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Whatchadoin Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

If I were/if I'd been

If I'd been you, I wouldn't have done it.
If I were you , I wouldn't have done it.

The first one is grammatically correct but makes no sense to me. It leaves us the possibility of me being the other speaker now, which is nonsense. What do you think?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

If I had been you, I would have done it. (conditional III; it describes a past , counterfactual situation; you were not him in the past so you didn't do it) The second sentence is wrong. You should use If I were you, I would do it.

— Ivanhr

  • If I had been you, I would have done it.
  • (conditional III; it describes a past , counterfactual situation; you were not him in the past so you didn't do it) The second sentence is wrong.
  • You should use If I were you, I would do it.
  • (conditional II; it describes a present , counterfactual situation; you're not him and, as a consequence, you will not do it)
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2 Answers
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If I had been you, I would have done it. (conditional III; it describes a past, counterfactual situation; you were not him in the past so you didn't do it)

The second sentence is wrong. You should use

If I were you, I would do it. (conditional II; it describes a present, counterfactual situation; you're not him and, as a consequence, you will not do it)
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IvanhrThe second sentence is wrong. You should useIf I were you, I would do it. (conditional II; it describes a present, counterfactual situation; you're not him and, as a consequence, you will not do it)
Totally agree! Unfortunately, more and more people, foreign and native alike, are beginning to view the 2nd / 3rd mixed conditional " if I were, I w
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