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nozturk
Which one is ok?
(something's happening right now) Which phase is ok?
I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.Which phrase is ok?
Dec 5, 2012 2:39 PM
Answers · 4
The first one is correct.
The second one can also be correct. If "something's happening right now," the event may continue over a period of time. For example, I might watch a meteor shower over the course of an hour. But after only 15 minutes, I may already feel that I have seen and experienced it. So even though the meteor shower is still happening, I might be inclined to use the past tense forms of the verbs, and say, "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
December 5, 2012
If it's happening RIGHT NOW then you want to say:
"I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes."
Eg.
An alien spacecraft hovers overhead...
"I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes."
OR, for extra emphasis: "I would NEVER believe this if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes."
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If something has only just happened (very recently), you could say: "I would never believe this if I hadn't JUST seen it with my own eyes!"
--
If something has has happened further into the past you could say:
"I would never have believed this if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes".
OR, your one:
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
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If you want to express it in the FUTURE (that you won't believe it till you see it) you could say:
"I would never believe that unless I SAW IT with my own eyes".
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Hope this helps,
Good luck and take care!
December 5, 2012
The tenses are actually correct in both! I think it depends on the context.
December 5, 2012
I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes...this one.
December 5, 2012
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nozturk
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English, Turkish
Learning Language
English
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