ask/asked...will/would

[tedmc]

1. If I asked you to take me there, would you?
2. If I asked you to take me there, will you?
3. If I ask you to take me there, will you?
4. If I ask you to take me there, would you?


Are all the above sentences okay?

 

[probus]

1. If I asked you to take me there, would you? Perfect.
2. If I asked you to take me there, will you? Here I prefer "If I ask you to ...
3. If I ask you to take me there, will you? Perfect.
4. If I ask you to take me there, would you? To me this is colloquially correct. I would happily use it, although it is not perfectly grammatical.

 

[tedmc]

Thanks probus.

2. You say you prefer both verbs in the present tense. Is it wrong to mix the tenses?

4. Why is it not grammatical? "Would" is not necessarily in the past tense, it is a conditional, right?

 

[MikeNewYork]

The normal form for second conditionals is past tense + would.|
The normal form for first conditionals is present tense + will.

 

[probus]

"2. You say you prefer both verbs in the present tense. Is it wrong to mix the tenses?"

In this case, I think so.

"4. Why is it not grammatical? "Would" is not necessarily in the past tense, it is a conditional, right?"

Perhaps that is why it seems tolerable to me.