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Kprichards Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Type III conditional

Hi,

I am studying about Tense Combinations in Conditional Clauses. I have a doubt related to Type III conditional. As per the reference material, the structure of Type III conditional is as follows:

If ... past perfect ..., ... would/might/could+have+V3 ...

This type is used to express an unreal past situation and then the possible consequence of the situation.

Please check the following sentence:

If you had been born on Pluto, you would never have celebrated your second birthday because one Pluto's year is equal to 248 earth's years.

Is the use of had been born justifiable here. I felt that it is mixing voices. I think it should be corrected as follows:

If you had born on Pluto, you would never have celebrated your second birthday because one Pluto's year is equal to 248 earth's years.

Please let me know if I am wrong.

Thanks,
Richards.
  

Top answer

kprichards If you had born Wrong. Born is not an action verb. You need be because it has passive meaning: brought into life by birth .

  • kprichards If you had born Wrong.
  • Born is not an action verb.
  • You need be because it has passive meaning: brought into life by birth .
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2 Answers
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kprichardsIf you had born
Wrong. Born is not an action verb. You need be because it has passive meaning: brought into life by birth.

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