If you aren't careful, you might make these mistakes.

If it weren't so late, today's post would be longer. If you haven't done it already, you should look at the previous posts on conditional sentences:

http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-dont-hang-this-laundry-tonight-it.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-were-empress-police-would-stop.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-had-stayed-out-bit-longer-this.html

Yesterday, I asked:

If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- what kind of conditional sentence is this?

So here's the tricky thing:

If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, <- "if" clause, past perfect we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- main clause, "would" + v <- WAIT, "WOULD" + V ?!?!

"Nick, didn't you say past perfect in the 'if' clause goes with 'would' plus present perfect tense?" I hear everyone asking me. That's USUALLY true, but not always. It's important to think about the meaning:

If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, <- this is about the past
we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- but the reaction is in the future

That means this sentence is really like second conditional. It describes a hypothetical reaction in the future to an unreal past condition. Because of this, sometimes I see mistakes like this:

× If it hadn't been raining when I came in, I wouldn't have been wet now.
○ If it hadn't been raining when I came in, I wouldn't have gotten wet. <- third conditional
○ If it hadn't been raining when I came in, I wouldn't be wet now. <- second conditional

Look at this tricky one:

× If she didn't come, she would have some kind of problem. <- this is strange. It sounds like she will come, and in doing so will avoid a problem. This is correct second conditional grammar, but it's not what the speaker means.
○ If she didn't come, she must have had some kind of problem. <- She didn't come. The speaker guesses that the reason is she had some kind of problem. This is about a fact, so it's zero conditional. Notice that because of the auxiliary verb, "must", the tense changes from past to present perfect

You might have been happier if I had shown you the more common conditional sentence mistakes today. If I hadn't left you with that question yesterday, I would have talked about those more common mistakes today. However, that will have to wait until tomorrow.

In the meantime, look at these hydrangeas. If we see them, we know that rainy season is here. <- which type of conditional is this?

• 紫陽花 (あじさい) (n) hydrangea; (definition from Edict)
  

If I had been more careful, the picture wouldn't have come out blurry. Sorry! <- which type of conditional is this?

Talk to you tomorrow!