IF CONDITIONALS

[triannen]

Dear teachers,

I am having really difficulity to understand the IF conditionals, especially mixed type. If you could help me with the follOwing contexts and with the right answers, I would be more than happy.

Here are the questions:

1- Context: Somebody has a terrible flu and stays at home. Her friend calls her and asked her if she wants to go to the movie with her .And the ill person says:

a. If I wasn’t ill, I would come with you.
b. If I hadn’t been ill, I would come with you.
c. If I hadn’t been ill, I would have come with you.
d. If I wasn’t ill, I would have come with you.

My answer is B


2.Context: Someone is visiting his friends in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to the relatives:

a. If I didn’t have an important appointment in Holland, I would stay in London two more days.
b. If I didn’t have an important appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days.
c. If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would stay in London two more days.
d. If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days.

My answer is C
3.
Context: Someone is visiting his relatives in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to his relatives:

a. I wish, I would have stayed in London two more days.
b. I wish, I would stay in London two more days.

My answer is A

* In the same context, can we also use the following type:
Context: Someone is visiting his relatives in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to his relatives:

a. I wish, I stayed in London two more days.
b. I wish, I had stayed in London two more days.

My answer is B

5. Question: Which one is correct?
a.I wish, I had graduated from the English Faculty
b.I wish, I graduated from the English Faculty.

My answer is B

I dont think my answers are right as I do not answer them with fully confidence. I do not want to doubt, I would like to be able to answer them surely.

Thank you in advance.

 

[5jj]

You posted this question two days ago. Please do not post the same question twice. Try following the suggestion in the previous thread, and ask follow-up questions there.

 

[triannen]

Because they wanted me to write my answers underneath. In my first thread there were no answers, therefore they have not being answered..

 

[5jj]

Because they wanted me to write my answers underneath. In my first thread there were no answers, therefore they have not being answered..

Sorry - I didn't spot your answers. I just read the first couple of lines and thought, "Oh no, a second thread" That's one of the reasons it we don't like new threads on the same topic. This should have been a continuation of your first thread.

There are several possible answers for each of your situations. I have no time to look a them in detail now, but I will do so later today, unless somebody else looks at them first.

 

[gauri_agr]

Hi triannen,

I am also learning English just like you. I can give the answer with my less knowledge as below:

I have learned that there are simple three type of conditional sentences in english

1. If I study, I will pass the exam ( If Simple present, I will ...)
2. If I studied, I would pass the exam ( If simple past, I would ...)
3. If I had studied, I would have passed the exam ( I past perfect, I would have....)

With these three rules, Let me explain all of your questions

Dear teachers,

I am having really difficulity to understand the IF conditionals, especially mixed type. If you could help me with the follOwing contexts and with the right answers, I would be more than happy.

Here are the questions:

1- Context: Somebody has a terrible flu and stays at home. Her friend calls her and asked her if she wants to go to the movie with her .And the ill person says:

a. If I wasn’t ill, I would come with you.
b. If I hadn’t been ill, I would come with you.
c. If I hadn’t been ill, I would have come with you.
d. If I wasn’t ill, I would have come with you.

My answer is B

Gauri: If clause could be just one If I hadn't been and with the rule above it will like below
If I hadn;t been ill, i would have come with you
So answer is "C"

2.Context: Someone is visiting his friends in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to the relatives:

a. If I didn’t have an important appointment in Holland, I would stay in London two more days.
b. If I didn’t have an important appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days.
c. If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would stay in London two more days.
d. If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days.

My answer is C

Gauri: If clause would be "If I hadn't had an importnat...." and so the complete sentence would be as below
If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days.

So answer is "D"

3.
Context: Someone is visiting his relatives in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to his relatives:

a. I wish, I would have stayed in London two more days.
b. I wish, I would stay in London two more days.


My answer is A

Gauri: I am not sure why but I feel answer "a" is correct
* In the same context, can we also use the following type:
Context: Someone is visiting his relatives in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to his relatives:

a. I wish, I stayed in London two more days.
b. I wish, I had stayed in London two more days.

My answer is B
Gauri: I don't know
5. Question: Which one is correct?
a.I wish, I had graduated from the English Faculty
b.I wish, I graduated from the English Faculty.

My answer is B
Gauri: I don't know
I dont think my answers are right as I do not answer them with fully confidence. I do not want to doubt, I would like to be able to answer them surely.

Thank you in advance.

 

[5jj]

1- Context: Somebody has a terrible flu and stays at home. Her friend calls her and asked her if she wants to go to the movie with her .And the ill person says:

a. If I wasn’t ill, I would come with you.The traditional second conditional. Correct.
b. If I hadn’t been ill, I would come with you. This suggests that her illness is a thing of the past which has an effect on the present/future. As she is still ill, this is not appropriate.
c. If I hadn’t been ill, I would have come with you.The traditional third conditional. Although it is frequently used with past counterfactual situations, it is used sometimes in situations such as the one you describe. You might think of it as, "If I hadn't been ill (when you invited me a moment ago) I would have (agreed to) come."
d. If I wasn’t ill, I would have come with you. This would normally be understood as "If I were not ill (now), I would have come with you (in the past). This is nonsense. However, some people, especially in conversation, use such constructions, apparently having in mind, "If I weren't ill (now), I would have (agreed to) come" I do not recommend that you do this.

Note that in (a) and (d), purists would use "weren't", not "wasn't.

2.Context: Someone is visiting his friends in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. This is the [STRIKE]L[/STRIKE] last day, He is saying to the relatives:

a. If I didn’t have an important appointment in Holland, I would stay in London two more days. Fine
b. If I didn’t have an important appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days. See my note to (d) above
c. If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would stay in London two more days. Not recommended. It may be used if the speaker is thinking, "If I hadn't had (= arranged) an important business appointment ...
d. If I hadn’t had an important business appointment in Holland, I would have stayed in London two more days. See my note to (c) above.

3. Context: Someone is visiting his relatives in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. Last day, He is saying to his relatives:

a. I wish, I would have stayed in London two more days.
b. I wish, I would stay in London two more days.

Neither is correct. We need to say:

I wish I could stay ...
I wish I could have stayed ..

The second has the idea of "I wish it had been possible for me to (arrange to) stay".

4. Context: Someone is visiting his relatives in London. He can only stay there for 3 days. This is the [STRIKE]L[/STRIKE] last day, He is saying to his relatives:

a. I wish, I stayed in London two more days. No
b. I wish, I had stayed in London two more days.
Without the comma, (b) is possible grammatically if you regeret (now) that you did not stay in London (in the past). It is, however, not appropriate for your situation.


5. Question: Which one is correct?
a.I wish, I had graduated from the English Faculty
Without the comma it is fine. It means that you regret now that you did not graduate.
b.I wish, I graduated from the English Faculty. No

5

 

[5jj]

I have learned that there are [STRIKE]simple[/STRIKE] three types of conditional sentences in [STRIKE]e[/STRIKE] English

1. If I study, I will pass the exam ( If Simple present, I will ...)
2. If I studied, I would pass the exam ( If simple past, I would ...)
3. If I had studied, I would have passed the exam ( I past perfect, I would have....)

Some teachers and coursebook present the conditionals in this way, but it is far too over-simplified. See some of my comments in the previous post. The following examples are all natural English - in the appropriate context.

If I am studying (when you come), please don't disturb me.
If I am going to study, I need a bit of quiet.
If you will go to university, I will pay you tuition fees.


Although there is some logic in the way conditional sentences are used in English, it cannot be explained in one post in this forum.

If you are interested in my ideas on the subject, try: http://www.gramorak.com/Articles/Conditionals.pdf

 

[triannen]

Thank you very much for your reply.

Today we have had a discussion with friends at the university about if conditionals and it seems everybody has different understanding.During the discussion it raised another question.

Here is the question:
a.If my uncle was alive, he would be 65 years old by now.
b.If my uncle had been alive, he would have been 65 years old by now.
c.If my uncle had been alive, he would be 65 years old by now.

Our answer became C
Because he is not alive now, and the second part refers the present.

Is that right?

 

[triannen]

Thank you for your answer but we did not undertstand very well and still confused..

The examples sentences came from a friend. Her uncle died in 2008 and she wanted to say one of the follwowing sentence but but we could not figure out which one is true.

a.If my uncle was alive, he would be 65 years old by now.
b.If my uncle had been alive, he would have been 65 years old by now.
c.If my uncle had been alive, he would be 65 years old by now.

We thought the right answer was C. Because he is not living anymore.
???