will/would

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Cool Breeze  #336344  Tue, 06 Mar 07 03:26 PM
 New2grammar wrote:
Cool Breeze, what you've said sounds logical but at the same time confusing to me. So you are saying the 'if' usage does not automatically make a sentence subjunctive? Can you give me a couple of examples in different contexts where 'if' is not subjunctive?

Hi New2grammar

I just saw these examples by Alienvoord in the Linguistics Discussion Forum:

If Hamlet was really written by Marlowe, as many have argued, then we have underestimated Marlowe’s genius.
If Kevin was out all day, then it makes sense that he couldn’t answer the phone.

Cheers
CB
  
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New2grammar  #336355  Tue, 06 Mar 07 04:27 PM

I think I have a better understanding now. Not all 'If' are subjunctive!

Just to make sure I got it right, is the following sentence correct?

If this hitman didn't kill him, I think another hitman would have shot him.

  
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pieanne  #336362  Tue, 06 Mar 07 05:26 PM

I think here it should be "if this hitman hadn't killed him"

However you could say "if this hitman didn't kill/hasn't killed him, then another one will"

  
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CalifJim  #336386  Tue, 06 Mar 07 07:07 PM
If you booked a FlexSaver fare, your flight will depart anytime within the specific time window you selected.
Nothing wrong here, in my opinion.  The use of the past in the if clause does not signal an unreal condition, so this does not use the "Conditional Type 2" pattern.  Everything here is taking place in real time.

Did you book a FlexSaver fare? (in the real past***)
If so, your flight will depart ... (in the real future)

***This is nothing like "If you were to book a FlexSaver fare (now)", which is the paraphrase of the hypothetical (unreal) reading of "If you booked a FlexSaver fare (now)".

Compare:

If you accidentally locked your keys in your car, you will have trouble getting into your car later.
If you selected the winning lotto numbers, you will receive the prize in the next lotto drawing.
If you planted the seeds correctly, you will see them sprout up in ten days.


Substitute would for will in any of these and you have a hypothetical statement about something that hasn't even happened yet, and may never happen.

CJ

P.S.  If the use of a past-point-of-view form (booked) with a present point-of-view form (will depart) bothers you, you can "fix" it by substituting the present perfect for the past:

If you
have booked a FlexSaver fare, your flight will depart ...

The same "fix" is possible for the three comparison examples I gave above.

CJ

  
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Anonymous  #360200  Fri, 04 May 07 01:57 PM
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Please follow up this ..thanks for sending the openings which closely matching with my current responsibilities.. I hope this time I would get a chance..
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is there any error in above stmt?
  
Clive  #360215  Fri, 04 May 07 02:26 PM

Hi,

Please follow up this ..thanks for sending the openings which closely matching with my current responsibilities.. I hope this time I would get a chance..
---------------------
is there any error in above stmt?
 
Please follow this up.
Thanks for sending the openings which closely match my current responsibilities. I hope this time I get a chance.
 
Best wishes, Clive
  
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