Conditional Sentences and ‘Subjunctive’ Mood

Conditional Sentences These are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled (with if). With ‘if’, we can use ‘would’ and the past tense to ‘distance’ our language from reality, when we talk about present or future unreal situations. It is mainly used to express real situations with factual implications, or hypothetical situations and their consequences. There are 4 types of conditional clauses

Zero Conditional First Conditional Second Conditional Third Conditional Used for present, real situations Form: Present simple + present simple Used for future, real situations It is possible & also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled Form: Present simple + future with will Used for present, unreal situation It is possible, but very unlikely that the condition will be fulfilled Form: Past simple + future with would Used for past, unreal situations. It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled, due to reference to the past Form: Past perfect + future perfect (would+have+pp)

Subjunctive Mood I was a … You were a … He was a … We were a … They were a … If I were a … If you were a … If he were a … If we were a … If they were a … The subjunctive mood is used in “if clauses” with the verb ‘to be’. It’s used to express something contrary to fact, such as a wish, a suggestion, a command, or a condition.

Etymological Connections We compared conditional sentences and the subjunctive mood to German and French, because English is a Germanic language heavily influenced by French. If conditional sentences and the subjunctive mood were adopted from another language, it was most likely that they were adopted from German or French.

French The conditional sentences are more or less the same in French. They have First Conditional through to Third Conditional, just like we do. They also Zero Conditional, although it’s not counted as a type of conditional. I was a butterfly.  J’étais un papillon. If I were a butterfly.  Si j’étais un papillon. In the English, the verb form changes from ‘was’ to ‘were’. In the French, the ‘étais’ remains the same.

German Subjunctive Conditional In German, the subjunctive mood comes in 2 varieties. The subjunctive I (present subjunctive) and subjunctive II (past subjunctive). Subjunctive I is mostly used when someone has told you something that may or may not be true. Subjunctive II is mostly used to express uncertainty, doubt or a contrary to reality. The conditional tense is used for the same purpose in German. It is used to talk about things which might happen, but are not certain. This usually uses the verb ‘would’ (‘werden’) Form: A pronoun/noun + conditional form of werden (würden) + an infinitive (which goes at the end of the sentence) ‘Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, würde ich Tennis spielen’ 'If I had more time, I would play tennis'

Task: First: put the sentences below into the correct verb forms Second: Identify which conditional clause it is 1) If we (have) red curtains, the kitchen (look) better 2) If Andy (not get) the job, it (be) a pity 3) If you (use) a computer, it (be) quicker 4) I (show) you the cellar, If I (have) the keys. 5) If you (need) to buy a picture frame, where (you go)? 6) If I (be) rich, I (buy) that Ferrari we saw yesterday Second Task: Identify which sentences should be in the subjunctive mood, and then put them into it. (If you are unsure of the tense, make it present tense.) If I (be) you, I wouldn’t do that Monsters would be real if science (be) more advanced If you (be) to study English, we would be in your class I (be) a pirate in a past life (Be) the government corrupt?