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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Help- conditional clauses    

Help- conditional clauses



helenarechena
Portugal

Help- conditional clauses
 
Good morning everyone!
 
How would you rephrase these sentences??
a) They can �t answer you because they weren �t paying any attention.
If......
b) My sister never phones me and, because of that, I don �t phone her either.
If....
 
Would you go for 1st or 2nd conditional??? In my opinion it should be:
a) if they were paying ........ they would answer..... (Type II)
b) if she phones me, I will phone her (Type I)
 
but, on second thoughts maybe  a) and b) could be Type I and II, although the meaning would be slightly different.
 
What do you think????
TY so much

29 Sep 2010      





dawnmain
United Kingdom

a. If they were paying attention, they would be able to answer you.
b.  If my sister phoned me, I would phone her.

I say 2nd conditional because they are hypothetical, not the real situation.

29 Sep 2010     



silvanadelval
Argentina

Hi Helena!
This is how I would go about these sentences. The first one refers to a hypothetical consequence in the present coming from a hypothetical condition (which never actually happened) in the past (Mixed Conditional) and the second one is a typical, clear-cut example of Conditional Type II sentences:
 a) If they had been paying attention (which they weren �t), they would be able to answer you (which they can �t do).
 b) If my sister phoned me, I would phone her.

Hope it helps!
Have a great day!
Silvana

29 Sep 2010