Grammar Item: Konjunktiv II or Indikativ in a Polite Request
A B1 candidate writes in the language-in-use section: "Ich würde gern wissen, ob Sie mir helfen können." The task asks him to transform a direct request into a polite form. He also writes "Wenn ich Zeit hätte, komme ich morgen" in a separate item. The first sentence is correct; the second mixes Konjunktiv II in the subordinate clause with indicative in the main clause. The candidate says his teacher told him "würde" is always safer than real Konjunktiv forms. He has 8 minutes for 10 items and is unsure whether "hätte" or "habe" is expected.
1. Which item is correct and which is not, and why?
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Sentence 1 is correct: "würde gern wissen" plus "ob" clause is standard polite Konjunktiv II. Sentence 2 is inconsistent: an unreal condition needs Konjunktiv II in both clauses - "Wenn ich Zeit hätte, würde ich morgen kommen" or "käme ich morgen". Mixing "hätte" with "komme" signals a real condition, which contradicts the hypothetical frame. The teacher's rule of thumb is useful for politeness but not a licence to avoid agreement between clauses.
2. What decision rule should he apply under time pressure?
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Check the clause type first. For unreal conditions ("wenn" + hypothetical), both verbs take Konjunktiv II; for polite requests, "würde" plus infinitive is safe. For real conditions, indicative is correct. He should mark the verb in the subordinate clause, then match the main clause. With 8 minutes left, he should do the certain items first and flag uncertain ones, since a consistent error pattern costs more than one skipped item.