Difference between revisions of "WS:conditionals"
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<li>The first conditional | <li>The first conditional | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li><b>semantics</b>: future | + | <li><b>semantics</b>: possible future events / logical consequence </li> |
<li><b>syntax</b>: <span style="color:darkblue;">Ø, can, will, may, shall</span> <span style="color:darkred;">V</span></li> | <li><b>syntax</b>: <span style="color:darkblue;">Ø, can, will, may, shall</span> <span style="color:darkred;">V</span></li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</li> | </li> | ||
| − | <li>The second conditional | + | <li>The second conditional |
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><b>semantics</b>: remotely possible events or unrealized states (<i>irrealis</i>) / logical consequence </li> | ||
| + | <li><b>syntax</b>: <span style="color:green;">d</span>, <span style="color:darkblue;">could, would, should, might</span> <span style="color:darkred;">V</span></li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
| + | </li> | ||
<li>The third conditional = primarily <span style="color:green;">də</span>, <span style="color:darkblue;">coulda', woulda', shoulda'</span> (and <span style="color:darkblue;">mighta'</span>) <span style="color:darkred;">V</span>ed </li> | <li>The third conditional = primarily <span style="color:green;">də</span>, <span style="color:darkblue;">coulda', woulda', shoulda'</span> (and <span style="color:darkblue;">mighta'</span>) <span style="color:darkred;">V</span>ed </li> | ||
Revision as of 21:57, 17 April 2013
In general, the standard EFL grammars have divided the conditional mode in English into 3 types on the basis of both syntax and semantics:
(It was not simply done to encourage students to learn the ordinals from 1st-3rd :)
Quickly, in the part of the sentence that does not include the condition (which is often introduced by if), the following modals are frequently found
- The first conditional
- semantics: possible future events / logical consequence
- syntax: Ø, can, will, may, shall V
- The second conditional
- semantics: remotely possible events or unrealized states (irrealis) / logical consequence
- syntax: d, could, would, should, might V
- The third conditional = primarily də, coulda', woulda', shoulda' (and mighta') Ved
The first conditional
- If we finish in time, we can go to the 7:30pm showing.
- If she's flying in late Monday, she may want us to start later on Tuesday morning, so she can recover from jet lag.
- If I have my daughter, I Ø leave work early to pick her up from the airport. (general truth)
- If he has his daughter, he Ø leaves work early to pick her up from the airport. (general rule: note that the -s is added to the verb as there is no modal auxiliary)
- If I have my daughter Friday evening, I will (have to) leave work early to pick her up. (more specific)
- If I have my daughter Friday evening, I may ask for Friday afternoon off so I can go shopping and clean the house.
