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Paul Evdokimov Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
"Mixed conditional sentences":if+past simple+would have done
I`ve just come across this statement from M.Vince in his "English grammar in context":
"if+past simple+would have done is used for a present state which HAS INFLUENCED PAST EVENTS. (ex.)If she was better-qualified,she would have got the job."
I`ve always thought that a present state can only influence now or the future.Why would anybody use the past simple tense instead of the past perfect tense in the 'if-clause' in this case???
"if+past simple+would have done is used for a present state which HAS INFLUENCED PAST EVENTS. (ex.)If she was better-qualified,she would have got the job."
I`ve always thought that a present state can only influence now or the future.Why would anybody use the past simple tense instead of the past perfect tense in the 'if-clause' in this case???
Top answer
Paul Evdokimov Why would anybody use the past simple tense instead of the past perfect tense in the 'if-clause' in this case??? It is not a great thing to do, but if the condition ('better-qualified') still obtains in the present, the speaker could produce this mixed conditional.
- Paul Evdokimov Why would anybody use the past simple tense instead of the past perfect tense in the 'if-clause' in this case???
- It is not a great thing to do, but if the condition ('better-qualified') still obtains in the present, the speaker could produce this mixed conditional.
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Paul EvdokimovWhy would anybody use the past simple tense instead of the past perfect tense in the 'if-clause' in this case???It is not a great thing to do, but if the condition ('better-qualified') still obtains in the present, the speaker could produce this mixed conditional.
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