but If I had money tomorrow

jutfrank

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I can't find a compelling reason to use a second conditional here. What's wrong with a first conditional?

A. If John weren't still angry with me tomorrow, he might call me, and then we would have a nice conversation.

Ah. I think the fact you've used he might call me suggests that you actually want a real (first) conditional.

I was told that sentence A wasn't okay

Who told you all this?

You need to get the situation clear in mind before proceeding. I'm not convinced you need to use a second conditional at all. Since you're talking about a real future possibility, your thought should better be expressed using a real conditional.

If, however, you really are set on presenting this as a mere hypothetical, I think you'd need to make this irrealis meaning clear. I might do it like this:

If John were hypothetically to stop being angry with me tomorrow, I can imagine that he would call me and that we would have a nice conversation.

*Note that there's a heavy stress on were.
*Note that 'stop being angry' is different in meaning from 'not be angry'. I've assumed you mean the former, since that's what you said in post #20.
 

EngLearner

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If, however, you really are set on presenting this as a mere hypothetical, I think you'd need to make this irrealis meaning clear. I might do it like this:

If John were hypothetically to stop being angry with me tomorrow, I can imagine that he would call me and that we would have a nice conversation.
Does the stative verb "weren't" work in the version you came up with:

If John weren't still angry with me tomorrow, I can imagine that he would call me and that we would have a nice conversation. But I'm convinced that he'll still be angry with me because I hit him in the face and called him a moron when I was drunk yesterday.

I'm using a second conditional here because what I'm saying is a remote future possibility. It's very unlikely that he will stop being angry with me so soon. I can only theorize about it.
 

jutfrank

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To talk about a future point such as tomorrow, it's good to use to-infinitive to make that clear.

If John were not to be still angry with me tomorrow ...
 

EngLearner

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Do all my previous examples work if I use the "were to + stative verb" construction in them:

1B. I know that my employer will pay me only in a week, but If I were to have money tomorrow, I would buy such and such.

2B. I know that you'll be here and that you'll help me, but if you were to be away tomorrow, I wouldn't manage on my own.

3B. If I were to be rich tomorrow, I would buy a new car.

4B. I've apologized to Sarah, and she's forgiven me, so I'll call her tomorrow, and we'll talk. But if she were to be still angry with me tomorrow, she probably wouldn't even answer my call.
 
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