same conditional?

Question

Hi,I sometimes get confused when the phrase 'there had been' or 'there has been' is present after the word 'if' in an if-clause. Please look at two sets of examples below and tell me if they are the roughly the same in terms of what they are or are affecting? to do. What does the existence of the phrase 'there had/has been' bring to the sentence in terms of its effect and content?I would like to apologize if there had been anger expressed toward you by me at the last meeting.I would like to apologize if I had been angry with you at the last meeting.I would be happy if there had been no one.I would be happy if no one had been there.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AnonymousI would like to apologize if there had been anger expressed toward you by me at the last meeting.
I would like to apologize if I had been angry with you at the last meeting.

I would be happy if there had been no one.
I would be happy if no one had been there.

Sorry. These are all wrong. Don't use if ... had been with ... would be.... They don't go together. Use if ... had been with ... would have been ...
I would be happy if no one were there.
I would have been happy if no one had been there.
I would be surprised if there were more than three people there.
I would have been surprised if there had been more than three people there.
Would you be frightened if there were a monkey in your bedroom?
Would you have been frightened if there had been a monkey in your bedroom?
For the apology you need something more like this:
I would like to apologize for showing anger toward you in the last meeting.
CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much. This is your response in a thread named "conditional."

You said:

You have another post on nearly the same subject. See my answer there.

They are mixed conditionals, and they are very awkward.

If I am not mistaken, you seem to have said the examples given there are mixed condtionals and the examples there and here seem to be pretty similar in terms of structures. Why did you say "wrong" here and said "very awkward" there? I think it is a common knowledge that a mixed conditional can be established by mixing an imagined (could it be a real event??) in the past with its present result.

Also, I saw something like this, is this correct? I think it is rare to the modal "would" in the if-clause.

Take it if you would like to have it.

Why not make it a first conditional like this?

Take it if you like to have it.

CalifJim · Answer

I don't really know exactly why I said "wrong" in one place and "awkward" in another!

Your question in the other thread seemed to focus on mixed conditionals, and I didn't want to leave you with the impression that all mixed conditionals are wrong. Maybe that's why I said "awkward". Here's a better example:

If you had paid attention in Japanese class when you were in college, you would be able to translate for us on our trip to Japan this coming fall.
Perhaps I should revise my opinion on your example below. The problem, I think, is lack of context. This sentence can work in the right context. It's rare for that context to come up, I think, so on first reading it sounds completely wrong as an isolated sentence.

I would be happy if no one had been there.
_____
would like is an entirely different case, because it's an idiom for want. Here the would is not necessarily taken as the would of a conditional pattern, but as a simple present tense. That's why the idiomatic combination would like can go in the if clause.
Take it if you would like to have it = Take it if you want (to have) it.
like, on its own, is somewhat different in meaning from would like.
Take it if you like it. = Take it if it pleases you.
You can use would like with the would of the conditional pattern and like of being pleasing, but that works differently, like this:
If you tried it, you would like it. = If you tried it, it would please you.
CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, I have a feeling that if some people had a chance to enjoy the quality responses like this one, they would be opting (looking?)  for more.

same conditional?

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