0
Ticce Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Which mood is it

Could you tell me which mood does this sentence have in the past? Is it the conditional one?

If she finished talking on the phone I would tell her the story.

If it is the conditional mood then what's the difference between this sentence and

If she had finished talking on the phone I would have told her the story.
  

Top answer

If she finished talking on the phone I would tell her the story. 'If' does not work as a past lead-in here; it would have to read 'when' (since she could not talk on the phone forever) and represent a past habit. As it stands, it must be Conditional II (hypothetical present).

— Mister Micawber

  • If she finished talking on the phone I would tell her the story.
  • 'If' does not work as a past lead-in here; it would have to read 'when' (since she could not talk on the phone forever) and represent a past habit.
  • As it stands, it must be Conditional II (hypothetical present).
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

4 Answers
0
If she finished talking on the phone I would tell her the story.

'If' does not work as a past lead-in here; it would have to read 'when' (since she could not talk on the phone forever) and represent a past habit. As it stands, it must be Conditional II (hypothetical present).
0
0
I have found an interesting info in another forum. It is said there that -

if means almost the same as whenever or on those occasions when.

Can it be so?
0
0
Yes, I agree, as a past form.
0
0
TicceDo these sentences mean the same?
Whenever he came to see me, I would keep him waiting outside my door. = If he came to see me, I would keep him waiting outside my door.
0

Related Questions