Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[nawee]

Hello,

I'm a little confused with the use of "would have looked" in this sentence.

"Scientists ahev created an image of how John Lennon would have looked today if he were still alive, using the latest in computer technology."

Why don't we say "how John Lennon would look today if he were alive" - the 2nd conditional for unreal present? I have seen sentences like this before and I don't understand why we use the "unreal past" (would have looked).

If you hadn't made that mistake, all this would never have happened.
If you hadn't made that mistake, we wouldn't be in this mess now.

Please help.

Nawee

[Anuradha Chepur]

Well, grammars say:

If +past perfect, would have +pp : This structure is used to talk of a situation virtually impossible. Like your John Lennon situation.

If + past/past perfect, would + infinitive : This is for a situation theoretically possible as in

1. If I had money, I would buy it.
2. If I knew the answer, I would tell you.
3. If I had driven faster, I would be on time.

You will also notice that in 1 and 2, had and knew do not mean past but present.

But the line is too thin for speakers to be conscious about in their day- to-day conversations and they mix the two structures. The mixing is acceptable though.