Conditional Sentences The meaning of Conditional Sentences Conditionals

Conditional Sentences The meaning of Conditional Sentences

Conditionals Factual Future (predictive) 1. Timeless • Generic • Habitual 2. Time-bound • Implicit inference • Explicit inference 1. Strong condition and result 2. Degrees of weakened condition or result Imaginative (Subjunctive) 1. Hypothetical • Present • Future 2. Counterfactual • Present • Past

Factual Conditional Sentences Ø Generic Factual Conditionals l Relationships that are true and unchanging • If oil is mixed with water, it floats. • If you boil water, it vaporizes. l l Normally take a simple present tense in both clauses. Especially frequent in scientific writing.

Factual Conditional Sentences Ø Habitual Factual Conditionals l l Relationship based on habit; Past or present relationships that are habitually true. • If I wash the dishes, Sally dries them. • If Nancy said, “Jump!” Bob jumped. l l Both clauses usually have the same tense Frequent in conversation.

Factual Conditional Sentences Ø Implicit inference conditionals l l Specific time-bound relationships. Much wider range of verb tenses. • • If smog can be licked in L. A. , it can be licked anywhere. If the radicals haven’t made the government more responsive, they have wasted their time. • If there was a happy man in the world that night, it was John Tunney. l l Both clauses usually have the same tense “When(ever)” cannot substitute for “if”.

Factual Conditional Sentences Ø Explicit inference conditionals l l Specific time-bound relationships. Marked with modals. • If he was there, he must have seen the painting. l l Usually makes use of “must” or “should”. “When(ever)” cannot substitute for “if”.

Future Conditional Sentences Ø Strong Condition or Result l l Future plans or contingencies; Normal pattern is simple present tense in the if clause and some explicit indication of future time in the result clause. • If it rains, I’ll stay home. • If you finish your vegetables, I’m going to buy you an ice cream cone. • If Steve comes to class, he will get the answers to the quiz.

Future Conditional Sentences Ø Degrees of Weakened Conditional or Result l Prediction scale – Result Clause: • • l will, be going to = should = may = might = certain (strong result) probable possible (stronger than might) possible (weaker than may) To weaken the condition clause: • should; happens to; should happen to

Imaginative Conditional Sentences Ø Hypothetical Conditionals l l Express what the speaker perceives to be unlikely yet possible events or states in the if clause; Can refer to the future as well as the present • If Joe had the time, he would go to Mexico. (Present) • If Joe were to have the time, he would go to Mexico. (Future) l The if clause is not strongly negated.

Imaginative Conditional Sentences Ø Hypothetical Conditionals l The negative quality of the if clause can be even further weakened so that the possibility of the result occurring becomes stronger: • • • If Joe should have the time, he would go to Mexico. If Joe happened to have the time, he would go. . . If Joe should happen to have the time, he would go. . .

Imaginative Conditional Sentences Ø Hypothetical Conditionals l Sometimes, the difference between using a future conditional and a hypothetical conditional is a matter of speaker choice: • If it rains, I’ll stay home. (Future) • If it were to rain, I would stay home. (Hypothetical)

Imaginative Conditional Sentences Ø Counterfactual Conditionals l l Express impossible events or states in the if clause Reference to the present or past • If my grandfather were alive today, he would experience a very different world. (Present) • If my grandfather had been alive in 1996, he would have been 100 years old. (Past) l The if clause is strongly negated.