Date sent:      	Fri, 02 Apr 1999 23:40:08 -0500
From:           	H C Fahey <hcfahey at ziplink.net>
Organization:   	Web Terrier
To:             	johnny at charm.net
Subject:        	Conditional sentences
Send reply to:  	johnny at charm.net



Potential subjunctive -> In subordinate clauses -> Subjunctive and
indicative in conditional sentences:

Practical condition, future time:
"When the action or state expressed in the condition seems of practical
importance to us, something which in the near or remote future will
concern us, hence something well within the domain of reality, we usually
employ the present indicative, which here, as so often elsewhere, has
future force; in the conclusion we use 'will' to express intention and the
future indicative to indicate a future result: If it rains, or is stormy,
I'll not go."

Or, as Mr. Green remarked to Mr. Fant: "If you do not remember yourself in
one week, I will be very concerned."

Practical condition, present and past time:
"Often also a present or a past state or act is of practical importance to
us.  Here we often employ in both condition and conclusion a present,
past, or present perfect indicative, thus for the time being recognizing
as a practical working basis the reality of state or act, but not finally
committing ourselves to this view: If he is doing this, he is in the
right.  If this is true, that is false.  If he did this, he did wrong."

Or, as Mr. Fant rejoined to Mr. Green: "If you did not remember yourself
in one week, I would be very concerned."

Theoretical condition:
"The time is always future.  The action or state seems less near to us,
seems to us of only theoretical nature with no prospect of our having to
deal with it practically, hence we employ here a past tense form of the
subjunctive, namely, 'should' to indicate that the situation is only
conceived, and in the conclusion we use the past subjunctive 'would' to
express intention and 'should' in the first person and 'would' in the
second and third person to indicate a future result: If it should rain
tomorrow, I wouldn't go.  If he should go away without speaking to me, I
should be grieved; but if I should go away without speaking to him, he
would be grieved."

Or, as I add: "If you should not remember yourself in one week, I would be
concerned."

Condition contrary to fact:
"In conditions contrary to fact, or unreal conditions, as they are often
called, we employ the simple past subjunctive in the condition and in the
conclusion use "would', 'should', 'could', 'might': If he were here, I
would speak to him."

Or, as Ms. Latham proposed: "Were you not to remember yourself in one
week, I would be concerned."

Grammatical assistance provided by George O. Curme, _English Grammar_ (New
York: Barnes & Noble Books, c1947), pages 245-247.

Helen Fahey
A77/78 ng