Second-type type conditional vs. Mixed

Question

Hello all,In the quotation below, the later sentence uses a senond-type conditional, while the 'consequent' is a hypothetical present situation. Isn't this the case for a mixed conditional?«Still New Bedford is a queer place. Had it not been for us whalemen, that tract of land would this day perhaps have been in as howling condition as the coast of Labrador.»This is a quotation from Melville's Moby-Dick, so my question is rhetorical and all I am asking for is an explanation...Thank you in advance,AntonP.S. The word D-I-C-K seems to have been removed by the moderator bot...

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

All I see is Conditional III: 'Had it not been...that land would have been....'

Ant_222 · Answer

Hello, Mister Micawber, and thank you for your reply.

Mister MicawberAll I see is Conditional III: 'Had it not been...that land would have been....'

Yes, type III it is by fact (sorry I called it Type II by dint of mental error). But I wonder why doesn't Mixed conditional fit better:

«Had it not been for us whalemen, that tract of land would this day perhaps be in as howling condition as the coast of Labrador.»

Note, that the second clause is about the present ("this day"), while in the Third conditional it should be about the past...

Here's an example from an English Page:
«If she had been born in the United States, she wouldn't need a visa to work here.»
(http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/mixedconditional.html)

I think it fully agrees with the situation described in Melvlle's quotation...

Anton

Mister Micawber · Answer

They both sound natural to me.

Second-type type conditional vs. Mixed

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