ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Conditional

26TMNTJG2PG — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:32:33 GMT

CalifJim
Welcome to English Forums!

You're right. The writer was asleep!

The version you wrote is correct.

CJ

The question is about a Condition, its three different Consequences and Sequence of Tenses but not about the meaning of ‘would’. Your answer is more appropriate and relevant and therefore a correct one. Thank you again, CJ. A thousand apologies to ALL.

Re: Conditional

New2grammar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:33:58 GMT

When I read 26's reply, I thought my understanding of hypothethical tenses was off again. Glad that we're in sync...hehe

Re: Conditional

CalifJim — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:29:15 GMT

Welcome to English Forums!

You're right. The writer was asleep!

The version you wrote is correct.

Re: Conditional

26TMNTJG2PG — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:23:40 GMT

If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity.

The above sentence is correct except I would add an 'and' after the last comma.

The 3 'would's' used therein are indicating in each case a possibility or tendency and not referring to something in the past.

Conditional

CW Tan — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:16:50 GMT

Hi teachers,

While I was reading a newspaper, I came across a sentence written like this :

If we don't take these opportunities now, the windows would have closed, others would have seized it, we would have missed the oppotunity.

My question : Why the if-clause is the present real conditional but the main clause is the past unreal conditional? Is that possible?

Shouldn't the sentence be written as follows :

If we don't take these oppotunities now, the windows will be closed, others will seize it, we will miss(or will be missing) the opportunity.

Please enlighten me.

Thank you very much in advance.