What is the difference between 2nd and mixed conditional?

Question

Could someone explain the difference in meaning between these two forms of conditional?

1.If I had time, I would be there.
2.I would have been there if I had time.

No such thing. This is a myth: English does not have numbered conditionals. “It is clear that a division of conditionals into the zero, first, second, and third categories does not adequately reflect actual usage.” —from “If only it were true: the problem with the four conditionals”, Christian Jones and Daniel Waller, ELT Journal 65:1 pp 24–32 (2011), Oxford University Press, doi: 10.1093/elt/ccp101. — tchrist, Mar 26 '15 at 17:35
If everyone had learned conditionals the same way, this question would be mute. Alas, Start here: Then research conditional sentences. — ScotM, Mar 26 '15 at 21:16
"If I wasn't afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up."
Would it be correct to say: If I was afraid of spiders, I wouldn't have picked it up? — gerol2000, Mar 26 '15 at 22:42

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 26 '15 at 13:29

1

The first refers to the present moment, the second to a time in the past.

(in the second case "I would have been there if I had had time" would seem more common, however, referring to a specific instance; the use of the simple past in (2) implies that your not having time was a more or less continuous state rather than being specific to one event or instance)

answered Mar 26 '15 at 13:29

Roger Hughes

11
1

1

'"I would have been there if I had had time" would seem more common': Indeed. – Marius Hancu Mar 26 '15 at 13:44
Thank you. But what about this if I would like to refer to the past:
If I knew her number I would call her. May I say: I would have called or is it the only way to use this with "If I had known"?

I am rather confused when taking this in compare with negative analogue : If I didn't love her, I wouldn't have married her.
– gerol2000 Mar 26 '15 at 14:01
@gerol2000 try to see the threads here: http://goo.gl/36aMVh – Marius Hancu Mar 26 '15 at 14:16

What is the difference between 2nd and mixed conditional?

1 Answers1