Tidus wrote:

No.  Not on its own it doesn't.  If I had to choose.... expresses obligation.  If I were to choose.... does not.

Hello T

Milky wrote:

"For me, "if I were to" without "to be" or a verb of obligation, does not carry any obligation."

Was he wrong?

Choose here implies obligation, IMO.

You cannot have both cars, you have to choose.

What is wrong with my reasoning?

Nona The Brit wrote:

Because you are not being obliged to choose either option. 'If I were to run, I would win the race', doesn't mean that you have to run in the race. 'If I were to eat snails, I would be sick'. You are not obliged to eat the snails. 'If I were to choose' - you are not being obliged to choose anything. You might decide that you don't want to choose. 'If I were to' means that you can avoid the whole situation if you want. You still have two options - choosing or not choosing, in the same way that you can choose to run or not run, or to eat snails or not eat snails. I can see how you are confused though with choose. Can we change it to another example to make it clearer? If I were to choose to die, I could either be hung or drowned. But actually, I'm not going to choose to die, I choose to live, so I don't have to pick either death option.

Hello Nona

This is how I see it:

If I were to choose between the two cars (I want both but I do not have enough money),  I would choose the silver one.

You do not have enough money, and this circuimstance restricts your freedom.

You are restricted to choose. It is possible that the restriction is not expressed by the choice, but the parentesised fact.

What do you think?

"'If I were to' is used in hypothetical situations. It isn't used when you definitely going to do something. It is used when you 'might' do something."

I know. But let us assume the cars are not available.

thanks

Nona The Brit wrote:

That wasn't your context. If I were to 'choose between the two cars (because I have money for only one), I would choose the silver on. - this is incorrect.

I do not have enough money, but I want both cars. However, they are not available.

Now I am contemplating what I would do should the cars be available and the dealers would not be willing to give any reduction in price: So if I were to choose (because they would not give me any discount), I would choose the silver one.

Now? Is it correct?