[Grammar] Conditionals

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barnej0096

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'I wasn't tall enough to reach the shelf.' (taller)
The answer is: 'If I had been taller, I'd reach the shelf.' I don't understand why it is incorrect to say - 'If I were taller, I'd have reached the shelf.'
 

bhaisahab

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'I wasn't tall enough to reach the shelf.' (taller)
The answer is: 'If I had been taller, I'd reach the shelf.' I don't understand why it is incorrect to say - 'If I were taller, I'd have reached the shelf.'

'If I had been taller, I'd reach the shelf.' This is incorrect. 'I wasn't tall enough to reach the shelf.' this sentence is in the past tense.
These are possible: 'If I had been taller, I'd have reached/I could have reached/I would have been able to reach the shelf". "If I were" is conditional present "were" is subjunctive.It doesn't fit with "I'd have reached".
 

tom3m

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"If I were" is conditional present "were" is subjunctive.It doesn't fit with "I'd have reached".

I do not understand it. Can you please explain to me, why we cannot say 'If I were taller, I'd have reached the shelf.' considering it a mixed conditional with an explanation like this: I am not taller and that is why I was not able to reach the shelf.
Thank you
:)

 

barnej0096

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I don't understand it either.
 
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