hypothetical conditional

Question

Hello, everyone, .."If my grandmother were alive today, she would be 107! (Is my grandmother alive? No. I am just imagining how old she’d be IF she were alive!)"Source: http://www.englishteachermelanie.com/grammar-the-2nd-second-conditional/Would the 3rd conditional give the same hypothetical effect there? Isn't it even in fact what should've been used, giving that the conndition is impossible (she's dead, and the speaker knows it)?Thank you.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

SurferWould the 3rd conditional give the same hypothetical effect there? Isn't it even in fact what should've been used, giving that the conndition is impossible (she's dead, and the speaker knows it)?

No, Third conditional applies to the past, but you include 'today'.

If my grandmother were alive today, she would be 107!
If my grandmother had been alive yesterday, she would have been 107!

Surfer · Answer

Mister Micawber SurferWould the 3rd conditional give the same hypothetical effect there? Isn't it even in fact what should've been used, giving that the conndition is impossible (she's dead, and the speaker knows it)?

No, Third conditional applies to the past, but you include 'today'.If my grandmother were alive today, she would be 107!If my grandmother had been alive yesterday, she would have been 107!

But I thought the element of time was dropped when talking hypothetically (or else, we wouldn't be initially using either type to refer to present contexts), the effect of the conditional is then stripped down to only indicating how much room is left for the condition to be fullfilled:

-With type ii, the speaker hypothetically indicates a potenial, still-possible occurence, potentially reflecting a degree of uncertainity with them:
If I went to the games tomorrow, I would win. (it's not final, there's still room/time for that to happen - he/she might ultimately go. Right now, however, they're just considering it).

-With type iii, however, that anticipation no longer exists:
If I had gone to the games tomorrow, I would have won. (They're definitely not going. They, for example, have missed the registration date - it's an impossible situation).

Isn't it so?

Thank you.

Mister Micawber · Answer

SurferBut I thought the element of time was dropped when talking hypothetically

I've never heard such a thing.

SurferWith type ii, the speaker hypothetically indicates a potenial, still-possible occurence

Hypothetically possible only because it is in the future; many are really impossible: If I were the Shah of Iran (but it is impossible that I could be), I would....

SurferWith type iii, however, that anticipation no longer exists

Only because the past has already transpired: If I had been driving he car (and it is quite possible that I could have been), then the accident would not have occurred.

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