Hello, like your blog, however I got little confused when I got to the mixed conditionals. Not sure which ones would you recommend to use more often , the 1,2,3 or mixed ones. The mixed ones seem like a free style ones, there is no determined structure as opposed to when using 1,2 and 3 conditional.But this could be a problem, when there are no really rules stated, then mistakes and disorder can happen. I guess, I don't exactly understand, how I choose the right combination of tenses when trying to express conditional situation. Could you maybe explain that to me more. For example, could I say? If I would love you, I would suffer. This is how my Spanish students translate their conditional sentences to me, because that is how they speak. Would that be ok to say it like that? Thank you for your time.
regular 0 and 1 conditional sentences translate using the same verb tenses in both English and Spanish. Using your very example:
0 - if she loves you, it can't be bad/love her back 1 - if she loves me, i'll love her,
regular conditionals 2 and 3, translate by using subjunctive and conditional verb tenses in Spanish:
2 - si la quisiera, sufriria : if i loved her, i'd suffer.
mixed conditional refer to conditions IN THE PAST, and just like regular 0 and 1 regular conditionals translate literally into Spanish, that is, using the same verb tenses.
if you loved me, why didn't you tell me? si me querias/quisistes, por que no me lo dijistes.
Hello, like your blog, however I got little confused when I got to the mixed conditionals. Not sure which ones would you recommend to use more often , the 1,2,3 or mixed ones. The mixed ones seem like a free style ones, there is no determined structure as opposed to when using 1,2 and 3 conditional.But this could be a problem, when there are no really rules stated, then mistakes and disorder can happen.
ReplyDeleteI guess, I don't exactly understand, how I choose the right combination of tenses when trying to express conditional situation. Could you maybe explain that to me more. For example, could I say?
If I would love you, I would suffer.
This is how my Spanish students translate their conditional sentences to me, because that is how they speak. Would that be ok to say it like that? Thank you for your time.
Hi Emilia,
ReplyDeletethank you for your interest,
regular 0 and 1 conditional sentences translate using the same verb tenses in both English and Spanish. Using your very example:
0 - if she loves you, it can't be bad/love her back
1 - if she loves me, i'll love her,
regular conditionals 2 and 3, translate by using subjunctive and conditional verb tenses in Spanish:
2 - si la quisiera, sufriria : if i loved her, i'd suffer.
mixed conditional refer to conditions IN THE PAST, and just like regular 0 and 1 regular conditionals translate literally into Spanish, that is, using the same verb tenses.
if you loved me, why didn't you tell me?
si me querias/quisistes, por que no me lo dijistes.
hope it helps,
thanks again for your interest,