sentence-constructionsentence-meaning
I am confused about these sentences
If you could come, it would be great
and
It would be great if you could come
I think the first one refers to the past. I.e. it's like the party is over now. And I am calling one of my friends and saying "If you could come, It would be great".
But I think second sentence refers to the future. For example I am calling my friend before the party and saying "It would be great if you could come".
Am I right?
First of all, it's a he, not a she.
The meaning is: he would rather be carrying a pen instead of the other item/items.
Really, that's as simplified as it can get.
It is an interesting question.
Both forms are acceptable and understandable:
Would it be okay, if I didn't come to your show next week?
Would it be okay, if I don't come to your show next week?
However, the first sounds better, to me, since it's seeking permission.
The answers to the questions are (expanded for clarity):
It's okay if you did not come.
It's okay if you do not come.
Whereas the second sounds better as the answer.
The interesting opposite would be:
It would be okay if you did come
not
It would be okay if you do come.
Best Answer
The meaning of both sentences is exactly the same.
Also, there is a mild stress on the second part of each sentence (although in speech, this can be altered).
In the first sentence, the (slightly) more important message is:
while in the second, the (slightly) more important message is:
But the overall meaning is the same in both cases.