In my English reviewing paper, I have a multiple choices question like this:
Henry ___ a rich man today if he had been more careful in the past.
I filled in "would have been" and my teacher confirmed that it was correct but when I looked up answers online, "would be" was also the correct answer.
If I use "would have been" then the sentence becomes a type 3 conditional sentence. If I use "would be" then the sentence becomes a mixed conditional sentence. Both of these options seem suitable so I'm pretty confused.
I have a pretty important test coming soon so could someone explain this to me please. If I use one rather than the other, will the meaning of the sentence change?
Best Answer
Both constructions are correct and which one you prefer depends on how you regard Henry.
If Henry is a healthy spendthrift who is the despair of his wife, she might well confide to her sister:
But if Henry were on his deathbed or even en route to his own funeral, his wife might well have said:
The would be construction allows for the possibility that Henry might well reform himself.
The would have been construction suggests that the speaker is looking back on Henry's life as it might have been but without the possibility of change.
It's really just a question of nuance and the speaker's point of view.