Would

[adarsh01]

Which of the following is correct (if any) ?


i) Would you be happy if the world ended today ?
(or)
ii) Would you be happy if the world ends today ?


i)I think you would be happy if I didn't mention your name?
(or)
ii)I think you would be happy if I don't mention you name ?


I appreciate a little explanation.


Thanks,
Adarsh Reddy

[Walt Whitman]

English teacher

"Would you be happy if the world ended today?" OK
"I think you would be happy if I didn't mention your name." OK

This is what some grammars call "second conditional": WOULD + BARE INFINITIVE / IF + PAST SIMPLE.

If I were/was rich (but I'm not rich), I would buy a large house in the country.
You would get to school on time if you got up earlier (but you never get up earlier).
If I had a job like that (which I don't have) I would resign immediately.

You could use I'D instead of I WOULD, YOU'D instead of YOU WOULD, and so forth.
The second conditional is usually used to talk about unreal or improbable situations now or in the future.
Anyway, things are not always so easy. I hope the examples and explanations above may help you a little.
Good luck.
WW

[adarsh01]

Thank you for the prompt replay.


But wrong with


"I think you would be happy if I don't mention your name."


We are talking about the futhere

[Raymott]

Thank you for the prompt replay.


But wrong with


"I think you would be happy if I don't mention your name."


We are talking about the futhere

That would be unusual. Even for the future, the "if" clause is in the subjuntive (which has the same form as the past tense - 'didn't')

Both of these refer to the future:
"You would be happy if I didn't mention your name." Subjunctive
"You will be happy if I don't mention your name." Indicative

[5jj]

That would be unusual. Even for the future, the "if" clause is in the present subjuntive (which has the same form as the past tense - 'didn't')

I disagree. In the second conditional, the verb in the if-clause is in the past subjunctive which, for all verbs except BE has the same form as the past indicative. (Actually, I think it's pointless to talk about the subjunctive in modern British English, but that is not relecant here).

The present subjunctive has a different form.

[Raymott]

I disagree. In the second conditional, the verb in the if-clause is in the past subjunctive which, for all verbs except BE has the same form as the past indicative. (Actually, I think it's pointless to talk about the subjunctive in modern British English, but that is not relecant here).

The present subjunctive has a different form.

Yes, again you are right. I keep referring to the subjunctive version of the present indicative as the present subjunctive. Thanks for correcting me again. I'll remove "present" from my previous post.