Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Anton Shepelev:   
      
    AK>  Do you think it would be more logical if we use them vice   
    AK>  versa? ;=)   
      
    AS>  Since the apodosis is in the subjunctive ("would" is the   
    AS>  past tense of "will"), the protais must be in the past   
    AS>  tense ("used").   
      
    AK>  Hey, Ardith! ;-) After "if" I used a simple future time   
    AK>  -- why not?  I don't want to use the subjunctive mood in   
    AK>  both clauses.   
      
      
             FOWLER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE, of which I have the 1998 edition,   
   says the subjunctive mood is "most likely to be used in formal writing or   
   speech"... then goes on to say it's used after various conjunctions (including   
   "if").  The author concludes by adding that it's "seldom obligatory".   
      
             My idea of logic in this regard is to choose either the indicative   
   or the subjunctive mood, depending on the situation, and stick with it.    
   People do use both within the same sentence as you did at times, but I   
   wouldn't recommend it.  Other sources agree with Anton that the subjunctive   
   "would" is effectively in the past tense & that having decided to use it in   
   the main clause you should follow through in your subordinate clause.  The   
   wording of questions in English is complicated enough for those who aren't   
   native speakers of the language, and while I've always encouraged my students   
   to take a chance on structures they're unfamiliar with there are various ways   
   of saying what you want to say if you're not happy about using the subjunctive   
   mood twice within the same sentence.  :-)   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)