If ever i got / if ever i get

Question

Hello everyone,

I often see people using "if I ever got...." instead of "if I ever get".
And I don't really understand this(I know "got" is the correct one) because "if" is something that didn't happen yet
so how can you use past tense for something that didn't not happen?

Please help me understand and let me know if there is some other similar grammar rules.

Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

wawa13how can you use past tense for something that didn't not happen?

Like other tenses in English, the past tense can be used for several different purposes. The past tense is not used only to state things about the past. It is also used to talk about situations that are speculative or imaginary, like situations presented in if-clauses.

If I won a million dollars, I would travel all over the world.

This does not state that I won a million dollars. It merely imagines that happy event. Then it goes on to speculate upon what I could do with that imaginary million dollars that I have not yet won and may never win. Note that the past tense (won) is not used to state anything about the past.
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Study conditionals. Look up 'conditionals' on the internet and read about them.

CJ

Wawa13 · Answer

Thank you sir,

So will it be wrong for me to say "If I ever get........"??

Thank you again.

CalifJim · Answer

wawa13So will it be wrong for me to say "If I ever get........"??

No.

CJ

If ever i got / if ever i get

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