Learn English – “Would have been given, I shall”; is it a valid construction

future-perfect

I say

Having been given something, I am ready to do something.

to express that now I am ready to do something because I was given something else. However, I want to say that if in the future I am successful at obtaining something I will be ready to do something else. Is this a correct construction?

Would/Will have been given something, I will be ready to do something.

Best Answer

You are saying "If I am given X, then I'll be ready to do Y." This is a conditional expression and you should follow the rules for that.

Note that your X can't be in past tense and your Y in future tense. If X has already occurred, then there is no uncertainty and the whole thing needs to be in the past tense to make sense.

If I had been given X, I would have been ready to do Y. (Expressing an uncertainty in the past which does not exist anymore by virtue of being able to say what happened. If the uncertainty exists in the present, X and Y must be present tense.)

If I am given X, I will be ready to do Y. (Expressing a present uncertainty and something that could/would/may happen upon a condition)

In present tense, Y can sometimes use the word would, i.e.

If I am given X, I would be ready to do Y.

is still all present tense. But will is never used to express anything in the past.

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