Mixed conditional...or not

[Jorgo]

I know I am posting every now and then, but let's say that I got addicted to this website, since I am trying (to learn) to speak perfectly as native:-D

So today, after the work, I was going to the subway with one good friend of mine (lady) and I had an urgent call for "number one". She asked me what was going on with me and, since we are very close, I made a joke and responded

"If you were boy, I would have peed on this snow right here right now"

Of course, didnt mean literally, but I am curious whether this construction of the sentence was fine?

At school we only learned 4 types of conditionals and these "mixed conditionals" are unfamiliar to me.

Another example of mixed conditional

"Wouldnt have it been better, if we could have avoided that phone call next weekend"....

The last example doesnt follow the formula of any of four conditionals....:roll:

 

[jutfrank]

I had an urgent call for "number one". She asked me what was going on with me and, since we are very close, I made a joke and responded

"If you were boy, I would have peed on this snow right here right now"

You need a second conditional in this case.

If you were a boy, I would pee right here in the snow.

Another example of mixed conditional

"Wouldnt have it been better, if we could have avoided that phone call next weekend"

It's not clear what you mean here. You seem to be mixing past (could have avoided) and future (next weekend) time, so the sentence doesn't make sense. Is it a question? What does avoided that phone call mean?

 

[Jorgo]

Thank you very much for your response regarding the first one.

Speaking of second one, in conversation with my American coleagues I noticed that they use "would have been nice" and proceed with some possible situation in the future. For instance "wouldn't it have been nice if XXX state could ( have) become the part of NATO in 10 years". I am pretty much sure that I hear all the time this "have" in the brackets.

Speaking of my sentence, the aforementioned phone call is inevitable, so that's why I put "could have been avoided", cause I tried to follow their formula"wouldn't it have been better, if we could have avoided that phone call next week" (but it is not possible, the phone call must happen).

I am on thin ice here, cause I am in some kind of "split" between my English that I was being taught at school (which didnt go too deep into the details) and what I hear from native speakers and read on websites

 

[jutfrank]

For instance "wouldn't it have been nice if XXX state could ( have) become the part of NATO in 10 years". I am pretty much sure that I hear all the time this "have" in the brackets.

I'm pretty sure they don't say that because it's not possible. in ten years refers to the future, surely?

 

[GoesStation]

Here's how to express the idea in your quote in American English: "Wouldn't it be nice if XXX could become part of NATO in 10 years?"

 

[Jorgo]

Thanks guys! If you be so polite to post here any reliable link/discussion related to mixed conditionals, just to finally decipher the things correctly

 

[GoesStation]

A boy ….

 

[Jorgo]

Thanks guys, and sorry for my belated reply....everything that you have posted here as a explanation really helped me! Particularly that part with contriving situation, now I finally understand.

Likewise, thanks for the link. Speaking of conditionals, as a non-native speaker, I have to say that in school we have been taught to learn it as formula, pattern, law that has to be followed. And didn't have opportunity to think outside of the box. That's why every "aberration" sounds to me very odd.

Thanks once again for detailed explanation and your time