tense question

Question

Which of these sentences are possible with the tenses:

If you 'asked' me a year ago if I could see myself running in the morning on a winter I would have laughed.

If you 'had asked' me a year ago if I could see myself running in the morning on a winter I would have laughed.

Are both possible? Is there a preferred one?

Ozzourti · Accepted Answer

If you had asked me a year ago if I could see myself running on a winter morning, I would have laughed.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks. Why is the first one without 'had' not possible.
How would the sentence have to be formulated for the use 'asked' without had?

Ozzourti · Answer

This is an example of a "type 3" conditional sentence. "A year ago" clearly indicates that we are talking about something that didn't happen in the past.

Anonymous · Answer

Aha. Yes it did not really happen in the past since it is a conditional (which includes 'if'), but it is referring to the past. Is my explanation right?

Would that be a type 2 conditional then: If you asked me a year ago if I could see myself running on a winter morning, I would laugh.

Is that sentence right?

Ozzourti · Answer

AnonymousWould that be a type 2 conditional then: If you asked me a year ago if I could see myself running on a winter morning, I would laugh. Is that sentence right?

No. It is illogical because of the inclusion of "a year ago." You could say:

If you asked me if I could see myself running on a winter morning, I would laugh. (The other person can technically still ask.)

Anonymous · Answer

So the inclusion of a year ago, means asking in the past?

Also, they type 3 conditional of this sentence would be the same but without 'a year ago'. Right?

If you had asked me if I could see myself running on a winter morning, I would have laughed.

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