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Guyper Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Present & Past Unreal Conditional

"If I owned a car, I would drive to work"

"If I had owned a car, I would have driven to work."

Hi, I can't distinguish these two phrases. How do I know when I should apply the Present instead of the Past?

Thank you
  

Top answer

" I do not own a car now -- in the present. Use this one to show that you are imagining a situation in the present or future. Here you are lamenting the fact that you don't have a car.

  • " I do not own a car now -- in the present.
  • Use this one to show that you are imagining a situation in the present or future.
  • Here you are lamenting the fact that you don't have a car.
  • Suppose someone gives you car, as if by magic.
  • In that case, from now on, you will use the car to drive to work.
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1 Answers
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"If I owned a car, I would drive to work."

I do not own a car now -- in the present.

Use this one to show that you are imagining a situation in the present or future.
Here you are lamenting the fact that you don't have a car.
Suppose someone gives you car, as if by magic. In that case, from now on, you will use the car to drive to work.

"If I had owned a car, I

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