Tense in a sub clause in If clause

Question

There are some sentences I found in understanding and using english grammar (by Azar) on page 419.
These sentences is about using tense in a sub clause in a conditional sentence

Question 1.
Your friend was in the hospital, you didn't know that, so you didn't visit her.
Answer : If I had known she was in the hospital I would have visited her.

When I saw this sentence, I couldn't decide if backshift was necessary in the sub clause in If clause. But It seems that backshift isn't necessary here from the answer (she was in the hospital)

Question 2.
I've never met your friend. you didn't know that so you didn't introduce me.
Answer: If I had known You'd never met my friend, I would have introduce you.

This sentence was a little confusing. Frankly, I think "I have" in the Question2 should be replaced with "I had" because the speaker is referring to an action before a past time, so I am not sure if backshift is applied.

Question 4.
Your friend's parents are in town. you didn't know that, so you didn't invite them to dinner.
Answer : If I had known my friend's parent were in town, I would have invited them to dinner.

This sentence is very interesting. From the Question, we know that the parents are still live in town. nevertheless, backshift is applied? What if using the present tense here? Would it be possible? or Would it make a difference to the meaning?

Thanks for reading my lengthy questions. I will be waiting for your answers.

Yankee · Accepted Answer

Hi Icadia

Question 1.
Answer : If I had known she was in the hospital I would have visited her.

Was is appropriate if you want to say that you would have visited her while she was in the hospital.

If you use "had been" instead of "was", then you would be saying that you would have visited her after she left the hospital.

Question 2.
Answer: If I had known you'd never met my friend, I would have introduced you.

I might look at this sentence this way:
You are talking here about the status of your knowledge at a particular time in the past, and "had never met" refers to time before that. The single act of meeting the person's friend did not take place at any time before that.

Question 4.
Your friend's parents are in town. you didn't know that, so you didn't invite them to dinner.
Answer : If I had known my friend's parents were in town, I would have invited them to dinner.

I might look at this sentence this way:
Were is appropriate. In this situation, you are referring once again to the status of your knowledge at a particular time in the past, and that point in time is the focus of the sentence. The friend's parents were in town at that same time. The sentence refers only to the parents' presence in town at this particular past time. (Whether or not they are still in town now is not relevant in this sentence.)

CalifJim · Answer

You have basically three choices after "If I had known (that)".

If I had known (that)

1 you [would be / were going to be] at the party

2 you were at the party

3 you had been at the party

I would have ...
________________________

1 The subordinate clause is "posterior", i.e., after the main clause. [future of the past] You found out that something was going to happen.

2 The subordinate clause is "simultaneous", i.e., at the same time as the main clause. [present of the past] You found out that something was happening.

3 The subordinate clause is "anterior", i.e., before the main clause. [past of the past] You found out that something had already happened.
____________________

If I had known she was in the hospital (when I found out about it) I would have visited her. "simultaneous"

If I had known you'd (=you had) never met my friend (at any time before I found out about it), I would have introduced you. "anterior" or "past of the past"

If I had known my friend's parents were in town (when I found out about it), I would have invited them to dinner. "simultaneous"

If I had known you would be in town that week (after I found out about it), I would have got you tickets to the hockey game. "posterior" or "future of the past"

CJ

Icadia · Answer

Ok... thanks.
you both helped me

I have additional questions. These may be similar to my question above.

Questions.

Jane is Max's love.

Max is alcoholic at present.
Max : If she found out I was alcoholic, Would she be disappointed with me?

Max has been alcoholic.
Max: If she found out I had been alcoholic, Would she be shocked?

Max was alcoholic. He wasn't alcoholic any more.
Max: I she found out I had been alcoholic, Would she be shocked?

As long as I know, the first sentence may be correct.
Could you check if the other sentences are correct, and make sense?

CalifJim · Answer

... at present.

If she found out I was alcoholic, ~~Would~~ would she be disappointed with me?

... has been ... (implies still is at present)

If she found out I ~~had been~~ was alcoholic, ~~Would~~ would she be shocked?

was ... not ... anymore.

If she found out I had been alcoholic, ~~Would~~ would she be shocked?
Also:
If she found out I used to be alcoholic, would she be shocked?

CJ

Icadia · Answer

I really appreciate your answer CJ.

Tense in a sub clause in If clause

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬