Conditional with Fact

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jack112

#130340 Wed, 24 Aug 05 07:25 PM

Both of these are correct right? They're not mixed conditionals because you're asking for a fact?

1. What do they do if there were an emergency?

2. What do they do if there is an emergency?

Thanks.

jack112

Joined on Thu, Jul 22 2004

Regular Member (715)

Philip

#130343 Wed, 24 Aug 05 07:30 PM

Jack112 wrote:

Both of these are correct right? They're not mixed conditionals because you're asking for a fact?

1. What would they do if there were an emergency?

2. What do they do if there is an emergency? o.k.

Thanks.

You can always play it safe in both sentences with "in case of an emergency".

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,270)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

jack112

#132109 Tue, 30 Aug 05 08:33 AM

But if I were to use one of these ones, would it matter which one I use?

So what's the difference between these two?

1. What do they do if there were an emergency? (Imaginary? )

2. What do they do if there is an emergency? (Future?)

For my question at the top, Is 'use' correct? Or is it supposed to be 'used' ?

3. Would it matter which one I use?

4. Would it matter which one I used? (I think it sounds odd with 'used', how come not all conditonals can use all past tense?)

Thanks.

jack112

Difference between, Tenses, Past tenses, Conditionals

Waïti

#132116 Tue, 30 Aug 05 09:04 AM

As Philip said, number 1 isn't correct : because you use 'were' in the 'if' clause, then you should use 'would'.

1. What WOULD they do if there were an emergency ?

Now for the choice on 3 and 4, the situation is totally different. This isn't conditional tense any longer. There is no 'if' clause here. I think they should be :

3. DOES it matter which one I use ?
4. Would it matter which one I WOULD use ?

But I'm not a grammar guru here...

Waïti

Joined on Thu, Aug 25 2005

Regular Member (568)

Grammar, Tenses, Clauses, Numbers, Conditionals

goldmund

#132197 Tue, 30 Aug 05 02:10 PM

Dear Jack,

You may say :

Does it matter which one I use?

Would it matter which one I used?

Kind regards, Smile [:)]

Goldmund

goldmund

Joined on Fri, Jun 10 2005

Regular Member (581)

«Tout homme peut dire véritablement; mais dire ordonnément, prudemment et suffisamment, peu d'hommes le peuvent.» - Michel de Montaigne

Regards, Conditionals

Waïti

#132278 Tue, 30 Aug 05 07:18 PM

Ooops ! I guess I should have refrained from answering this one... Pls forgive the confusion I brought in, mister Jack... I'm going to write it down a 100 times

would it matter which one I used...
would it matter which one I used...
would it matter which one I used...
would it matter which one I used...
(I'm just going to spare you the 96 others...)

Waïti

Conditionals

jack112

#132619 Wed, 31 Aug 05 08:15 PM

1. What do cyclists do if they injured someone? Would they get fined? (So this is incorrect?)

2. What do cyclists do if they injure someone? Will they get fined? (I'm just talkling to my friend casually while cycling (he probably doesn't even know the answer but we're just chatting), I don't think I should use a present conditional?)

3. What would cyclist do if they injured someone? (So use this one out of all of them? I don't know why but I kind of like #1 better.)

Thanks.

jack112