Is it possible to use 'could' in a result clause of a mixed conditional sentence? For example: Anne's husband was denied asylum in France and someone is asking her: 'could you join your husband now if he hadn't been denied asylum.?'
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@David Toklikishvili posted:Is it possible to use 'could' in a result clause of a mixed conditional sentence? For example: Anne's husband was denied asylum in France and someone is asking her: 'could you join your husband now if he hadn't been denied asylum.?'
Hello, D.T.—That sentence doesn't work. "Could have" is needed instead of "could," and this will render your conditional unmixed:
- Could you have joined your husband now if he hadn't been denied asylum?
That sentence means the same thing as "Would you have been able to join your husband now if he hadn't been denied asylum?" Both are Type 3 conditionals.
What about 'would you be able to join your husband now if he hadn't been denied asylum?'
That works, but it doesn't follow that "could you join" works there. It doesn't.
Okay, thank you David.