TransWikia.com

Sequence of tenses involving a parenthetical clause?

English Language & Usage Asked by Stas Malavin on June 20, 2021

In the following sentence, is it necessary to use the past in the parentheses? Is it a sequence of tenses at all?

You might create a table in a database using SDC as a model (if it met
all of your needs), and then connect that database with services for
sharing via the web.

One Answer

This is the type 2 conditional ("the unreal past"), even though the if clause is in the parentheses. In type 2 conditionals, the if clause uses the simple past, and the main clause uses the present conditional would/could/might + present simple.

Answered by Stas Malavin on June 20, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP