Velimir  +  590211 Fri, 21 Nov 08 07:55 AM Hello again, Would it be a correct grammar if I used "would have been" instead of "would" in the second sentence or I'm required to use "by now " instead of "now" in the second sentence : "If I had done it a year ago I would be rich now." "If I had done it a year ago I would have been rich now /by now." I'd also like to know whether the "If I did.." construction with past time adverbs is possible in any context, i.e : "If I did it a year ago/ a week ago/long before... Thank you for the answer Velimir Joined on Mon, Nov 12 2007 Junior Member 88 Grammar, Verbs, Constructions, Adverbs

	Cool Breeze  +  590226 Fri, 21 Nov 08 08:55 AM If I had done it a year ago, I would be rich now. Or: If I had done it a year ago, I would have become rich by now. If I did it a year ago, I certainly remember nothing about it! Did is a simple past tense verb form in the above sentence, not a subjunctive. In languages that use more inflections than English, the difference between indicative and subjunctive is very clear and no one has to ponder whether a sentence like the one above is correct or not. CB Cool Breeze Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006 Senior Member 3,970 "I hope you'll all live to be 150 years old - and the last voice you hear is mine!" Frank Sinatra on stage in Oslo, Norway, 28 September 1991 Verbs, Difference Between, Tenses, Simple Past, Subjunctives, Past Tenses, Inflections

	Velimir  +  590240 Fri, 21 Nov 08 09:57 AM Thank you CoolBreeze. Sorry, I've edited my question because I need to reformulate it . I hope it hasn't made any inconvenience. Can you shed some light on why "..would have been rich by now" is unacceptable CoolBreeze ? Thank you again Velimir Constructions

	Cool Breeze  +  590242 Fri, 21 Nov 08 10:10 AM Velimir “ I would like to ask if the construction " would have been + adjective" is incorrect generally ? ” There are millions of possibilities to form a sentence and therefore it's impossible to say that something is always wrong or always right. It's the combination of would have been plus now that jars in my ear. Others may have different opinions. CB Cool Breeze Constructions

	Velimir  +  590244 Fri, 21 Nov 08 10:17 AM I was late with my editing Sorry CoolBreeze, I meant to ask if "...would have been rich by now " is acceptable . Thanks again Velimir