[Grammar] If I hadn't been so busy, I would/could/might be going with you to the party

[NAL123]

A is on the way to a party. He calls B. Over the phone, B:

1) If I hadn't been so busy with my work then, I would be going with you to the party right now.

2) If I hadn't been so busy with my work then, I could be going with you to the party right now.

3) If I hadn't been so busy with my work then, I might be going with you to the party right now.

Are they all correct? Or does sentence (3) require "If I hadn't been so busy with my work then, I might've been going with you to the party right now."?

 

[emsr2d2]

None of them makes sense. How does being busy at some time in the past have anything to do with going to a party now. Your attendance at the party would only have something to do with you being busy at the time of the party.

 

[NAL123]

None of them makes sense. How does being busy at some time in the past have anything to do with going to a party now. Your attendance at the party would only have something to do with you being busy at the time of the party.

An hour before the call, A asked B whether he wanted to go to the party. B said he was very busy and therefore couldn't go. Then A left for the party in a car.

Over the phone B says:

If I hadn't been so busy with my work then, I would be going with you to the party right now, in the same car.

Does this make sense now? If so, could you please answer the question posed in the OP?

 

[emsr2d2]

What does the car have to do with anything?

The closest I can get to your meaning is "When you rang, I thought I'd still be busy this evening. That's why I said no to the party. Annoyingly, I've now finished all my work and I could have come after all!"

 

[NAL123]

What does the car have to do with anything?

The closest I can get to your meaning is "When you rang, I thought I'd still be busy this evening. That's why I said no to the party. Annoyingly, I've now finished all my work and I could have come after all!"

Could you please explain why you used "I could have come" instead of "I can come" or "I could come"?

 

[NAL123]

What does the car have to do with anything?

The closest I can get to your meaning is "When you rang, I thought I'd still be busy this evening. That's why I said no to the party. Annoyingly, I've now finished all my work and I could have come after all!"

OK. Lets consider another sentence:

1) If I weren't reading the book right now, I would be watching TV.

Sentence (1) talks about a counterfactual situation in the present. I don't think we need "I would've been watching TV". Do we?

What about "could" and "might"? Can we use use only "could" or "might" to imply a present counterfactual situation instead of using "could've" or "might've"?

 

[NAL123]

The counterfactual possibility of your being able to come was an hour ago. You can't come now; it's too late,

Does "I could have come after all" mean I can't come?

Had I left with you for the party, an hour ago, I could have come after all.

Is that what you mean?

 

[NAL123]

I would/could/might have come all suggest that you did not come and that you are not now coming.

a) If I had been serious about music when I was young, I might've participated in the concert tomorrow.

b) If I had been serious about music when I was young, I might be/would be/could be participating in the concert now. (the concert is happening now)

Do they both sound correct to you?