Search results for 'tag:Conditionals tag:Football' matching tags 'Conditionals' and 'Football'

Re: Two questions

Rex — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:01:39 GMT

Thanks Marius. I am not as clever as you when it comes to English grammar.

Yes, the words 'would have been' sound conditional.
I can't fathom out the grammatical nature of the words ' To have sprung'
You can spring a surprise. This is indicative form.
I want to know whether to have sprung a surprise means a past event or unreal past event. These are tricky grammar points, as far as I am concerned.

[Is the following sentence correct in this context?]
If you had told me that the Aussies were going to win the match, I would not have watched it on TV.
In fact, I watched the match yesterday.

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I find it strange to compare rhinos hide to the strength of a cricket team or football team.

Re: Is/Will

Ouc — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 03:02:07 GMT

One answer from: http://www.answers.com/topic/as-long-as

Dictionary Directory > Words > Dictionary

as long as
conj.

During the time that: I'll stay as long as you need me.
Since: As long as you've offered, I accept.
On the condition that: I will cooperate as long as I am notified on time.

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Idioms

Directory > Words > Idioms

as long as

1. For the period of time that, as in You may keep the book as long as you want, that is, keep it for whatever time you wish to. [Early 1400s]
2. Also, so long as. Since, because, as in Please pick up some milk as long as you are going to the store, or So long as you're here, you might as well stay for dinner.
3. Also, so long as; just so. Provided that, as in As long as you don't expect it by tomorrow, I'll make the drawing, or So long as sales are greater than returns, the company will make a profit, or You may have another cookie, just so you don't take the last one. [Early 1800s]

Another explanation from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv294.shtml

as long as: expressing time

The as ... as construction is used when we are making comparisons and comparing ideas of similar magnitude or duration

There was extra time, so the football match lasted as long as the concert.
He worked for as long as he wanted to on the project.
"Take as long as you like," they said. "There's no hurry!"
As long as I live, I shall smoke no more cigarettes.

as long as: expressing condition

Note that as long as is also used in conditional sentences as an alternative to provided, meaning if and only if. So long as is also possible in this context:

I don't mind. You can leave early, as long as you finish the work.
I don't mind. You can go home early, so long as you finish the work.
I don't mind. You can leave after lunch, provided you finish all the work.

Re: A conditional sentence

MrPedantic — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 23:20:13 GMT

Hello Rotter

"Out of town buyers" means "customers from outside the town". "To entertain" in a business context means to take someone out for a meal (or to a club, or to a football match, opera, etc.) in the hope that it will encourage good business relations.

MrP

Re: Needs to be confirmed

CalifJim — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 08:16:38 GMT

If I weren't interested in football I wouldn't have minded watching the film on Channel Two yesterday evening.

The "Type 1 Conditional" form is:

If I am not interested in football, I won't mind watching the film on Channel Two yesterday evening. (Note that the future "won't" and the past "yesterday" are contradictory, and this sentence does not make any sense.)

The so-called "Type 2 Conditional" form has the simple past in the "if" clause, except for the verb "to be", which in the Type 2 Conditional form is always "were", not "was".

So the Type 2 Conditional form of this would be:

If I weren't interested in football, I wouldn't mind watching the film on Channel Two yesterday evening. (Note: not "wasn't", because "to be" is an exception. And "wouldn't minded" is not correct.) But Type 2 is also a sort of future - a hypothetical future, let's say. So this sentence does not make any sense either because of the "yesterday".

The Type 3 Conditional form would be:

If I hadn't been interested in football, I wouldn't have minded watching the film on Channel Two yesterday evening. ("have minded" makes it past, so this sentence is OK with "yesterday".) This sentence says, "I did mind watching the film".

The example sentence is, as you have seen, neither Type 2 nor Type 3. It is an exceptional case, which is also correct. We can call it Type 4 if you like! In fact, we can list at least five types, although most books list only the three most common.

1: IF present, will ...
2: IF past, would ...
3: IF past perfect, would have ...

4: IF past, would have ... (IF Type2 - Type 3 mixed)
5: IF past perfect, would ... (IF Type 3 - Type 2 mixed)

Type 4:

If I spoke Japanese, I would have translated the documents for you.
If I were smart, I would have bought that book when it was on sale.
And the example that started this thread:
If I weren't interested in football I wouldn't have minded watching the film on Channel Two yesterday evening.

Type 5.

If George had taken those math courses last year, he would now be much farther along in earning his degree.
If Marge had won the prize money, she would already be spending it on new clothes.
If he had seen the film, he would know what we're talking about.

Hope this helped you more than it complicated your life!

See http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/mixedconditional.html for a variety of examples, some of which were the models for mine above.