Search results for 'tag:Mixed conditionals tag:Invitations' matching tags 'Mixed conditionals' and 'Invitations'

Re: polite request: too many would-s

Mister Micawber — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:54:03 GMT

Hello, Trompe-l'oeil, and welcome to English Forums.

The sentence is certainly correct, and it seems to be both-- a polite request cast as a mixed conditional statement:

I will be honored if you accept.
I would be honored if you accepted. (present conditional/Conditional II)
I would be honored if you would accept (2nd would is 'tentative volition' of the recipient of the invitation-- a courtesy strategy)

The sample given in Quirk, et al is I'd be grateful if someone would hold the door open.

(Note to old hands here-- my first use of the phrase 'mixed conditional'-- "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em")

Re: Mixed Conditionals (Is this allowed?)

MrPedantic — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 01:01:17 GMT

...For instance, it says you could use sentences like "If I wasn't afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up" that have a If + simple past, Perfect conditional form...

Yes, it sounds fine to me too. You might have expected a straightforward 'type 3' protasis (if I hadn't been afraid...); but 'was/were' often replaces 'had been', where a condition that was true at that time ('I was afraid of spiders then') is current at the time of speaking ('I am still afraid of spiders').

Cf.

1. If I had been a few years younger, I would have accepted her invitation.

2. If I were a few years younger, I would have accepted her invitation.

#1 sounds as if it happened 10 years ago. #2 sounds as if it happened yesterday.

MrP