"If I were" in past

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nene4english

#544562 Mon, 21 Jul 08 04:39 PM

Hi All,

Another question on the usage of conditionals based on "If I were".

Present Unreal condition:

If I were stronger, I would take part in running competition.

How should I write/express this if I want to use this for something relating to the past(Past unreal)

IF..,I would have taken part in running competition.

Rgds,
Nene.

nene4english

Joined on Mon, Jul 21 2008

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Conditionals

Philip

#544574 Mon, 21 Jul 08 05:06 PM

If I had been stronger.........

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,181)

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

Huevos

#544575 Mon, 21 Jul 08 05:06 PM

nene4english
How should I write/express this if I want to use this for something relating to the past(Past unreal)

If I were to have been stronger I would have taken part.

Or without "were":

If I had been stronger I would have taken part.

Huevos

Joined on Tue, Mar 25 2008

Spain

Regular Member (544)

British Native

Philip

#544582 Mon, 21 Jul 08 05:16 PM

Huevos
nene4english
How should I write/express this if I want to use this for something relating to the past(Past unreal)
If I were to have been stronger I would have taken part.

Or without "were":

If I had been stronger I would have taken part.

I can't speak for the UK, but this would not likely be heard in the US.

Philip

Huevos

#544600 Mon, 21 Jul 08 05:58 PM

Philip
I can't speak for the UK, but this would not likely be heard in the US.

Hi Philip,

I know it is unusual which is why I also posted the default form, but my understanding was the OP was specifically asking for the "were" form of a type III conditional. I just tried a search of "were to have been" on Gutenberg.org and it turned up more than 100 books.

Huevos

Conditionals

Marius Hancu

#544641 Mon, 21 Jul 08 09:24 PM

Huevos
Philip
I can't speak for the UK, but this would not likely be heard in the US.
Hi Philip,
I know it is unusual which is why I also posted the default form, but my understanding was the OP was specifically asking for the "were" form of a type III conditional. I just tried a search of "were to have been" on Gutenberg.org and it turned up more than 100 books.

Yes, but what do they mean? In many of them:

---------

Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 6, by Thomas Moore

... two of them officers of our brigade, in consequence of which cards were exchanged, and two duels were to have been fought the next morning. ...

---------

they mean: were scheduled/meant to take place the next morning

This is indicative, not subjunctive.

For past time, in the original context, I suggest the had version.

**If I were to have been stronger I would have taken part. [this is strange to me.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Subjunctives, Conditionals

Huevos

#544667 Mon, 21 Jul 08 10:18 PM

Marius Hancu
two duels were to have been fought the next morning

Yes it is indicative in that quote but it could just as well be be part of an "if" clause.

If two duels were to have been fought the next morning instead of just one twice as many people would have been injured.

Certainly very unusual but I don't believe it is erroneous.

Check out these searches for similarity.

Huevos

Clauses

MrPedantic

#544678 Mon, 21 Jul 08 10:56 PM

I think the difference is that "be" is a main verb, in the original example; but in the "duelling" example, it is part of a compound passive construction.

(Also, in the original, you wouldn't say "If I were to be stronger,...". So there's no reason to use a present perfect version of the latter for the "past".)

MrP

MrPedantic

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