Which construction should I use?

Dear members,

Which versions do you consider correct, please?

1) She was convinced that the more they WOULD PRACTISE (is it possible to use the conditional here ? or should I use PRACTISED ?) their English,

a) the BETTER their chances WERE / WOULD BE to overcome their shyness...

b) the better WERE / WOULD BE their chances OF OVERCOMING their shyness

c) the MORE LIKELY they WOULD BE to overcome their shyness
d) the MORE LIKELY WERE / WOULD BE their chances TO OVERCOME / OF OVERCOMING their shyness

e) the better their chances to overcome their shyness and improve their oral work WOULD BE.

2) She was convinced that the more they would practise (?) the better their chances would be (?) to overcome their shyness and improve

a) their performance(s) in the oral exam
b) their performance(s) in their oral work
c) their speaking skills
d) their oral skills
e) their speech performance(s).

Thank you very much for your help.
Hela

You need to go first! ;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hela

Dear members,

Which versions do you consider correct, please?

1) She was convinced that the more they WOULD PRACTISE (is it possible to use the conditional here ? or should I use PRACTISED ?) their English,

a) the BETTER their chances WERE / WOULD BE to overcome their shyness...

b) the better WERE / WOULD BE their chances OF OVERCOMING their shyness

c) the MORE LIKELY they WOULD BE to overcome their shyness
d) the MORE LIKELY WERE / WOULD BE their chances TO OVERCOME / OF OVERCOMING their shyness

e) the better their chances to overcome their shyness and improve their oral work WOULD BE.

2) She was convinced that the more they would practise (?) the better their chances would be (?) to overcome their shyness and improve

a) their performance(s) in the oral exam
b) their performance(s) in their oral work
c) their speaking skills
d) their oral skills
e) their speech performance(s).

Thank you very much for your help.
Hela

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Which are your choices?

Here is my choice then but I don't know why:

1) She was convinced that the more they practised the better their chances were to overcome their shyness and improve their performances in the oral exam.

OR

2) She was convinced that the more they would practise the better their chances would be to overcome their shyness and improve their speech performances.

I would be grateful therefore if somebody could give me the right choices and the reasons behind them.

Best regards

The first sentence is the correct one. It is an equivalent for the conditional 1 (past tense in the if-clause, future in the past in the main clause).

Ex. She was convinded that, if they practised more, their chances to overcome their shyness would improve.

Dear Bianca,

1) So if I need to use the simple past (kind of subjunctive?) in the first clause (= the more they PRACTISED), should I use only the present conditional in the second clause (= the better their chances WOULD BE to overcome) or can I also use the simple past (the better their chances WERE to...)?

2) Now, which order is correct: "the better WERE their chances to overcome" or "the better their chances WERE to overcome"?

3) And what do you think of the constructions:

a) "the more they practised the more likely WERE / WOULD BE (?) their chances to overcome"?

b) "the more they practised the better their chances to overcome their shyness and to improve their speech performance WOULD BE"?

4) And which expressions do you prefer here:

a) their performance(s) in the oral exam
b) their performance(s) in their oral work
c) their speaking skills
d) their oral skills
e) their speech performance(s).

gratefully yours,
Hela