if we could search for the words in the paper

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
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If I wanted to tell someone it's no use searching for the words in a paper published several days ago on the net (search on the net, not paper published on the net!), because published materials will not be put on the net, otherwise no one is going to buy them, then can I say?:

If we could find the words in the archive on the net, the paper wouldn't have been published.

(This is I believe a mixed conditional, using a present hypothetical situation in the protasis to infer something in the past in the apodosis, but I'm not sure whether it's without mistake.)

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@WBYeats,

Quote:

If I wanted to tell someone it's no use searching for the words in a paper published several days ago on the net (search on the net, not paper published on the net!), because published materials will not be put on the net, otherwise no one is going to buy them, then can I say?:

If we could find the words in the archive on the net, the paper wouldn't have been published.

(This is I believe a mixed conditional, using a present hypothetical situation in the protasis to infer something in the past in the apodosis, but I'm not sure whether it's without mistake.)

I'm sure there are a number of ways to say this, WB. Here's one example.

If people provide ready access to their works on the net, they would lose the opportunity to sell their work.

Do you think it says what you are trying to say?

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Do you want to say:

The paper will not get published if we can find it on the net.

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@PUNKEY,

JTT's answer is good, but it seems the focus is different.

In reply to Punkey, your sentence has, I think, an entirely different meaning from mine, which I'm not sure whether is without mistake.

Your sentence, using the present tense in the if-clause and WILL in the main clause is simply describing a general situation, while my intention was to tell a particular situation....

But thanks all!

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if we could search for the words in the paper

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