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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

If you ask me,

Hello, there. While I was a reading a news papers, I have found this sentence, 'If you ask me, "I would say coeducation is the only way', but as far as I know, 'ask' should be 'asked' or 'would' should be' will'. However, I also can find lots of sentences in the form of the first. So it is okay to say that 'If you ask me, " I would say coeducation is the only way' without breaking grammar? Thank you as always and I really hope to hear from you.
  

Top answer

By the strictest rules of traditional grammar, the following are correct: If you asked me, I would say (that) coeducation is the only way. (second conditional) If you ask me, I will say (that) coeducation is the only way. (first conditional) However, the use of the subjunctive mood is declining, so you will often see ask in place of asked .

— AlpheccaStars

  • By the strictest rules of traditional grammar, the following are correct: If you asked me, I would say (that) coeducation is the only way.
  • (second conditional) If you ask me, I will say (that) coeducation is the only way.
  • (first conditional) However, the use of the subjunctive mood is declining, so you will often see ask in place of asked .
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5 Answers
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By the strictest rules of traditional grammar, the following are correct:

If you asked me, I would say (that) coeducation is the only way. (second conditional)
If you ask me, I will say (that) coeducation is the only way. (first conditional)

However, the use of the subjunctive mood is declining, so you will often see ask in place of asked.
Her
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I found "I would answer all your wishes if you ask me" in a song by McFly. So what you meant is that this structure is also acceptable? Thank you so much. It has been a long time trouble to me.
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AnonymousI have found this sentence, 'If you ask me, "I would say coeducation is the only way', but as far as I know, 'ask' should be 'asked' or 'would' should be' will'.
Good point. However, "If you ask me" has become an idiom that you can more or less tack on at the beginning of any opinion you want to give, regardless of the tenses you use within that opin
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Thank you so much, but if it is strange, how about 'would like to'. I don't find it strange and odd to say' If you don't mind, I would like to leave now'. But shouldn't it be 'If you didn't mind, I would like to leave now'? English is really hard to learn
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AnonymousIf you don't mind, I would like to leave now.
This is a special case. The idiom "would like" is a polite replacement for "want", so it is treated as "present tense" even though it has "would". Mentally substitute "want( s )" for "would like" to work out the grammar.

I would like ('want') another piece of cake if that's OK with you.
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