If I were in a big city, I would get / would have got a job by now.

[Tan Elaine]

If I were in a big city, I would get a job by now.
If were in a big city, I would have got a job by now.

My daughter asked me which sentence is correct.

I think it is the first one. Am I correct? Please tell if I am correct? And why? Thanks.

 

[tedmc]

I think the second is correct. It is called a mixed conditional.

 

[Rover_KE]

Are you asking us to do your daughter's homework for her, Tan Elaine?

 

[Tan Elaine]

Are you asking us to do your daughter's homework for her, Tan Elaine?

No. There will be several questions if I am doing homework for her. Her friend showed the sentences and asked if she knew the answer. She didn't know. Neither do I. That's the reason for posting the question.

 

[emsr2d2]

No. There will be several questions if I am doing homework for her.

Does that mean you intend to ask several questions in future when you are helping her with her homework?

 

[Tan Elaine]

Does that mean you intend to ask several questions in future when you are helping her with her homework?

I don't intend to. She can cope well with her English schoolwork. She always refers to her teacher regarding English homework problems. On rare occasions will she ask me questions not related to her schoolwork which puzzle her. As my command of English is not high, I usually cannot give her the correct advice; hence the need to ask members on this forum. And I am glad that so far all the native speakers have been helpful. Thanks to all of you.

 

[Rover_KE]

Read more answers here.

 

[dojibear]

Note: I am not a teacher.

The present perfect form of "to get" differs between British and American English:

BE: "If I were in a big city, I would have got a job by now."
AE: "If I were in a big city, I would have gotten a job by now."

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

If I were in a big city, I would get a job by now.
If were in a big city, I would have got a job by now.

My daughter asked me which sentence is correct.

I think it is the first one. Am I correct? Please tell if I am correct? And why? Thanks.

You're not correct. They're both wrong. Depending on your meaning, here are some correct ways to say it:

If I were in a big city, . . .

- I would have gotten a job by now.
- I would have a job by now.
- I would get a job.
- I would have a job.
- I would already have a job.

 

[GoesStation]

These variants are correct in their respective dialects:

BrE: If I were in a big city, I would have got a job by now.

AmE: If I were in a big city, I would have gotten a job by now.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

These variants are correct in their respective dialects:

BrE: If I were in a big city, I would have got a job by now.

AmE: If I were in a big city, I would have gotten a job by now.

I just got the Cambridge Grammar of English from the library today, and omigosh, yeah, you're right, they do use "got" that way. So, Ms. Tan, it looks like Door Number One is right, after all.

Thanks, GS. Looks like I have some interesting reading ahead.

 

[emsr2d2]

BrE uses "have got" more frequently than "have" in many contexts.

"How many brothers have you got?", for example, is much more common than "How many brothers do you have?"
"We've got six dogs" is heard more than "We have six dogs".