even if i want to

[Untaught88]

Hi,

Is ''Even if I want to believe you, I can't'' correct?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Usually, it would be "Even if I wanted to believe you...".

 

[Tarheel]

It's a common expression:

I couldn't do it even if I wanted to.

 

[Untaught88]

Even if I wanted to believe you, I couldn't. OK now?
I couldn't believe you even if I wanted to. OK now?

It indicated the past, right? Can I use it in the present tense?

 

[GoesStation]

Even if I wanted to believe you, I couldn't. OK now?
I couldn't believe you even if I wanted to. OK now?

It indicated the past, right? Can I use it in the present tense?

A common way to say this in the present tense: I want to believe you, but I just can't or ​I just can't do it.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Even if I wanted to believe you, I couldn't. OK now?
I couldn't believe you even if I wanted to. OK now?

It indicated the past, right? Can I use it in the present tense?

I think they are the past subjunctive, which refers to the present.

 

[Matthew Wai]

there seems to me to be little point in referring to a past subjunctive in modern British English.

I found the term useful while learning the second conditional.

 

[Tarheel]

Even if I wanted to believe you, I couldn't. OK now?
I couldn't believe you even if I wanted to. OK now?

It indicated the past, right? Can I use it in the present tense?

It's used in the present tense. Example:

A: Could you loan me $100 until payday?
B: No, I couldn't if I wanted to. I don't have the cash right now.

If somebody says, "I couldn't if I wanted to" it means he doesn't want to, but he also has an excuse.