I would be here sooner, but I had car trouble.

[Anna232]

This exercise is from a copy of exercises I have. If I need to used mixed conditionals, should I use "would be" and past simple?

1. I would be here sooner, but I had car trouble.

 

[emsr2d2]

Please provide the title of the book the exercise is taken from and the name(s) of the author(s). You should know this by now.

 

[Anna232]

Please provide the title of the book the exercise is taken from and the name(s) of the author(s). You should know this by now.

It is from the same copy I mentioned in my previous post . I am sorry, I can't provide it.

 

[emsr2d2]

It is from the same copy I mentioned in my previous post.

Please don't expect us to remember information from other posts. You'll need to tell us every time if this is the case.

I am sorry. I can't provide it.

Please make sure that, in future, you only quote texts for which you can cite the source.

 

[Annabel Lee]

I would be here sooner, but I had car trouble.

I would have been here sooner, but I had car trouble.

 

[Anna232]

I would have been here sooner, but I had car trouble.

If the trouble was in the past I thought I had to use third conditional. As in "I would have been here sooner, but I had had a car trouble." Is it wrong?

 

[emsr2d2]

If the trouble was in the past I thought I had to use third conditional, as in "I would have been here sooner, but I had had a car trouble." Is it wrong?

With my corrections above, it's correct.

 

[jutfrank]

I had car trouble.

This is not a condition of any kind. It's a simple fact about the past, which is why you need to use past simple. What you're probably trying to do is form a related past conditional sentence, like this:

I would have been here sooner if I hadn't had car trouble.

The word 'if' introduces a condition.

 

[Anna232]

I had car trouble.

This is not a condition of any kind. It's a simple fact about the past, which is why you need to use past simple. What you're probably trying to do is form a related past conditional sentence, like this:

I would have been here sooner if I hadn't had car trouble.

Yes, you are right. But it can also be used in my sentence and is also possible, isn't it?

The word 'if' introduces a condition.

 

[Annabel Lee]

I'd say that the sentence I would have been here sooner (than I was) carries the sense:

I would have been here sooner (than I was) if something had not got in the way of my being here sooner.

It implies something did get in the way of your being here sooner. That something is specified with the "but"-clause. It happened to be car trouble, but other things could equally have come in the way of your being her sooner.

I would have been here sooner, but I overslept.
I would have been here sooner, but I got caught in a storm.
I would have been here sooner, but the protesters were blocking the road and I had to take a detour.