if clause+subjunctive

7/28/2019 If Clause+Subjunctive

1/5

CONDITIONAL CLAUSE (IF CLAUSE)

e.g. If Canada were a tropical country, we would be able to grow pineapples in our backyards.If he were more generous, he would not have chased the canvassers away from his door.If the council members were interested in stopping street prostitution, they would urge the

police to pursue customers more vigorously than they pursue the prostitutes.

There are three kinds of conditional clauses: real (present form of the verb or any other logical

form) /improbable (soothing reasonably possible- past form of the verb) /impossible condition

(past perfect).

A. Type 1

MAIN CLAUSE IF CLAUSEFuture Simple Present Simple

e.g. If he comes quickly, well go to the cinema.Ill buy the house if I have money.I wont buy the house unless I have money.

Exceptions:

a. Willingnesse.g. Shall I shut the door? Yes, if you would.If youll wait a moment, he will come. (=if you dont mind waiting)

b. Insistencee.g. If youll misbehave you must accept the consequences. (=if you keep on misbehaving)

B. Type II

MAIN CLAUSE IF CLAUSEPresent Conditional Past Tense Simple (Present Subjunctive)

e.g. If he came we would go to the cinema.I wouldnt buy the house if I had the money.I wouldnt buy the house unless I had the money.

Exceptions:

a. Willingnesse.g. If you would agree to leave I would feel much happier.

b. Insistencee.g. If you would play pranks on me you deserve losing me. (=if you insist playing)


2/5

c. IF + SHOULD/WERE TO is used in if-clauses to point out that the action is not likely to

happen: If anyone should call while Im out, tell him to wait. (We can omit if by fronting

should : Should this happen./ Should anyone call)

e.g. If you should/were to meet him, tell him to call me.

Should you meet him, tell him to call me.Were you to meet him, tell him to call me. (=if by any chance you met him)

Other uses:

BUT FOR IF IT WERENT FOR WERE IT NOT FOR

+ NOUN

e.g. But for my help , you would be dead now.If it werent for my help , you would be in prison now.

Were it not for my help , you wouldnt be here now.

-IF can be replaced by provided/providing that, unless, so long as, on condition that,

supposing/suppose, assuming.

- There are some peripheral uses of if-clauses:

a. if I may say so/ if I may put it so

b. if you understand me

c. if you dont mind my saying so (your slip is showing)

d. if I may be quite frank with you (I dont approve to any concessions to ignorance)

e. if you know what I mean/ if you see what I mean/ if you know what Im referring to

f. if that the right word/if thats the word for it/ if thats the correct term

g. if I may phrase it figuratively/crudely

h. if you like

i. if I am correct

j. in case you dont know

k. if I understand you correctly

l. in case you dont remember/ if youve not forgotten already

m. rhetorical conditional clauses: If theyre French Im the Pope/ If you believe that,

youll believe anything.

C. TYPE III

MAIN CLAUSE IF CLAUSE Past Conditional Past Perfect Simple (Past Subjunctive)

e.g. If he had come we would have gone to the cinema.


3/5

Other uses:

BUT FOR IF IT HADNT BEEN FOR HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR

+ NOUN

e.g. But for my help you would have failed your exam.

D. Mixed Type II + III

MAIN CLAUSE IF CLAUSEPresent Conditional Past Perfect Simple (Past Subjunctive)

e.g. If you hadnt talked to me I would feel very sad today.

THE SYNTHETIC SUBJUNCTIVE

FORMS: 1. Present Subjunctive: WERE (=PastTense Simple)

2. Past Subjunctive: HAD BEEN (=PastPerfect Simple)

USES:

1. in IF Clause types 1 and 2

2. after the verb WISHe.g. Last night I felt very lonely. I wished you were with me. I wished you hadnt left yesterdaymorning.

NOTE! In Indirect Speech the Subjunctive doesnt follow the sequence of tenses.e.g. She said she wished you were there then.

3. WISH + Would when we do not really hope that the situation will changee.g. I wish Tom would stop drinking.

4. after AS IF and AS THOUGHe.g. He talks as if he were a lawyer. / He talked as though he had been there the night before.

5. after EVEN IF and EVEN THOUGHe.g. Even if I knew what happened I wouldnt tell you.

Even though I had known the truth I wouldnt have told you anything.

6. after Supposee.g. Suppose you met him, what would you do?

7. after its time/its about time/its high timee.g. Its time we left for school.

8. after IF ONLYe.g. If only he came in time.


4/5

9. after WOULD RATHERe.g. Id rather you stayed here. (different subjects) / Id rather stay here. (the same subject)

ANALYTIC SUBJUNCTIVE

FORMS: 1. Present Subjunctive:SHOULD + Indefinite Infinitive

e.g. His advice was that we should leave at once.2. Past Subjunctive:

SHOULD + PerfectInfinitive

e.g. It is strange that he should have said that.

USES:

1. after certain verbs of request: be anxious, be determined, insist, order, require,

recommend, command, advisee.g. He advised that we should lock the door. (the Subjunctive increases the distance)He advised us to lock . (the Infinitive is doesnt imply the distance)

2. after certain nouns of request: advicee.g. My advice is that he should stop.

3. after certain adjectives: essential, strange, old, unusual, ridiculous, fair, advisable,astonishing

e.g. Its better that he should hear it from you.

4. in purpose clauses after: so that, in order that, for fear, lest

I got up early so that Iin order that I

shouldcouldwouldmight

get there.

so that I should notwould notmight not

be late.

(=because it is possible that))in case I shouldfor fear I should

mightlest I Should

Other uses:

Suffice it to say/Come what may/Cost what it may/ Be that as it may, well stick to our

plan.

Be he who he may, he has no right here.

If that be true, I have nothing else to say.

Keep into mind:


5/5

Subjunctive I: Suppose I be chosen, what can I do?

Subjunctive II: Suppose I ere chosen, what could I do?

Subjunctive III: suppose I had been chosen, what could I have done?

if clause+subjunctive

Documents