0
Spongebob123 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Pls help me. I am stuck in this "if" sentence.
I want to say this a friend but I have problem with what tense I should use. Please help me with the below sentences:
1) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I drop by to say 'hi' or not.
or
2) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I dropped by to say 'hi' or not.
I am confused whether which one of the above two sentences is correct for me to use. Please enlighten with the above 2 "if" sentences on what's the difference between the two and what meaning each of them shows and how can I use each of them appropriately. Please also explain to me in what situation should I use the present tense after the "if" word and in what situation should I use the past tense after the "if" word. I am always having this problem, just can't decide which tense to use. Please help me out. Greatly appreciated! Thank you.
1) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I drop by to say 'hi' or not.
or
2) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I dropped by to say 'hi' or not.
I am confused whether which one of the above two sentences is correct for me to use. Please enlighten with the above 2 "if" sentences on what's the difference between the two and what meaning each of them shows and how can I use each of them appropriately. Please also explain to me in what situation should I use the present tense after the "if" word and in what situation should I use the past tense after the "if" word. I am always having this problem, just can't decide which tense to use. Please help me out. Greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Top answer
or 2) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I dropped by to say 'hi' or not. Use the first one. You're describing habitual behavior.
- or 2) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I dropped by to say 'hi' or not.
- Use the first one.
- You're describing habitual behavior.
- " You're still describing habitual behavior, but it's speculation.
- " The "doesn't matter" is habitual, but the past tense action is a single occurrence.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
spongebob1231) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I drop by to say 'hi' or not.or
2) It doesn't matter to you anymore if I dropped by to say 'hi' or not.Use the first one. You're describing habitual behavior.
2) could be, "It wouldn't matter to you anymore if I dropped by to say "hi" or not."
You're still describ
00
spongebob123It doesn't matter to you anymore if I drop by to say 'hi' or not.The if-clause is an interrogative content clause, i.e., the kind where you can substitute 'whether'. It's not a true conditional clause. Therefore it has nothing to do with the grammatical patterns used in conditional sentences - if that's what you're concerned about.
0
Related Questions