' and not when like thus

He wouldn't buy that if the new phone came out.

You wouldn't say

He wouldn't buy that if the new phone comes out.
He wouldn't buy that when the new phone came out.
He would't buy that when the new phone comes out.

It stands to reason that when saying
Who in their right minds would buy the old one ~~when~~ if the new one is was available?

Who in their right minds will buy the old one when the new one is available?
Who in their right minds will buy the old one if the new one is available?

It's a simple conditional if I'm not mistaken.

So D,E,F are correct in my opinion. Is that correct?

Is this a first conditional?
Why would I say 'no' to a job if I didn't have money?

If it is than isn't it wrong to say: Why would I say 'no' to a job when I didn't have money?

Is this a first conditional?
Why would I buy it here if I could buy it there?

If so wouldn't it be incorrect to say
Why would I buy it here when I could buy it there?

Is this the 2nd conditional?
Why would I have bought it here when I could buy it there?
Why would I have bought it here if I could buy it there?

Can a question be a conditional? Maybe it cannot. I don't know.

When would I do it if I didn't do it now?
When would I do it if I don't do it now?

Thank you for your help

Doctor D · Answer

This is a little more technical than I care for. But let me make a few comments. First, these do not appear to me to be "conditional clauses." Those are usually expression where the condition is not likely to be met. (Not ones where they are.)

I will buy a new phone, if I have any money left after I pay the rent. (Possible, but not likely.)

In most of your sentences, "if" and "when" can be used interchangeably, so they are not conditional sentences (conditional sentences are only "if").

Also, you wondered about a conditional with a question form. Here is one possibility:
If you have time after your exam, will you stop by the grocery store? Yes, I will.
(Note: In a conditional sentence, the action of the no-if-part of the sentence requires that the action in the if-part of the sentence be fulfilled.) So, if you don't have time after your exam, you will not be stopping by the grocery store.

I don't know if this helps.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for your input

Can you tell me if you think D,E,F are correct only because of my reasoning?

Could you tell me if my reasoning is correct? The blue is my opinion

Is this a first conditional?
Why would I say 'no' to a job if I didn't have money? correct

If it is than isn't it wrong to say: Why would I say 'no' to a job when I didn't have money? incorrect

Is this a first conditional?
Why would I buy it here if I could buy it there? correct and this in my opinion is first conditional

If so wouldn't it be incorrect to say
Why would I buy it here when I could buy it there? Incorrect

Is this the 2nd conditional?
Why would I have bought it here when I could buy it there? Which is correct of the 2?
Why would I have bought it here if I could buy it there?

Can a question be a conditional? Maybe it cannot. I don't know.

When would I do it if I didn't do it now? correct
When would I do it if I don't do it now? incorrect

Can you tell me what you think?

Doctor D · Answer

Okay, I have been refreshing my grammatical understanding. (At http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/index.html). We are apparently talking about different kinds of conditionals. I have heard listed Zero, First, Second, and Third Conditionals. (Corresponding to conditions that are: Generally True, Likely Future, Unlikely Future, Impossible Because Past). So I will run through these again. However, I do see a mistake in pluralizing "minds" and using "their" as a neutral singular possessive. You are talking about one individual with one mind. The traditional phrase is "his right mind."

D/ Who in his right mind would buy the old one if the new one was available? {Some call for "were" for "unlikely "Second conditional.)
E/ Who in his right mind will buy the old one when the new one is available? {present tense for "generally true" conditions. Zero conditional)
F/ Who in his right mind will buy the old one if the new one is available? {same as above}

Why would I say 'no' to a job if I didn't have money?
Is this a first conditional? (No: not a likely future event. Probably a zero conditional.
{Reworded a statement: If I didn't have any money, I wouldn't say "no" to a job.)

If it is than isn't it wrong to say: Why would I say 'no' to a job when I didn't have money? (Also a zero conditional. Zero Conditionals use if, when, and unless)

Why would I buy it here if I could buy it there?
Is this a first conditional?
Reworded: If I could buy it there, I would not buy it here.
(Depends on your belief about its likelihood. Yes, First if likely; No, Second, if Unlikely).

If so, wouldn't it be incorrect to say
Why would I buy it here when I could buy it there? Incorrect {Grammatical, just not conditional.}

Is this the 2nd conditional? (Second is for unlikely or impossible events)
Why would I have bought it here when I could buy it there? Which is correct of the 2?
Why would I have bought it here if I could buy it there?
I would say either: Why would I have bought it here if/when I could have bought it there?
Or: Why would I have bought it here if/when I can buy it there?

Can a question be a conditional? Maybe it cannot. I don't know. I think so, but you may want to reword as a statement to clarify its nature.

When would I do it if I didn't do it now? correct
When would I do it if I don't do it now? incorrect
(This one is correct: You are talking about present and future actions, so don't use the past tense.)

These are my suggestions. I don't know if all this helps. You might want to review conditionals again on your own.

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