Conditional

Are these correct? If not, why? What do they mean?

1. If that were the case, I would make sure my data was backed up
2. If that were the case, I would make sure my data is backed up

Thanks.

I would choose 'was' – the subjunctive + conditional (type 2) structure has such a strong sense of unreality, that 'is' would jar; whereas 'was' is happily unreal.

MrP

Hello Jack

Pair A: #1 and #2

This is a slightly different case, as the possibility of ambiguity is quite strong. The hypothesis could relate either to an existing fact ('it is still wrong') or a past fact ('it used to be wrong'). So here, it would be natural to say 'is' (#1) if you wanted to make it clear that what was wrong was still wrong.

Nonetheless, there is still a strong pull towards the #2 form, because the tense in the subordinate clause tends to accord with the tenses in preceding clauses. If I heard #2, I would not assume that what was wrong was no longer wrong.

So if you heard #2, it could mean the same as #1!

Pair B: #3 and #4

Whereas Pair A relates to a hypothetical statement about a real situation ('if that were the case' marks the hypothesis; but 'what is/was wrong' is real), pair B relates to a simple hypothesis: 'if that were true, I would do this'.

In this case, there is no ambiguity, and so the tense in the subordinate clause accords with the preceding tenses: 'was' is used to denote unreality.

The 'backed up before' interpretation of #4 would be expressed like this:

'If that were the case, I would make sure my data had been backed up.'

That said, many people would no doubt use the #3 form.

MrP

1. If that were the case, I'd make sure my data had been backed up. (I'd check I did a backup yesterday.)

2. If that were the case, I'd make sure my data was backed up. (I'd do a backup at some hypothetical time.)

3. If that's the case, I'd make sure my data was backed up. (I advise you to back up your data now.)

4. If that's the case, I'd make sure the data's backed up. (I advise you to back up your data now, slightly more urgently.)

If we say:

5. If that were the case, I'd make sure my data is backed up now –

we start with a type 2 conditional (i.e. hypothesis), and suddenly shift to the real 'now' ('is backed up').

This is a hybrid between #2 and #4. In spoken English, people will sometimes change their minds about the hypotheticality of a situation in mid sentence. So a sentence will start out hypothetical, and end with a reference to a real situation.

This often happens in structures that use 'would', because 'would' can also be used to give advice (as in #3 and #4).

So yes, someone might use the #5 form, when they simply meant #2! Or they might start with #2, and realize halfway that they really wanted to use a #4.

MrP

Are these correct? What do they mean?
1. If I were older that would make me an adult, a very responsible adult who drinks carefully.

2. If I were older that would make me an adult, a very responsible adult who drank carefully.

Thanks.