Questions tagged [conditionals]
An independent clause that refers to a hypothetical situation contingent on another set of circumstance.
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Subjunctive vs. indicative with conditionals
I was reading this topic from March 2014 and thought Charles’s answer was great until I got to the following part:
The letter claimed exactly the same as the first, namely that if his letter wasn't ...
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1answer
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What is the conditional in the following? [closed]
If I could speak Spanish, I could have got a job'
Is the above sentence a conditional? If yes, which conditional(s)?
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1answer
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Can you use “if past, then past”?
Is it possible to use the past simple in the result-clause of the 2nd conditional?
Is it possible to say:
If I had enough money, I bought a car.
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If + have + past particle, …may have + past participle [migrated]
Please consider:
If you have ever been woken up before sunrise by the trilling and chirping of birds outside your window, you may have wondered: why do birds sing so loud, so early in the morning?
I ...
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1answer
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Is there a name for this format - '5:number :: k: ? '?
Is there a name for this format - 5:number :: k: ? ?
The question mark in the above poses a question. The answer is supposed to be found out by looking the relation of previous pair. In this case ...
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3answers
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Can “would” be used in a conditional like this?
I know there's a multitude of similar questions, but I just can't find one that clearly applies to my problem. The sentence I'm struggling with deals with an obligation and sounds similar to this.
...
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Do I use ''becomes'' or ''became'' here?
I have a sentence which I'm not quite sure is right:
The certificate became invalid when the commitments contained in the
agreement are not fulfilled.
I got confused a little. Shouldn't the word &...
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0answers
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What is the difference between “when we are” and “when we will be”? [migrated]
Please help me understand the difference between these two statements.
I hope we can all celebrate when we are back in office.
I hope we can all celebrate when we will be back in office.
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2answers
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'If she would have studied hard" [closed]
I wonder how this sentence sounds. Does it sound absurd or could it be used in some situations?
In other words, is it possible to make a correct sentence with this phrase 'if she would have studied ...
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0answers
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How to handle conditional clauses where it’s unknown whether the protasis’s condition actually got fulfilled or not? [migrated]
I have a question regarding conditional sentences,
as far I know the “third conditional” is used whne
we’re talking about a condition from the past that never
actually happened after ...
2
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1answer
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Does “So as long as” mean the same as “Just as long as” in this sentence?
I have a question regarding a sentence in this Meta post:
Votes reversed by the detection script can be re-cast by the user at a later time, so long as the user does not again engage in serial voting ...
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1answer
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If+Past Perfect + would + base form or … + base form of 'be' (+ verb + ing)? Mixed conditional!
I know the structure of the mixed conditional, when past event has a result in a present situation - If+Past Perfect + would + base form. But all the example sentences I find are using the base form ...
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1answer
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Subjunctive Mood with the Type 3 Conditional or “could with the perfect infinitive” expressing ability, theoretical possibility, etc. in the past
From NBC news’s ‘Breakthrough finding’ reveals why certain Covid-19 patients die:
"Before Covid, their condition was silent," Bastard said. "Most of them hadn't gotten sick before.&...
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1answer
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Comma preceding subordinate clause in the middle of independent clause
I have a case of nested subordinate clauses that are, in addition, separated by a modifying adverb (namely) to help structure the sentence:
Note that we adopt the same stance as [authors] concerning [...
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1answer
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choosing tense in the If-clause of a mixed conditional
Suppose A, B and C plan to meet at a place. A and B reach the place in time. C calls one of them to say that he'll be late, because he left just five minutes ago.
A to B:
A: If he had left at least ...
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2answers
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Do people in Britain use this structure nowdays? Or is it considered archaic there? [closed]
I found it on one website about If I were/If I was usage, and I'm not sure it's common:
If I had been a boy, I would have happily roamed outside all night.
“if I had been” talks about a particular ...
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2answers
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The “Polite” Conditional?
If you see him, would you say hello?
Would you get us some coffee if they have any?
Are these questions, in which the “polite” would is used, conditionals of the first or “mixed” type? Are they, in ...
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1answer
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“In cases where” vs. “If”
Garner's Modern English Usage (2016), p. 147:
H.W. Fowler wrote of case: "There is perhaps no single word so freely resorted to as a trouble-saver, and consequently responsible for so much ...
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0answers
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More deeply into conditonials between hypothetical and indicative, featuring backshifing
After thinking this or that ways, finally I have been confronted to this question: Could there be the sentences which have 2nd conditonals structure form only(If S did ~, S would V ~~) and which was ...
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1answer
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Can 2nd conditionals (unreal) have a guessing of the past situation (real)?
Sentences (1) and (2) have the form of 2nd conditional, which is unreal at the time of utterance (In this text, the time is past, which is natural in grammar and usage in my intuition). However, some ...
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2answers
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Consecutio modorum: Do “that” clauses follow an irreal subjunctive in the parent clause?
Does English have a “sequence of moods” rule? Should the blanks be filled in by was or were?
If we knew that it ___ raining, we would also know that the
street ___ wet.
That is, are the irreal ...
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1answer
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Mixed conditional sentence with type 1 [closed]
Assumming that tommorrow my friend will take a examination, but he didn't study anything, so it's too late for him now, he is doomed for sure :). Is it grammatically correct if I say to my friend:
If ...
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1answer
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First Conditional sentence with would
Grammatically, when we construct a first conditional sentence, the if-clause is followed by a result clause with a "will" in it. However, in many formal texts written by native English ...
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1answer
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Can “If” mean “since”?
Here's my example: "If we all agree on the basic terms, can we do a proper agreement next week."
Can this be construed (in the proper context) as: "Since we all agree, can we etc."?...
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1answer
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“Would” in subordinate clauses after wish-constructions
I'm reading about the correct usage of wish-constructions, and my English grammar book says:"Would + infinitive may be found in the subordinate clause only if the subjects in the clauses are ...
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1answer
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Using if-sentences for events that happened recently
I was surfing the web when I came across the first if-sentence structure being used to describe a recent event.
For example: 2 people are talking, person A says:
If you do that, of course he'll get ...
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1answer
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“Even if” at the start of a negative sentence [closed]
I saw this msg on wishesmsg where it was written-
You two proved that even if life’s not perfect as a movie, having a loving partner is every trouble worthy.
I am not sure if this makes any sense. ...
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1answer
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Is 'would have' always the third conditional?
a. No Stone Age ten-year-old would have been living on tender foods like modern potato chips, hamburgers, and pasta. Their meals would have required far more chewing than is ever demanded of a modern ...
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0answers
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confused by two conditional statements
how are you doing?
I know the following two employ different types of conditional, but, for me, the two seem almost exactly the same in their meaning, regardless of the conditional structure. Could ...
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1answer
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What conditional type is “We could go into it if that's necessary.” ? That seems to be not fitting any of them [closed]
Is that a mixed or a mistake or just an informal way to say something? Or may be it's just the 1st with a polite "could" instead of "will"?
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1answer
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What's the difference between these two sentences
I came across the following sentence:
If she were to leave earlier she would make it to the train.
Does that mean the same as
If she leaves earlier she will make it to the train.
I do not ...
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2answers
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Would it be okay to use “would be” in if-clause?
Is it gramatically correct or not to include "would be" in the if-clause.
Your physician may recommend you to be evaluated if you would potentially be a candidate for this vaccine.
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2answers
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Omitting pronouns in conditional clauses
I have a dispute with an acquaintance over this sentence:
If [you're] looking for aliases that will be displayed in the help message, see the link above.
("you're" is omitted)
I'm pretty ...
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0answers
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Usage of the modal SHOULD in clauses of condition
In my grammar it says in clauses of condition should is used to express a supposition that may not be true. For example,
1.If it should rain, they will not come.
2.If he should see me here, he will be ...
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Question regarding conditional sentences
" If you are coming to the races, bring that pretty mermaid of yours"
I wonder if someone could tell me the type of conditional sentence was used in the above-mentioned example?
Present ...
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Tense Consistency and Conditional Verb tense
I had just told someone that someone couldn't join our study group because he didn't have a good enough foundation.
As a reply, someone wished to say, "If he joins / joined our study group, he ...
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1answer
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third conditional & perfect past
I know in order to have perfect past we must have a simple past too.
but in conditional type 3. I cannot see any simple past.
"If she had gone to university, she would have found a really good ...
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1answer
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Can a conditional sentence contain more than one “if”?
For example, is the following sentence correct?
If you have 100 books, how many can you give away if you want to keep at least 20 of them?
I'd appreciate it if you could provide links where I can ...
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1answer
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Changing clause of condition to absolute phrase and participle w
1a. When I have money I will buy a car.
2a. If my parents allow I'll go abroad.
Can these sentence be changed into a absolute participle phrase? For example
1b. Having money, I'll buy a car.
2b. ...
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0answers
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Where are commas used with multiple if conditions that precede a statement (i.e. If [A] and if [B] then [C])?
E.g.
If it rains tommorow, and if I don't have an umbrella, I will get wet.
Or
If it rains tommorow and if I don't have an umbrella, I will get wet.
Which of these two is correct from a ...
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0answers
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counterfactual if-clause and gerund
It appears that counterfactual if-clauses can modify gerunds, as the following demonstrates:
A: What would you do if you were a billionaire?
B: I would buy a caslte. Buying a medieval building if I ...
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0answers
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Can we use “I wish I saw” for a past situation?
In the series F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Joey makes a pass at Rachel because, according to himself, he saw Rachel first. When Rachel rejects and convinces Joey that this would be a mistake, Joey says,
"Yeah ...
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1answer
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asyndeton in speech
If I said, "This business deal will be a success a victory a triumph if we are able to secure the contract."
Is it clear that the "if" clause applies to "This business deal ...
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2answers
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conditional phrases and series
If I said, "I will buy a designer handbag, Belgian chocolate, and a diamond ring if I get promoted."
Does the phrase "if I get promoted" apply only to the diamond ring? Why or why ...
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3answers
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poetic license or incorrect mixed conditional
Recently, I have been reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and encountered the following boldfaced sentence:
Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? It was a bold question, ...
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1answer
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a question about past conditional clauses
I was wondering all the time, how I can express just 'past' with 'if' in English?
And finally I found one sentence,
if you watched and listened to the previous podcast, you'll find that our favorite ...
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0answers
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commas and asyndeton
If I write, "Destroying forests is a heinous action, a cruel tragedy if trees are cut for paper.
Does the "if" statement correspond to "a cruel tragedy" only or both "a ...
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3answers
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Is there a tendency among native speakers of English not to use “past perfect” for past conditional sentences? Perhaps they consider it “too correct”?
I often see in movies that the people engaged in a dialogue use the past simple tense in a conditional situation where the correct tense seems to be the past perfect. Is this because the past prefect ...
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1answer
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Is it grammatically possible to change the result clause in a conditional sentence to a participle clause? [closed]
Please consider the sentence below:
Parents have the same role in doing the household chores if both of them work.
Now I turn the first part into a participle clause while adding another sentence ...
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0answers
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Which tense to use with if clause
I need to describe what a thing does. I have the following expression:
It deletes photos from the Favorites database if the user didn't undo "Remove all" action.
Is it correct? Should I use ...
