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Sb70012 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Referring to a possible future/referring to an unreal present
Future time:
1. Catherine: If I lost my job, I would be in serious trouble. (referring to a possible future situation)
Catherine said that if she lost her job, she would be in serious trouble. (the reported words are true; she might still lose her job)
Catherine said that if she had lost her job, she would have been in serious trouble. (the reported words are out-of-date; it's not possible that she will lose her job)
Present time:
2. Paul: If I knew the answer, I'd tell you. (referring to an unreal present situation)
Paul said that if he knew the answer, he'd tell us.
Hi,
I have problem understanding or comparing the red part with the blue part.
The structures are same. Is there any clue to recognize if it refers to future or present?
I mean:
Number 1 has used "lost" and number 2 has used "knew"
Number 1 has used "would" and number 2 has used "would"
How or from what aspect number 2 refers to present but number 1 refers to future?
Is there any clue to tell us which one refers to future and which one refers to present?
I see no difference between 1 and 2.
I mean the structures of number 1 and 2 are same.
Then why 1 refers to future but 2 refers to present?
How should we detect if it refers to present or future?
Both 1 and 2 have same structures then why 1 refers to future and 2 refers to present?
Source: http://www.grammaring.com/second-conditional-in-indirect-speech
Thank you
1. Catherine: If I lost my job, I would be in serious trouble. (referring to a possible future situation)
Catherine said that if she lost her job, she would be in serious trouble. (the reported words are true; she might still lose her job)
Catherine said that if she had lost her job, she would have been in serious trouble. (the reported words are out-of-date; it's not possible that she will lose her job)
Present time:
2. Paul: If I knew the answer, I'd tell you. (referring to an unreal present situation)
Paul said that if he knew the answer, he'd tell us.
Hi,
I have problem understanding or comparing the red part with the blue part.
The structures are same. Is there any clue to recognize if it refers to future or present?
I mean:
Number 1 has used "lost" and number 2 has used "knew"
Number 1 has used "would" and number 2 has used "would"
How or from what aspect number 2 refers to present but number 1 refers to future?
Is there any clue to tell us which one refers to future and which one refers to present?
I see no difference between 1 and 2.
I mean the structures of number 1 and 2 are same.
Then why 1 refers to future but 2 refers to present?
How should we detect if it refers to present or future?
Both 1 and 2 have same structures then why 1 refers to future and 2 refers to present?
Source: http://www.grammaring.com/second-conditional-in-indirect-speech
Thank you
Top answer
You can tell by the context. 1) Catherine has not lost her job (yet), and she is speculating about what might happen, so it cannot be the present. 2) I do not know the answer now, but I might learn it in the future.
- You can tell by the context.
- 1) Catherine has not lost her job (yet), and she is speculating about what might happen, so it cannot be the present.
- 2) I do not know the answer now, but I might learn it in the future.
- So it must be the present.
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2 Answers
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You can tell by the context.
1) Catherine has not lost her job (yet), and she is speculating about what might happen, so it cannot be the present.
2) I do not know the answer now, but I might learn it in the future. So it must be the present.
1) Catherine has not lost her job (yet), and she is speculating about what might happen, so it cannot be the present.
2) I do not know the answer now, but I might learn it in the future. So it must be the present.
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sb70012I have problem understanding or comparing the red part with the blue part. ... Is there any clue to recognize if it refers to future or present? ... Number 1 has used "lost" and number 2 has used "knew" ...There is seldom any need to examine any "clues". You know from instinct about your own real-life situations which ones are most likel
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