In Subjunctives^x, Conditionals^x

Actually, I've seen some texts use the term 'conditional mood'. Unfortunately, I can't remember if this was in grammars of English or in grammars of other languages. CJ

Taka, you're making a confusion here: There's the subjunctive mood, but there's no such mood as the conditional mood. Read G. Curme. However, some subjunctives are used in conditional constructions/sentences.

Hi Bokeh, 1. Imperfect subjunctive is OK with me if you want to use that term. Indefinite preterite is fine, too. Whatever the terminology, it seems to me that the question was whether saw in that sentence was acceptable to a traditionalist. 2. If I understand you correctly, you are...

Let's go back to the original sentence: 1. He thought his mother would understand why he was living in Japan only if she saw his life there with her own eyes. If we take this as a literal report, there are two possible "originals": 2. "My mother will understand why I am living in Japan...

Bokeh wrote: Goodman wrote: 2- I would go to the party with you only if you were to promise to leave by 10 o’clock. Goodman, your example #2 could be considered a hypothesis if the speaker were to believe that "you" would never promise such a thing; it all depends on his...

1 - If I were the president of this company, I would have given everyone a good raise. But I am not! So this is hypothetical. 2- I would go to the party with you only if you were to promise to leave by 10 o’clock. This one looks nearly structurally the same as the...

Taka, not all conditionals are subjunctive and I believe this may be where the confussion is arising. Hypothesis is a conditional that is subjunctive so to have correct concordance with the conditional and the subjunctive it needs to take the imperfect subjunctive form of the verb (the "were"...

Anonymous wrote:Here are a couple of sentences from the book (if you want to read more you will have to buy/borrow it):The only living use of the subjunctive in ordinary English is the use of were: in conditional subordinate clauses without a conjunction but with inversion: Were he to ask me...

Puzzled wrote:Isn't this just a plain old conditional 2 (imaginary)? 'Saw' is just what I used to know as imaginary pastNo. "Saw" is indicative. In the case of the past it is something that has already happened. The OP's sentence is a hypothosis; not something which has happened.

Hi, For clarity turn the sentence round as: If she saw his life there with her own eyes, his mother would understand .. Isn't this just a plain old conditional 2 (imaginary)? 'Saw' is just what I used to know as imaginary past - the next best thing in English to the subjunctive. Puzzled