In Numbers^x, Conditionals^x, Grammar^x

Hi, I'm not sure everybody here understands what type of exercise you're referring to. I assume you are talking about the new format of the CAE, which will be introduced starting from December 2008, so I'm posting an excerpt from the CAE handbook for teachers about part 5 (key word...

They are all correct. For lengthier discussions with lots of examples of the use of the past perfect tense after before , see Re: before past perfect tense , past tense and Re: Past Simple or Past Perfect . This is a common pattern for expressing "interruptive relationships" between...

Your research is leading you to see that there is no complete agreement about what the terms "first, second, and third conditional" mean. This is not mathematics, where every book you read says the same thing: 2 + 2 = 4. This is grammar, where every author has his own opinion of what...

The condition is that the if clause may be fulfilled. In your sentences it is already impossible to fulfil the if clause making the sentences purely hypothesis. This is known as a type III conditional and is formed thus: if + past perfect + would + have + past participle . A conditional formed...

The '3.5' is a chapter number in a text HERE . It has to do with computer language, not English grammar.

Basically, the reactor Now, don't tear your hair out and start screaming, but the second of the two series above is sometimes taken to mean the same as the first series! -- that is, taken to refer to what was then the future instead of what was then the past. My recommendation, if...

Thank you all for answering my post. The problem I see is NOT the contrast beween rules and exceptions, or between grammar and spoken language, BUT, basically, the lack of unanimity on what is correct and what is wrong. After Marius' and Tam's examples, it was pretty clear that the...

As Philip said, number 1 isn't correct : because you use 'were' in the 'if' clause, then you should use 'would'. 1. What WOULD they do if there were an emergency ? Now for the choice on 3 and 4, the situation is totally different. This isn't conditional tense any longer. There is no 'if'...

Interesting comments, JT. You are looking further down the spectrum than I. I'll suggest that in your sentence 2, you are envisioning an impossible situation... Not at all. The objective truth of the situation in #2 is irrelevant. All that matters is the impression the speaker wants...