We have a wide variety of direct marketing options available, contact us here for more info.
1 2
Share this topic:
This question is Answered (Not Verified)
Latest post Mon, Jun 22 2009 10:23 AM by buckmajor. 11 replies.
Suggest an answer | | |
Anonymous  +  306631 Sat, 23 Dec 06 01:43 PM

Could anyone explain me the meaning of following sentence :

If i went to china, I would visit the Great Wall.

I understand the above sentence like this :

If I go to china, I would visit the Great Wall.

Is it right?

This is a live chat room, hosted on the chat page. You can also click here to see the chat in fullscreen.
Ruslana  +  306653 Sat, 23 Dec 06 02:38 PM

If I go to China, I will visit the Great Wall --> (1st conditional) implies that you have time/money/the wish to visit China and maybe you will really do it and will visit the Great Wall.

If I went to China, I would visit the Great Wall --> (2nd conditional) implies that you will hardly visit China due to some reasons (for example, due to the lack of time/money/wish) and, accordingly, you won't see the Great Wall.

If I go to China, I would visit the Great Wall --> (mixed conditional) implies that you may go to China (it's possible) but there are some reasons which will probably prevent you from visiting the Great Wall, i.e. you will hardly visit it (because of the lack of time, for instance). But actually the sentence sounds a bit awkward to me, let's wait for a native or teacher to confirm whether it's right or not.

Joined on Sat, Dec 17 2005
Senior Member 3,824
Philip  suggested by buckmajor  +  306683 Sat, 23 Dec 06 04:41 PM
Ruslana

If I go to China, I will visit the Great Wall --> (1st conditional) implies that you have time/money/the wish to visit China and maybe you will really do it and will visit the Great Wall.

If I went to China, I would visit the Great Wall --> (2nd conditional) implies that you will hardly visit China due to some reasons (for example, due to the lack of time/money/wish) and, accordingly, you won't see the Great Wall.

If I go to China, I would visit the Great Wall --> (mixed conditional) implies that you may go to China (it's possible) but there are some reasons which will probably prevent you from visiting the Great Wall, i.e. you will hardly visit it (because of the lack of time, for instance). But actually the sentence sounds a bit awkward to me, let's wait for a native or teacher to confirm whether it's right or not.

I'm not familiar with any uses of "mixed conditional".  I think the explanation for it is contrived.  Your first two examples are perfectly correct.  Then, as you know, there is the third conditional:  If I had gone to China, I would have visited the Great Wall.
Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005
Veteran Member 9,313
At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen
Ruslana  +  306694 Sat, 23 Dec 06 05:21 PM

Yes, I know about the third conditional.

The thing I called "mixed conditional" is something I read about in my grammar book. They say that it is a case when there is one type of condition in a main clause, and another type - in a subordinate clause. Here are some examples:

If you had worked harder last year (third conditional), you would know English well know (second conditional).  

If he knew English well (second conditional), he would have translated the article without difficulty yesterday (third conditional).

That is what I refered to. Does that make sense with first conditional, like in the sentence "If I go to China, I would visit the Great Wall"?

Philip  +  306744 Sat, 23 Dec 06 08:13 PM
 Ruslana wrote:

Yes, I know about the third conditional.

The thing I called "mixed conditional" is something I read about in my grammar book. They say that it is a case when there is one type of condition in a main clause, and another type - in a subordinate clause. Here are some examples:

If you had worked harder last year (third conditional), you would know English well know (second conditional).  

If he knew English well (second conditional), he would have translated the article without difficulty yesterday (third conditional).

That is what I refered to. Does that make sense with first conditional, like in the sentence "If I go to China, I would visit the Great Wall"?

Thanks!  I understand your two examples; in fact just last week I explained something on another forum that was influenced by the word 'now'.  No, I don't think the last example is good.
Anonymous, 3 yr 88 days ago

If I go to China, I would visit the Great Wall

You told me, the above sentence is mixed conditional.

You also gave the following examples of mixed conditional :

If you had worked harder last year (third conditional), you would know English well know (second conditional).  

If he knew English well (second conditional), he would have translated the article without difficulty yesterday (third conditional).

In this sentences, the if clauses has verb (had worked, knew) past participle.

But in this  (If  I go to China, I would visit the Great Wall)

The verb (go) is in present form.

So, I am confused.

Could you explain me the same?

Ruslana  +  306850 Sun, 24 Dec 06 09:29 AM
Forget about that example with "If I go to China...". It's wrong.
user_english, 3 yr 88 days ago

 Ruslana wrote:
Forget about that example with "If I go to China...". It's wrong.

Ok, Thanks

Philip  +  306945 Sun, 24 Dec 06 04:24 PM
Just for the record:  last spring I went to China and I visited the Great Wall.  Impressive!!
1 2
© MediaCet Ltd. 2010, v5.0.3715.30106. All content posted by our users is a contribution to the public domain, this does not include imported usenet posts.*
For web related enquires please contact us on webmaster@mediacet.com, status updates are available at status.mediacet.com.
*Usenet post removal: Use 'X-No-Archive'. You may not have understood that your posts would end up in the public domain. Please send proof of the poster's email, we will remove immediately.