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Modal verbs in Hypothetical past conditions.

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Latest post Tue, Dec 2 2008 9:00 AM by CalifJim. 1 replies.
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Sabyakgp  +  602016 Tue, 02 Dec 08 08:49 AM
Hello Friends,

I have a few queries concerning conditional clauses.
 
Here is a sentence.

If she would have agreed I might have married her.(Hypothetical past)

In this sentence, what does the if- clasue ('If she would have agreed' ) denotes? Does it denote willingness(volition) of the person I wanted to marry?

What is the difference between the first sentence and this sentence?

If she had agreed I might have/would have married her.



Could you please help me?

Best Regards, 
Sabya
Sabyakgp
Joined on Thu, Nov 16 2006
Junior Member 55
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CalifJim  +  602023 Tue, 02 Dec 08 09:00 AM
If she would have agreed I might have married her.

If she had agreed I might have/would have married her.

would is not normally used in the if-clause of a conditional statement unless it is to emphasize some sort of reciprocal action.  Other than this slight emphasis on reciprocity (She would do this for me -- I would do that for her), the two are identical.  I myself would not use the first one at all.  It strikes me as a grammatical oddity.

CJ 
CalifJim
Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004
California
Veteran Member 20,318
"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche
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XING

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