jack112  +  129704 Mon, 22 Aug 05 09:47 PM Scenario: Someone is driving us to the airport and my pal asks me if the paper towels are clean in the ledge because she needs one. And I say: What kind of conditional do I use if I am uncertain about something? 1. I'm not sure. I think it's clean or else they would be in that tiny garbage can next to it if they weren't cleaned. 2. I'm not sure. I think it's clean or else they would be in that tiny garbage can next to it if they aren't cleaned. 3. I'm not sure. I think it's clean or else they will be in that tiny garbage can next to it if they aren't cleaned. (Or should I use this one out of all of them? But I have 'will' here? I'm too certain about where the towels go when the car isn't even mine? So is this one still okay?) Thanks. jack112 Joined on Thu, Jul 22 2004 Regular Member 715 Conditionals

	Clive  +  129717 Mon, 22 Aug 05 11:06 PM Hi, Usually, we have paper tissues or kleenexes in a car, not towels. 'Ledge' is not a great word here, more natural would be perhaps 'the shelf in the  dash'. You need to say 'they', not 'it' in all these examples. Say 'clean', not 'cleaned'. I think your versions are all too long and too repetitious. If you shorten the sentence, a lot of problems go away and it's more natural. Just say I think they're clean or else they would be in the garbage.  If you have any more questions about this, please write again, OK? Best wishes, Clive       Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,627 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

	davkett  +  129722 Mon, 22 Aug 05 11:28 PM This would be what I would write, giving that the context of the dialogue is in the present tense: I'm not sure. I think they are clean or else they would be in that tiny garbage can. If they aren't clean, they would be in that tiny garbage can.  davkett Joined on Tue, Jun 7 2005 Pennsylvania, USA Senior Member 2,788 "The rose stays fresh in its name..." -Bernard of Morlay Tenses, Present Tenses

	davkett  +  129724 Mon, 22 Aug 05 11:30 PM Clive, I was writing without having seen your post.  But I think we're in agreement here. For 'ledge', maybe, 'dashboard.'--or is that old-fashioned now.  Is it just 'the dash'? davkett

	Clive  +  129732 Tue, 23 Aug 05 12:07 AM Hi Davkett, In N. American English (NAmE ?), I only hear 'dash', referring pretty well to the whole front inside fascia.  Clive Clive American English

	MrPedantic  +  129743 Tue, 23 Aug 05 01:03 AM Another version... "Are those tissues in the glove compartment clean?" "I'm not sure. But I think they're clean, as otherwise they'd be in that tiny garbage can." Or: "I'm not sure. But if they weren't clean, they'd be in that tiny garbage can." MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris...

	MrPedantic  +  129745 Tue, 23 Aug 05 01:05 AM PS But it's incorrect to use 'will', as in #3. MrP MrPedantic

	davkett  +  129748 Tue, 23 Aug 05 01:13 AM MrP, Given the present tense of the setup-- Why this:  "I'm not sure. But if they weren't clean, they'd be in that tiny garbage can", and not this:  "I'm not sure. But if they aren't clean, they'd be in that tiny garbage can"? Or you are not preferring one over the other?     davkett Tenses, Present Tenses

	Clive  +  129755 Tue, 23 Aug 05 01:25 AM Hi guys, Scenario: Someone is driving us to the airport and my pal asks me if the paper towels are clean in the ledge because she needs one. And I say..... I have to note that this whole scenario seems a little unrealistic to me. If I were the driver and these two people started to debate whether the tissues on my dash were clean or not, I'd feel insulted. Next time, bring your own goshdarned tissues, and drive yourselves to the airport  as well!!! Clive   Clive