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  1. #1
    keannu is offline Key Member
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    Default factual or counter factual conditional?

    I learned in a grammar book that conditionals are not affected by tense, but the following is confusing. Is it conditional1(factual conditional) to mean something that could possibly occur in the past or conditional2(counter-factual conditional) to mean something that can not possbily occur. Or does it depend?

    -g.w
    Mel- I thought if I opened myself up to him, that if I took a risk and told him my secret, it would show him how much I believed in him.

    Another example would be like this.
    He says "I would go if I were not ill"
    => He said that he would go if he were not ill.
    Last edited by keannu; 28-Aug-2011 at 04:34.

  2. #2
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: factual or counter factual conditional?

    Conditional 1 talks about events that may happen in the future.
    Conditional 2 talks about imaginary present events (impossible) and future events that are unlikely to happen.

  3. #3
    keannu is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: factual or counter factual conditional?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tdol View Post
    Conditional 1 talks about events that may happen in the future.
    Conditional 2 talks about imaginary present events (impossible) and future events that are unlikely to happen.
    I asked which one it is....not the description of conditionals.

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