Dmitriy
Are my sentences correct in terms of tense? SENTENCES: 1. If she knew that I [WOULD] talk to her when I [SAW] her tomorrow, she wouldn't be telling you that I [WOULD] talk to her when I [SAW] her the day after tomorrow. 2. If she knew that I [WOULD] talk to her when I [SAW] her tomorrow, she wouldn't be telling you that I [WILL] talk to her when I [SEE] her the day after tomorrow. 3. If she knew that I [WILL] talk to her when I [SEE] her tomorrow, she wouldn't be telling you that I [WILL] talk to her when I [SEE] her the day after tomorrow. QUESTION: Is it possible to use #1, #2 and #3 if the implication is as follows: But she doesn't know that I will talk to her when I see her tomorrow, and so she is telling you that I will talk to her when I see her the day after tomorrow.
Sep 19, 2017 8:39 PM
Answers · 5
I agree with Jeff about #2 and I think that #1and #3 with a slight change could also work. #2 works just fine as a mixed conditional with the first phrase as present unreal, then the second phrase as a future unreal. #3 works just fine as mixed conditional with the first phrase as future unreal. However, the second phrase would work better either as a present unreal or past unreal by switching out the [will] with [would/would have]. ie: If she knew that I [WILL] talk to her when I [SEE] her tomorrow, she wouldn't be telling you that I [WOULD/WOULD HAVE] talk to her when I [SEE/SAW] her the day after tomorrow. #1 could also work as a mixed conditional with a first phrase as a past unreal but the second phrase would need to change to either a present or future unreal conditional. Good question!
September 21, 2017
This is a really interesting question and I hope a few other people offer their thoughts, because I'm not 100% confident in my answer. That said, I believe that #2 is correct. In both versions you correctly use the conditional for the first phrase. However, I don't think the conditional is needed for the second phrase. Imagine if it were rephrased as follows: "She is telling you that I will talk to her when I see here the day after tomorrow, but she's wrong." There's nothing conditional here. Even though she's incorrect, she has, in fact, stated that she will talk to you when she sees you the day after tomorrow. Anyone else have thoughts on this one?
September 19, 2017
#1 and #2 are both wrong because the word "saw" is past tense and you can't use it with the word "tomorrow" which is in the future. If you "saw tomorrow" you are a time traveler. #3 is good. It might be more natural to say "am going to," or "plan to." It is also better to put what she said in the past, because "telling" is in present tense, and you are talking about what she said in the past. So "be telling" could change to "have told." Many people most likely use "be telling" in everyday speech these days though. Example: If she knew that I [plan to] talk to her when I [SEE] her tomorrow, she wouldn't [have told] you that I [am going to] talk to her when I [SEE] her the day after tomorrow.
October 3, 2017
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