If My Leg Were Not Injured, I Could Attend The Party Tonight.

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

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Newton
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If My Leg Were Not Injured, I Could Attend The Party Tonight.

Post by Newton »

In the morning, person A says:

1) if my leg were not injured, I could attend the party tonight.

2) if I knew his home address, I could go to his house to meet him tonight.

3) if I had enough money, I could buy a 20-room mansion.


Q) Do the condition clauses in (1), (2) and (3) necessarily refer to the present time (= in the morning), and not the future? I mean:

1a) if my leg were not injured right now, I could attend the party tonight.

2a) if I knew his home address right now, I could go to his house to meet him tonight.

3a) if I had enough money right now, I could buy a 20-room mansion.


NOTE: The person's leg was injured, they did not know the home address and they did not have sufficient money when they uttered sentences (1), (2) and (3) in the morning.
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Alan
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Re: If My Leg Were Not Injured, I Could Attend The Party Tonight.

Post by Alan »

Although theoretically even stative 2nd conditionals can refer to improbable future events, these would all naturally be understood as referring to the present.
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