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Eladio Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
If I should…I would (or I should?)
First at all I really want to thank MrP, Calif, Paco and other friends from EnglishForward for their comments to my more recent posts. And now, is it the same to say:
1) If I should stay I would only be in your way.
2) If I should stay I should only be in your way.
Which modal verb to place after the second “I”, should or would?:
If I should wait for him, I (should/would) miss the train.
If I had waited for him, I (should/would) have missed the train.
And thank you in advance
1) If I should stay I would only be in your way.
2) If I should stay I should only be in your way.
Which modal verb to place after the second “I”, should or would?:
If I should wait for him, I (should/would) miss the train.
If I had waited for him, I (should/would) have missed the train.
And thank you in advance
Top answer
After the second "I", either is correct. However, the tendency in modern English is to use "would". Personally, I don't use "should" in either clause of this kind of construction.
- After the second "I", either is correct.
- However, the tendency in modern English is to use "would".
- Personally, I don't use "should" in either clause of this kind of construction.
- I accept it passively in reading, but I don't generate the structure myself.
- If I stayed, I would only be in your way.
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6 Answers
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After the second "I", either is correct. However, the tendency in modern English is to use "would". Personally, I don't use "should" in either clause of this kind of construction. I accept it passively in reading, but I don't generate the structure myself.
If I stayed, I would only be in your way.
If I waited for him, I would miss the train.
If I had waited for him, I would
If I stayed, I would only be in your way.
If I waited for him, I would miss the train.
If I had waited for him, I would
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Hi, CalifJim,
I'm a bit confused. If I understood you, it's the same:
If I SHOULD stay I SHOULD only be in your way = If I SHOULD stay I WOULD only be in your way. BUT it's preferable to use WOULD. Okay?
Now why have you omitted SHOULD in your following three examples? Does that mean that:
If I should stay, I would only be in your way IS THE SAME AS:
If I stayed, I would
I'm a bit confused. If I understood you, it's the same:
If I SHOULD stay I SHOULD only be in your way = If I SHOULD stay I WOULD only be in your way. BUT it's preferable to use WOULD. Okay?
Now why have you omitted SHOULD in your following three examples? Does that mean that:
If I should stay, I would only be in your way IS THE SAME AS:
If I stayed, I would
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Yes, I would recommend using "would".
"If I should stay, I would ... " really has the same meaning as "If I stayed, I would ..."!
"If I were to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Should I stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Were I to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
As I recall, your native language is Spanish? If so, all the form
"If I should stay, I would ... " really has the same meaning as "If I stayed, I would ..."!
"If I were to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Should I stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Were I to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
As I recall, your native language is Spanish? If so, all the form
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Thank you CalifJim!
Yes, I'm a native Spanish speaker. And I'm doing my best to appropriate English as a second language, writing it, understanding and speaking it. Thank you for your help. You don't hesitate to correct me without any compasion. I can eat my hat, it's wiser than speak through my hat, really?
Eladio
Yes, I'm a native Spanish speaker. And I'm doing my best to appropriate English as a second language, writing it, understanding and speaking it. Thank you for your help. You don't hesitate to correct me without any compasion. I can eat my hat, it's wiser than speak through my hat, really?
Eladio
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"If I should stay, I would ... " really has the same meaning as "If I stayed, I would ..."!
"If I were to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Should I stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Were I to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I agree with Jim that they
"If I were to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Should I stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
"Were I to stay, I would ..." also has the same meaning.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I agree with Jim that they
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