Questions tagged [conditionals]
An independent clause that refers to a hypothetical situation contingent on another set of circumstance.
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Condtional sentences - present clause and future consequence VS future clause and future consequence [on hold]
Proposition 1: You run.
Proposition 2: You will run.
Proposition 3: I will jump.
Proposition 4: If Proposition 1 then Proposition 3.
Proposition 5: If Proposition 2 then Proposition 3.
In English ...
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In the First Conditional, what is more important, cause or time? [migrated]
In real life it happens that the cause happens later than the result. Would the grammar be up to the cause-result sequence or up to the time sequence? How should I form the first conditional?
I ...
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Conditional without IF?
Here’s a quotation from “The Green Mile” (movie version):
You make a promise to a man, you shake his hand.
To put it another way, I believe it could be: “When / if you make a promise to a man, ...
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1answer
38 views
Conditional: “…if he makes a wrong statement.”
The members of the opposition party in the parliament shout upon the minister if he makes a wrong statement.
According to me: if + simple present clause, + future clause.
So "The members of the ...
2
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1answer
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Constructions after “have to”
According to Murphy's English Grammar in Use you can use "have to" in all forms, and he offers an example in the past simple and another one in the present perfect tense. Hence, I was wondering if had ...
4
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3answers
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Even if / Even though
Even if/though we couldn't manage without their help, I wouldn't ask them
The correct answer is "Even if" because (as I understand) only 'even if' can be used in conditional sentences.
Even if we ...
0
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1answer
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Using will/will not after if
Most grammar rules state that will shouldn't be used after if.
Here is my sentence, I am wondering whether it is correct.
It may cause an exception if there won't be a valid character in the
...
2
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0answers
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Omitting will in “if-will-sentence” [duplicate]
My daughter is learning if-sentences in school right now.They learned that the rule for type I sentences is "if-clause: Simple Present, main clause: will-future or (Modal + infinitive)"
How does the ...
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3answers
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Can I replace “was” by “had been” here?
I have got two sentences and I want to know whether they make sense gramatically or not.
1) I would surely have crashed the car if I was driving at the time you called me.
2)I would surely have ...
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3answers
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Can I omit a subject in If-clauses?
I came across a sentence on Cambridge Dictionary. It says
If found guilty, he faces six months in jail.
They omitted "he is" right ?
And can I say
If (my computer is) broken , I will fix it.
...
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1answer
63 views
If you wish + comma?
Would you place a comma in the following sentence ?
"If you wish to confirm, please send us a deposit".
Thanks.
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1answer
121 views
Is ''If I knew, I would have told you" a correct use of conditionals
I was wondering if one could use if + past simple / would + have + past participle.
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1answer
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Second conditional
Should it be past tense all throughout when writing hypothetical sentences?
If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to people who were saying bad things about me.
If I could interview Angelina, I ...
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2answers
50 views
Present Unreal Conditional and speaking about present
I would like to ask, if the sentence below is grammatical and how can we understand this sentence:
If the car was sold in the last week, you wouldn't see this in the public database yet.
Also, can ...
3
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3answers
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What type of if-conditional is: “A shop offered us a reduction if we paid in cash.”?
What type of if-conditional is this sentence?
A shop offered us a reduction if we paid in cash.
As far as I know, the only right conditional sentences are these four:
Zero Conditional:
A shop ...
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0answers
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tough conditional
My friend told me that she wanted to do something interesting tonight but she is too tired. I replied:
what would you like to have done? if you werent so tired?
This seems incorrect to me. Am I ...
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1answer
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What is the meaning of the statement “Tigers and lions attack if they are hungry or threatened.”?
Does it mean:
1. If a tiger/lion is hungry or threatened, it certainly WILL attack.
or does it mean:
2. A tiger/lion will attack ONLY if it is hungry or threatened (and never otherwise).
I ...
4
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4answers
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Use of “may” or “might” and their inherent semantic difference
Under the American Heritage Dictionary's usage note for the verb "might" it says:
Usage Note: May or might? In many situations, the choice between these two verbs can be clarified by remembering ...
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1answer
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“was” as a past subjunctive
I'd like to know whether "was" should be treated as a subjunctive in the following:
a. If there were a 20-story office building without an elevator, those whose office was on the 18th floor would ...
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1answer
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Why does the author use ‘would’ in “I would kill him inchmeal just now”?
I am a sanguinary murderer of time, and would kill him inchmeal just now. But the snake is vital.
I'm confused because of "just now". Doesn't that mean 'a short while ago'? If so, why is there 'would'...
0
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1answer
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“as if” or “like” in this sentence?
I want to ask a question. In this sentence, should it be "as if" or "like"? It sounded wrong to me.
"You may not be doing what you feel as if you're called to do right
now."
or
"You may not ...
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1answer
27 views
Even after + present perfect vs present simple
I came across the following sentence posted at the city of Melbourne public transportation rules, referring to the duties of the transportation officers:
They can check your ticket and concession ...
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2answers
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What kind of conditional are these sentences?
If he really is my clone, he would never want that
If that’s the case, I would recommend the Capillary Caves to the west.
I've seen these sentences in an Anime called Gin Tama and I think they ...
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1answer
296 views
what is the correct use of “when vs If”?
Stop work and initiate emergency response when unplanned contact with a buried facility occurs. OR
Stop work and initiate emergency response if unplanned contact with a buried facility occurs.
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3answers
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Can I use “should” in this particular sentence?
You are feeling ill. I would stay at home if I were you.
Can I replace would with should? Like this:
You are feeling ill. I should stay at home if I were you.
It seems illogical to me; however I ...
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1answer
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A Strange Conditional: “I couldn’t have talked to her that day if I never talked to her again”
In The Great Gatsby, thus pens Fitzgerald:
‘However—I want to see you.’
‘I want to see you too.’
‘Suppose I don’t go to Southampton, and come into town this afternoon?’
‘No—I don’t think this ...
1
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1answer
111 views
If X or [if] Y - Should I extend conditional after “or”?
I have a message to write where the recipient may encounter two problems. It is currently written like this:
"If you are having problem X or if you are having problem Y please contact Z."
I'm not ...
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2answers
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condition actions in the future
I am having a problem defining the British English grammar used here.
The context is that I am chatting with my brother about taking my sister to see the sequel to a film and I do know if she has ...
3
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1answer
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Are there past and future equivalents of the “zero conditional”?
All English grammar coursebooks I have seen state that the Zero Conditional refers to something that is always true (and therefore is always certain) and has the form “Present Simple + Present Simple”....
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1answer
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What does the phrase “to be only able to do X for subset Y is unacceptable” mean?
What does the phrase “to be only able to do X for subset Y is unacceptable” mean?
Does it mean that the speaker is against doing X?
Or that they think effort should be made to expand X for other ...
0
votes
2answers
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Subjunctive mood and conditionals confusion
I know the type 2 conditional where you have to change thhe verb from the if clause to the simple past. However this sentence confuses me.
If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be enjoying the ...
2
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3answers
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conditional phrases
I am confused regarding conditional. I know, for example, if I say:
If he had not insulted me, I wouldn't have slapped him.
this means in reality, he insulted me and I slapped him, but if I am ...
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2answers
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Question about the main clause of conditionals [duplicate]
I know the four types of conditionals. In the if clause, I know that “if” could be replaced by “when” and “should”. On the other hand, I do not know if this would be possible with the main clause. Can ...
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1answer
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should you have (conditionals)
If you had wanted to cancel the reservation, you would not have gotten a full refund.
Should you have wanted to cancel the reservation, you would not have gotten a full refund.
I can't ...
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1answer
41 views
If this will… or if this would [duplicate]
Can someone tell me which is grammatically sound in this context -- would or will? I've looked through some of the responses to similar questions, but the explanations weren't too clear for a non-...
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1answer
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“would” as an auxiliary for present tense conditionals
Both of these sentences feel wrong to me:
if I am alone, I will go today
if I would be alone, I will go today
By looking up some rules, it seems that using would in the protasis is a common mistake,...
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1answer
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‘If’ conditional [closed]
If I lived in that house, I would be able to grow some plants in the big garden.
If I were living in that house, I would be able to grow some plants in that big garden.
The 2nd ‘If’ Conditional is ...
2
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1answer
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I would have felt that I was or were?
I'm not sure whether to use the past tense or the conditional in this construction below.
I found the answers to the exam, but I didn't look at them because I
would have felt that I was (or were?)...
2
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2answers
527 views
Limitations of 'unless' in remote conditionals
Regarding the use of unless in a remote conditional*, The Cambridge Grammar (p755) says:
Unless occurs in open conditionals and, less freely, remote ones:
[52]
...
iv I wouldn't ...
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3answers
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“if our photographer was” or “is” or “were”?
"Although you are more than welcome to take photos today, it would be appreciated if our photographer was/is/were given the best opportunity to photograph the happy couple."
Which one is correct, ...
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1answer
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Usage of 'if' in two sentences
'It may be wondered if the scope is too wide.'
'It may be wondered if the scope is not too wide.'
Do these two sentences mean the same thing?
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1answer
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Combined sentences, “not …, either … or …” v.s. “not …, neither … nor …”
Generally, given that there are two statements are true:
A is not O in X.
A is not O in Y.
Question: To combine the two sentences into one, should one say which of the following (?):
A is ...
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0answers
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The meaning of “were to” in the remote conditional
CGEL* (Page 753) says
[46] i a. #If it is to rain, I’ll cancel the show. b. If it were to rain, I’d cancel the show.
There is an idiomatic use of what we call ‘quasi-modal be’ that occurs only ...
2
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0answers
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Is the Subjunctive Mood always a conditional statement? [duplicate]
I had exam and they asked: I would go to the library every day, if I ____ you.
Options:
were
was
I came to know upon reading that question was in subjunctive mood. So, my question is
what is the ...
2
votes
3answers
169 views
Can the modal 'must' be used in the apodosis of a remote conditional?
CGEL* has this on page 149:
The open conditional is the default type, while remote conditionals have the following properties:
[3] i Subordinate clause: must contain a preterite (or irrealis ...
1
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1answer
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Can subject–auxiliary inversion in conditionals be used with non-auxiliary (arbitrary) verbs?
Can I say something like
Come you there, I'll get you.
?
Or should I only say something like
Should you come there, I'll get you.
?
I understand that it looks like I must use an auxiliary ...
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0answers
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Questions about “To hear him speak French, you would think he was French” [closed]
Question A
Is the sentence "To hear him speak French, you would think he was French" gramatical or marginal?
Question B
Do the sentence "To hear him speak French, you would think he was French" ...
1
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1answer
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“I wonder, if I pushed the top of her head, would aerosol spray out of her mouth.”
In Kathryn Stockett's The Help one of the main characters Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan speculates about mate's hair:
I wonder, if I pushed the top of her head, would aerosol spray out of her mouth.
...
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0answers
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a conditional sentence with “had + past participle” in both the apodosis and the protasis
In older texts one finds this construction, which one may be tempted to call the past conditional second form (after the example of le conditionnel passé deuxième forme):
If you had lied to me, I ...
3
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1answer
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“Whether or not…” vs. “whether… or not”
I'm confused with the placement of 'or not' with 'whether' in a sentence. E.g.
I'm not sure whether I should go or not.
I'm not sure whether or not I should go.
Whether you stay or ...
