When do you think we’ll hear if we’ve won the Jones account?

[kadioguy]

[From a TOEIC test]

When do you think we’ll hear if we’ve won the Jones account?

(source)
---
a. When do you think we’ll hear if we’ve won the Jones account?
b. When do you think we’ll hear if we win the Jones account? (my version)

What is the difference in meaning between them? I assume that they practically mean the same. What do you think?

 

[emsr2d2]

Your version doesn't work. By the time they hear the good news, they'll have already won the account. The speaker is thinking ahead to a time when the account will have been awarded to someone.

 

[teechar]

They are both possible, but they mean different things.
"a" suggests that the awarding (winning) of the account has already been done, but the result has not been announced.
"b" suggests that the awarding (winning) of the account is yet to take place.