6.1.5: Mixed Conditionals
- Page ID
- 274395
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Mixed Conditional : Hypothetical situations in mixed time frames
The two parts of a conditional sentence can refer to different times, and the resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. Mixed conditional sentences can involve a past event with a present result or a present condition and an earlier past event.
Past Events Affect Present Situations
Compare the REAL SITUATION in the first chart with the corresponding HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS in the second and third charts.
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REAL SITUATION |
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When a cause-effect situation occurs in different time frames, it can be stated as a fact. |
| Past ⇒ Present |
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You did not feed the dog, so the dog is hungry now. |
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You fed the dog, so the dog isn't hungry now. (She is content.) |
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The dog couldn't go outside, so the dog peed on the floor. |
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The dog went outside, so the dog didn't pee on the floor. |
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The dog didn't go outside, so the dog is peeing on the floor now. |
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HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION PAST CONDITION-PRESENT RESULT |
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A past hypothetical or unreal event or situation has a present result. This can be used to express criticism or praise. |
| PAST EVENT (Past Unreal-Third Conditional) PRESENT RESULT(Present Unreal-Second Conditional) |
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If you had fed the dog, she wouldn't be hungry now. (criticism) |
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If you hadn't fed the dog, she would be hungry now. Thank you! (praise) |
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If the dog had gone outside, she wouldn't have peed on the floor. (regret/criticism) |
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If the dog hadn't gone outside, she would have peed on the floor. (praise) |
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If the dog had gone outside, she wouldn't be peeing on the floor now. (regret/criticism) |
Present Conditions with Results in the Past
|
PRESENT CONDITION/PAST RESULT |
| A present hypothetical or unreal situation has a past result |
| PRESENT EVENT (Present Unreal-Second Conditional) PAST RESULT (Past Unreal-Third Conditional) |
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If I spoke English more fluently I wouldn't have had so many problems. |
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If I weren't a woman they would have given me the job. |
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If I had a car I would have driven you to work. |
| If I were working I could have bought a new car instead of a used car. |
Exercise 6.10
Pet Problems
Mixed Tense Hypothetical Sentences
Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
1
. Your office chair has wheels, so the dog is pushing the chair around the room.
If the chair didn't have wheels, the dog (won't be pushing / wouldn't be pushing / wouldn't have been pushing ) it around the room now.
2. The dog learned how to push the chair next to the kitchen counter. As a result, the dog is walking on the kitchen counter now!
If the dog (didn't learn/ hadn't learned ) to push the chair next to the kitchen counter, it wouldn't be walking on the kitchen counter now!
3. You did not neuter your cat, so now there are too many kittens.If you had neutered your cat, there (weren't / wouldn't be / wouldn't have been) so many kittens now.
neuter (V) – to remove an animal's ability to reproduce
4. You left your dogs at home alone all day, so they are begging you for a walk now.
If you (left / didn't leave / hadn't left ) your dogs at home alone all day, they wouldn't be begging your for a walk now.
5. The goats are not kept in a pen, so the goats blocked the road yesterday.
If the goats were kept in a pen , they (would block / wouldn't have blocked / would block ) the road.
6. There was a sufficient amount of (enough) rain this spring, so now there is plenty of grass for the farm animals to eat.
If there (hadn't been / had been / wouldn't have been ) a sufficient amount of rain this spring, there wouldn't be enough grass for the farm animals to eat now.
7. 
The kitten is too small. She didn't harm the baby.
If the kitten were bigger, she (might have harmed / harmed / couldn't have harmed the baby.
8. You didn't socialize your dog at an early age, so now your dog barks at all the other dogs on the beach.
Your dog (won't be barking / wouldn't be barking / wouldn't have been barking ) at all the other dogs on the beach if you had socialized your dog from an early age.
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