Grammar help - conditional sentences

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

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Hatawakam
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Grammar help - conditional sentences

Post by Hatawakam »

Hello there!

I would like to ask you to shed light on an issue I have. It has created a discussion among me and my friends over this.

We were going through some quizzes in conditional sentences, and encountered this;
I wouldn't be so unfriendly to Jake if he ____ ignored me in the past.

The answer to this sentence is "hadn't", which I think sounds perfect, but one of my mates think it's wrong; that it's not a correct sentence according to the grammar.

She is basically saying that she would prefer it to be this way instead;
1. I wouldn't have been so unfriendly to Jake if he hadn't ignored me in the past.
2. I wouldn't be so unfriendly to Jake if he didn't ignore me in the past

She is insisting that saying 'ignored' is wrong. She is saying that in the sentence we have would + infinitive (would be) [would + be -- if ... ignored], and that the rules related to 'would' are two. If + past perfect ---needs--- would + have + past participle.

Can you please explain to me what you understand of it? And what the sentences (both the original, and hers) implies?

Thank you in advance!
/Hataw
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Alan
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Re: Grammar help - conditional sentences

Post by Alan »

Your original sentence is perfectly possible.

This type, in which a present result is combined with a past cause, is sometimes known as a hybrid conditional.
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