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Whatchadoin Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

I would/I would've

Imagine that someone just told me something and I don't want to help them.

I would've helped you if you were a little bit more polite.
I would help you if you were a little bit more polite.

Which one is correct here? I think I can use either one though I'm very interested in the first one. Can I use it because the other speaker has lost every chance of me helping him/her?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

I would've helped you if you had been a little bit more polite. (Speaking of an action in the past. ) I would help you if you were a little bit more polite.

— AlpheccaStars

  • I would've helped you if you had been a little bit more polite.
  • (Speaking of an action in the past.
  • ) I would help you if you were a little bit more polite.
  • (Speaking of an action that has not yet occurred.
  • )
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4 Answers
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I would've helped you if you had been a little bit more polite. (Speaking of an action in the past. It might just have occurred.)

I would help you if you were a little bit more polite. (Speaking of an action that has not yet occurred. It could be in the immediate present or future.)
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AlpheccaStarsI would've helped you if you had been a little bit more polite. (Speaking of an action in the past. It might just have occurred.)
I would've helped you if you were a little bit more polite. - I can say this if the other speaker isn't polite generally speaking, right?
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whatchadoinI would've helped you if you were a little bit more polite. - I can say this if the other speaker isn't polite generally speaking, right?
If you speak non-standard English, sure. It's a mixed conditional, and not quite proper.
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whatchadoinI would've helped you if you were a little bit more polite. - I can say this if the other speaker isn't polite generally speaking, right?
Right. You would be referring to the listener's disposition. The third conditional version suggests that he or she behaved impolitely at some time in the past but isn't necessarily always impolite.
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