1. If I told him, he would kill me.
2. If I told him, he would have killed me.
Which is/are correct? Why? examples?
2006-06-19 01:44:07 · 8 answers · asked by English Learner 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
How about --- If I had told him, you would have killed me? I think this this is correct, is it?
2006-06-19 01:51:55 · update #1
Your question is not so much about "tenses" (that is "past", "present" , "future") as about what is called "moods".
The normal "mood" we use is called the "indicative". It simply speaks about things that ARE.
The specific forms you are trying to figure out here are called "subjunctives". They are often used to discuss things that are not the case, esp. things like "contrary to fact" situations and wishes. ("If I were..." implies, "but in fact I am not.") Note that it does not have to refer to something impossible, as some suggest, though it does emphasize that the situation is not (or was not) real.
These forms are not nearly as common in English as in many other languages, which helps account for people's confusion about them. The subjunctive forms we do have mostly use a small set of verbs -- esp. "would", "should", and certain forms of "have" and "to be". Another part of people's confusion comes from the fact that subjunctive forms often LOOK LIKE past tense forms.
For example, a basic use of a subjuntive form in the present tense might look like this:
"If I were a rich man, I wouldn't have to work hard" (based on the song from Fiddler on the Roof).
The "were" combined with the first person shows that it is NOT a past tense form (past tense would be "I was a rich man.") In fact, you are not talking about the past at all, but about something you are imagining being the case now (or soon!) In the song on which the example is based, the singer (Tevya) is suggesting to God that it wouldn't "spoil some vast eternal plan, if I were a wealthy man!"
For the expressions you mention:
In #1 you are looking for the PRESENT tense subjunctive. (You can see that it is "contrary to fact" in that you are obviously giving an argument for NOT telling. If you were thinking about the situation as a real option for you, you would say "If I tell him, he will kill me.") The way you have expressed it is fine for ordinary speech. If you wish to be more technically precise the form should be
"If I WERE TO tell him, he would kill me."
OR you can "invert" the expression and say,
"Were I to tell him, he would kill me."
In #2 you are referring to a hypothetical situation concerning the PAST. Note that you are referring to something that did not, in fact, happen. Since it is "contrary to fact" you will again need a subjunctive form. What you've written will not work. The easiest way to say this is:
"If I HAD told him, he would have killed me." OR (inverted)
"Had I told him, he would have killed me."
(In colloquial speech some will say "If I would have told him, he would have..." People will understood this, but is not the proper form.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive_mood#The_pluperfect_subjunctive
2006-06-19 03:35:04 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well, they're both correct in that anyone would understand you if you said either to them. Number 2 is has an implied "had," like: If I had told him, he would have killed me. But English-speakers leave out words like that a lot, so either is fine, really. I'm sure there are some technical differences and rules about which is more appropriate, but an English-speaker (at least an American English-speaker) would feel comfortable saying either.
2006-06-20 03:38:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 is correct, you are using the proper set up.
2 should read
If I would have told him, he would have killed me.
In the second sentence, your using past tense and in the first one your using present tense.
2006-06-19 01:48:00 · answer #3 · answered by Stacy R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
2 is correct because told is past tense
2006-06-19 01:48:16 · answer #4 · answered by beachdude7 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 is right no2 is mixing present tense with past tense
first question is right ,but just say Is this correct or I think,this is correct ,isnt it.?
2006-06-19 01:49:55 · answer #5 · answered by dumplingmuffin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 is correct, 2 is not, your third sentence is correct
2006-06-19 03:04:18 · answer #6 · answered by Taivo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the second is like you already told him
think the 1st one would make more sense
2006-06-19 03:54:14 · answer #7 · answered by I ♥ me 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I had told him, he would have killed me.
(past) (past subjunctive)
2006-06-19 03:01:21 · answer #8 · answered by tertiahibernica 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋