What the difference?

Question

What’s the difference in meaning between the sentences below?If I go to party tomorrow, I will drink champagne.vs.If I went to party tomorrow, I would drink champagne.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

1.) should be: "If I go to the party tomorrow, I will drink champagne." (= "If I will go to the party tomorrow, I will drink champagne." The present tense here is used with a future sense indicating possibility.)

2.) should be: "If I went to the party tomorrow, I would drink champagne." (= "If I would go to the party tomorrow, I would drink champagne." The past tense here is used in a modal sense indicating possibility.)

Cat build 516 · Answer

The second sentence seems to be wrong.You can't use 'went' in future tense.

Teechr · Answer

anonymousIf I go to [ *] party tomorrow, I will drink champagne.

anonymousIf I went to [ *] party tomorrow, I would drink champagne.

[ *]: You need a determiner here because "party" is a singular countable noun. For example, say "the party", "a party" or "her party".

Note that both sentences (if you put a determiner) are possible. The difference is that the possibility of you going to the party is stronger in the first sentence.

Note also that the structure of the first sentence is called the first conditional, and that of the second sentence is called the second conditional.

What the difference?

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