 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
63
Ingrid looks as if she has a bath every morning.
You sound as if you’ve got the whole world on your shoulders.
The subjunctive mood in complex sentences with adverbial clauses of condition
§ 85. Complex sentences may include conditional clauses expressing real condition and unreal condition. In
the first case the indicative mood is used, in the second the subjunctive. Both conditions may refer to the past,
present or future.
In sentences with real condition any form of the indicative may be used.
If she heard it, she gave no sign.
Why did he send us matches, If he knew there was no gas?
If I have offended you, I am very sorry.
You may go away if it bothers you.
Now it was serious. If I had laughed about it before, I wasn’t laughing now.
If he was lying, he was a good actor.
Since the majority of conditional clauses are introduced by if they are often called if-clauses. Other
conjunctions used to introduce conditional clauses are unless, in case, supposing (that), suppose (that),
providing (that), provided (that), on condition (that). Each of them expresses a conditional relation with a
certain shade of meaning, and their use is restricted either for semantic or stylistic reasons. Thus unless has a
negative meaning, although it is not identical with if not. Clauses introduced by unless indicate the only
condition which may prevent the realization of the action in the main clause. Unless can be rendered in Russian
by 'если только не'.
He is ruined unless he can get a million to pay off his debts.
The Russian conjunction with negation «если не» cannot be rendered by unless if the negation refers only to
the part of the compound predicate. In this case if not should be used.
Оденься теплее, если не хочешь заболеть.
Put on a warm coat, if you don’t want to catch cold.
The conjunction in case has a specific shade of meaning, combining condition and purpose and may be
translated into Russian as ‘на тот случай если'.
Take an umbrella in case if rains.
The conjunctions suppose (that) and supposing (that) retain their original meaning of supposition. The
conjunctions provided (that) and providing (that) imply that the supposed condition is favourable or desirable.
Suppose you get lost in the city, what will you do?
Providing (that) there is no opposition we will hold the meeting here.
These conjunctions may also introduce clauses of unreal condition.
In complex sentences containing an unreal condition the subjunctive mood is used in both the conditional
clause and in the principal clause, because the action expressed in the principal clause depends on the unreal
condition and cannot be realized either. The choice of forms depends on the time-reference of the actions.
1. If the unreal actions in both the if-clause and the main clause refer to the present or future the non-factual
past indefinite, or past continuous, or the past subjunctive is used in the subordinate clause and should/would +
non-perfect common or continuous infinitive in the main clause.
If I were a young man now, you wouldn’t be looking for a porter.
You wouldn’t be talking that way unless you were hurt.