Would have

Question

A: I'm 15.B: If you hadn't told me I would've thought you were 20. / If you hadn't told me I would think you are 20.Which one is better here and why? Thanks.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

whatchadoinWhich one is better here

The first. Stick to the standard patterns. When you get creative with unusual combinations, you just confuse people with what you're trying to say.

IF [past], ... WOULD ....
IF ... HAD [past participle], ... WOULD HAVE ....

If you didn't tell me, I would think ....
If you hadn't told me, I would have thought ....

CJ

Whatchadoin · Answer

If you hadn't told me I would think you are 20. - Is this one grammatically incorrect? I thought I could use this one because:

If you hadn't told me(then), I would think(now).

______

If you didn't tell me, I would think. - What conditional is this? It seems to me that is just an informal version of the third conditional. As in: If she saw me doing that, she would've killed me. - I hear this kind of sentences all the time. I use it too when talking to friends.

Whatchadoin · Answer

CalifJimWhen you get creative with unusual combinations, you just confuse people with what you're trying to say.

Native speakers get confused when someone mixes the second and third conditional? That makes no sense. English is your native language, how can you get confused? -.^ (Did I need to put the article "the" in front of the "third"?)

CalifJim · Answer

whatchadoinI thought I could use this one because:If you hadn't told me(then), I would think(now).

Your logic is right, but everybody I know would say "would have thought" on that one.

whatchadoinIf you didn't tell me, I would think. - What conditional is this?

Second conditional.

whatchadoinjust an informal version of the third conditional

It's not a "version" of anything. It's a second conditional.

whatchadoinIf she saw me doing that, she would've killed me.

This isn't the same structure as the previous one, though. The strictly correct form of this one is the third conditional: If she had seen me doing that, she would've killed me.

whatchadoinI hear this kind of sentences all the time. I use it too when talking to friends.

You can use any kind of sentence you want when talking to friends. I'm just saying that if it comes to taking an exam that is supposed to test your knowledge of English grammar, you'll do better if you stick to the standard structures.

CJ

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