"if he had not been" vs "if he would not have been"

Question

"if he had not been" vs "if he would not have been"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'If he had not been' is used in the past unreal conditional sentences, while 'if he would not have been' is used in the future unreal conditional sentences.

Last Updated: March 17, 2024

This phrase is used in past unreal conditional sentences to talk about situations that did not happen in the past.

Examples:

If he had not been late, he would have caught the train.
If she had not been so tired, she would have finished her work.
I would have helped him if he had not been so rude.

Alternatives:

if he hadn't been
if he were not
if he hadn't been there
if he hadn't been so careless
if he hadn't been so stubborn

This phrase is used in future unreal conditional sentences to talk about situations that will not happen in the future.

Examples:

If he would not have been so busy, he could have attended the meeting.
She would have passed the exam if she would not have been sick.
I would have called him if he would not have been out of town.

Alternatives:

if he will not have been
if he wouldn't have been
if he will not have been there
if he will not have been so careless
if he will not have been so stubborn

Answer 1

if he had not been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English in past unreal conditional sentences.

Answer 2

if he would not have been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English in future unreal conditional sentences.

"if he had not been" vs "if he would not have been"

if he had not been

if he would not have been

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