Search results for 'tag:Subjunctives tag:Conditionals' matching tags 'Subjunctives' and 'Conditionals'

Re: Unreal conditionals: was/were + infinitive

Huevos — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:58:57 GMT

lisadove
The past subjunctive is seldom used in Salvadoran Spanish

Since no other form of the subjunctive can be used in an if clause in Spanish, how do people in El Salvador hypothesize? Or maybe they don't, which, if true, means you won't need to bother to teach them how to hypothesize in English either.

Re: Unreal conditionals: was/were + infinitive

lisadove — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:59:53 GMT

Huevos
Well for Spanish speakers this doesn't need any explaining.

The past subjunctive is seldom used in Salvadoran Spanish and, as I said before, it's explaining why and under what circumstances it is used that is difficult.

Re: Unreal conditionals: was/were + infinitive

Huevos — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:20:34 GMT

Well for Spanish speakers this doesn't need any explaining. The "were" form in the if clause is equivalent to the past subjunctive in Spanish. Every Spanish speaker understands this difference.

I MADE AN EXERCISE BUT I'M NOT SURE WITH ANSWERS, CAN ANYONE CHECK IT?

lucaslucas — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:49:05 GMT

Structure reconstruction. ( dots mean that this part of sentence is not changed)

Reconstruct the following sentences (or pairs of sentences) in such a way that they are as similar as possible in meaning to the ones printed before them. Make all necessary alteraction. Use the info provided in the brackets.

1. Freda phoned Jack last night. (cleft sentence with emphasis on last night)

It was last night that Freda phoned Jack.

2. We didnât complain to the waiter about the food because we didnât want to embarrass our friends. (adverbial clause with so as)

We didn't ........... waiter so as not to embarass......

3. There are difficulties that must be surmounted before any agreement can be reached. ( non-finite clause)

There are difficulties to be surmounted.............

4. He didnât even phone to let me know he was not coming. This made me very angry. ( noun clause)

The fact that he didn't........ coming made me very angry.

5. We came within sight of Everest. Its summit has attracted so many climbers. ( relative clause)

We...... Everest, whose.....

6. The railway attendant assumes the train has been running too slow for the last 20 minutes. ( non-finite in passive structure)

this i just dont know how to change :/ maybe: That the train had been running too slow for the previous 20 minutes the railway attendant assumed.

7. A group of MPâs has advocated that the Government should set up a special commission of inquiry. ( gerundial structure)

A group.................Government setting up..........

8. He is to do the task. I recommend it. (subjunctive)

I recommend he to do the task.

9. Several people went to Paris this spring. None of them complained about the hotel. ( relative clause)

Several people, none of whom......hotel, went............spring

10. He tore open the letter and found a cheque for Å100 in it. (non-finite clause)

He .. letter finding..

11. What if you lose the ticket you have. Have you got enough money to buy another one? (suppose)

idk here but maybe: Suppose that you lose the ticket, have you got enough money to buy another one?

12. She is only crying because some soap went into her eye while her mother was washing her hair. ( passive voice)

here idk also but lets try: She was only crying because some soap went into her eye when her hair was being washed.

13. Penicillin was discovered in 1928. It helped to save many lives in World War II. (conditional- use but for)

i bet im wrong here: But for penicilin discovery in 1928 many lives would not have been saved in WWII.

14. We never thought he was that sort of fellow. (emphasis)

he i have serious doubts also: That he that sort of fellow was we never thought.

15. What a tasty cake this is! My neighbours commented. (reported speech)

My neighbours commented that what a tasty cake that was.

16. He lost two games early in the tournament. Despite this, however, he managed to carry off the championshim. ( co0ordinate relative clause)

He lost..tournament, despite which, however, he..

CAN YOU PLEASE CHECK MY ANSWERS?

can u guys help me with it? can you check my answers? please

lucaslucas — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:22:10 GMT

I tried to solve this lil test but i couldnt figure out all answers. Would you be so kind and help me with it? I have no answer key for it so I can't compare my answers with correct ones and im not sure of my answers :( I hope that u'll find some time to help :)

read the following text and cross out or circle unnecessary words. In each line there is one such word.

The prince of Walesâs determination to give up lunch for Lent shows out an admirable out

strength of good will, but is physiologically unsound. The metabolism of humans has has

evolved round so that we are omnivorous. It may sound unlikely, but we have a digestive round

system more closely related one to that of rats and pigs than carnivorous lions and one

wolves. People should have a hard hearty breakfast containing plenty of complex starches, hard

such as a porridge and cereals, together with some protein but not too much fat a

or highly refined sugar adding. Lunch is the safest meal in which to take the daily to?

allowance of fats and fruit juices. Most people need it to eat at midday because without it

sustenance at that short time even the most even-tempered can become difficult and even

demanding task. The balance is difficult â no lunch and the mood becomes vulnerable but the? ( idk which one, mayb e its not the :/)

too much heavy a lunch will induce deep somnolence a couple of hours later. When you 1st a

are starving as the metabolism slows down and the next meal is therefore treated by the as

body as though every other calorie could be life-saving and thatâs why fat is stored up. though

The old my advice to have a good, Followed in due course by light lunch and my

supper, is no better both for the psyche and physique than eating once a day like a tiger. no

Identify and correct mistakes. ( some sentences are correct , 5 if i remember well )

He a)warned us b)not to go on feet across the park alone c)as people d)had been

mugged there. b- by foot

It a)must be used in b)a well-ventilated room. C) Used otherwise it d)could be harmful. b- just cross out a

3. Warships also served as cargo a)ship until b)the 1600âs when they c)took on a d)more specialized military role. a- ships

4. The works a)of Thomas Eakins, an American b)realist of the 1800âs were notable for c)its vitality and painstaking detail. correct?

5. Princess Diana a)would have liked to b)have been there but she c)wasnât able to come d)to Windsor. corect?

6. a)A mecca for b)nature watchers, this bay contains a c)two-miles stretch of beach literally d)covered in animals and birds. c- two-mile

7. When a client a)approaches the company, whether he b)be a King or an ordinary member of the public, the c)companyâs team of designers d)sets to work. b- is

8. a)Fearing that the police b)wouldnât recognize him he never c)went out d)in daylight. b- would

9. a)Not knowing the language and b)having not friends in the town, he c)found it hard to give up d)work

b- not having

10. The day a) being fine b)Tom and I decided c)to go d)swimming.

correct?

11. He was a)arousing b)by the crash and c)client d)to his feet. a- aroused

12. a)Having bitten twice, the postman refused b)to deliver our letters c)unless we chained our dog d)up

a- having been bitten

13. You donât care a)about science fiction, b)do you? c)Oh yes, I like d)it.

correct?

14. The kidnappers a)threatened him b)to kill his daughter if he c)didnât pay the ransom d)at once.

a- threatened( just w/o him)

15. I said that if he a)could lend me b)the money I c)neednât go to d)the bank.

correct?

Structure reconstruction. ( dots mean that this part of sentence is not changed)

Freda phoned Jack last night. (cleft sentence with emphasis on last nigh)

It was last night that Freda phoned Jack.

We didnât complain to the waiter about the food because we didnât want to embarrass our friends. (adverbial clause with so as)

We.........food so as not to embarass............

3. There are difficulties that must be surmounted before any agreement can be reached. ( non-finite clause)

There are difficulties to be surmounted.............

He didnât even phone to let me know he was not coming. This made me very angry. ( noun clause)

The fact that he didn't........ coming made me very angry.

We came within sight of Everest. Its summit has attracted so many climbers. ( relative clause)

We...... Everest, whose.....

The railway attendant assumes the train has been running too slow for the last 20 minutes. ( non-finite in passive structure)

this i just dont know how to change :/ maybe: That the train had been running too slow for the previous 20 minutes the railway attendant assumed.

A group of MPâs has advocated that the Government should set up a special commission of inquiry. ( gerundial structure)

A group.................Government setting up..........

He is to do the task. I recommend it. (subjunctive)

I recommend he to do the task.

Several people went to Paris this spring. None of them complained about the hotel. ( relative clause)

Several people, none of whom......hotel, went............spring

10. He tore open the letter and found a cheque for Å100 in it. (non0finite clause)

He ..... letter finding.....

11. What if you lose the ticket you have. Have you got enough money to buy another one? (suppose)

idk here but maybe: Suppose that you lose the ticket, have you got enough money to buy another one?

12. She is only crying because some soap went into her eye while her mother was washing her hair. ( passive voice)

here idk also but lets try: She was only crying because some soap went into her eye when her hair was being washed.

13. Penicillin was discovered in 1928. It helped to save many lives in World War II. (conditional- use but for)

i bet im wrong here: But for penicilin discovery in 1928 many lives would not have been saved in WWII.

14. We never thought he was that sort of fellow. (emphasis)

he i have serious doubts also: That he that sort of fellow was we never thought.

What a tasty cake this is! My neighbours commented. (reported speech)

My neighbours commented that what a tasty cake that was.

He lost two games early in the tournament. Despite this, however, he managed to carry off the championshim. ( co0ordinate relative clause)

He lost.........tournament, despite which, however, he.............

Transformations. Rewrite each sentence starting as shown so that the meaning stays the same. Beginnings are provided.

Oliver asked Jenny why she hadnât taken part in the race the previsions day.

âWhyâ¦..haven't you taken part in the race yesterday â Oliver asked Jenny.

But for Helen, the play would be a flep.

Wereâ¦.The play be a flop if not Helen.

We still donât know what has happened to all the missing passengers.

We still have not accountedâ¦what to all the missing passengers has happened.

âShall I carry that bag for you, John?â said Paul.

Paulineâ¦.asked John if he should carry that bag for her.

It is not always easy to overcome difficulties.

Toâ¦overcome difficulties is not always easy

Lobster is a new experience for me.

Itâs the firstâ¦time I have a lobster.

Mary spends all her money on sweets, which is unwise.

Itâs â¦.unwise for Mary to spend all her money on sweets.

Although he studied hard, he failed the exam.

In spiteâ¦of his studying hard, he failed the exam.

We little understand the problem he has had.

Littleâ¦did we understand the problem he has had.

He always cheats in examinations which is dishonest.

Howâ¦he always cheats on examinations is dishonest.

Although it is sunny today, it may still rain tomorrow.

Sunnyâ¦as today is it may still rain tomorrow.

I met Mary as soon as I left home.

I had no soonerâ¦left home than I met mary.

His words may be sincere. However, I donât think he is telling whole truth.

Hovewerâ¦sincere his words may be, i don't think....

Her leg hurt so much that she fainted.

Suchâ¦did her leg hurt that she fainted.

You mustnât let strangers in when you are alone.

On noâ¦account must you let strangers when you are alone.

A single could appeared in the sky.

Inâ¦the sky should a single appear.

If you tell her my secret, Ill never speak to you again.

Tellâ¦her my secret and I'll never speak to you again.

The house is too big for me to live there on my own.

It is tooâ¦.big a house to live on my own.

Although I tried very hard I couldnât make them see my point of view.

No matterâ¦.how hard did i try I couldn't make them see my point of view.

I Believed you were the murderer because of this clue.

This clue ledâ¦..me to the believing that you were the murderer.

Joe doesnât like it when people treat him like a child.

Joe resentsâ¦ being treated like a child.

I wish I hadnât heard that.

Iâd rather youâ¦..did not say that.

May the President live a long time.

Longâ¦live the president

The Inspector Collins said they believed John was living in Malta at that time.

here idk the beggining because of poor copy, coz i mentioned before that Ive retyped all on my laptop, but i think it should start from John.... is believed to live in Malta at that time. i bet I messed sth up.

Re: Long questions on conditional sentences

Marius Hancu — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:51:08 GMT

1. If I was baptized the right way, God would be gracious. -- I think this shoud be the subjunctive because I sense unreality (or hypotherical) in the sentence, thus shoud be: If I were baptized ... [Yes but only if the context is present time. In this case, was is the informal version, were the formal one. If past time, see 2. We can't tell without context the time.

2. If I was restless during the service, she would give me something to eat. -- I think this is OK as a backshift of the first conditional [Yes, would shows usual/repetitive behavior in the past here

3. This is clearly present time, because of -- which I am not --. [See 1.

Long questions on conditional sentences

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:30:36 GMT

Hi,
1.How are they different? I think the first one is mixed conditional and the second one is a third conditional sentence. Both seem to contain the notion of unreality (hypothetical?) to the unlikely past actions
1.I were rich, I would have bought the house when it was on sale.
2. If I had been rich, I would have bought the house when it was on sale.

2. How would I know if any of these need to be second condtional (subjunctive??) sentences?

I got these sentence bits from the Google book search (I hope I type them right) :
1. If I was baptized the right way, God would be gracious. -- I think this shoud be the subjunctive because I sense unreality (or hypotherical) in the sentence, thus shoud be: If I were baptized ...
2. If I was restless during the service, she would give me something to eat. -- I think this is OK as a backshift of the first conditional, but as I think what CalifJim has said (might have said?) (according my unreliable vague recollection), most of the times, people would write this kind of structural sentence like "If I were restless during the service, she would give me something to eat.
3. If I was at all curious -- which I am not -- I might askyou what you you're doing in such a house -- Ditto as no. 2's argument: I think most likely people would have written: If I were at all curious -- which I am not -- I might ask you what you're doing in such a house."

Re: Using the past to refer to future

Mr Wordy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:56:04 GMT

I am not the world's greatest expert on the technical analysis of conditional statements, but FWIW here are my thoughts.

"Were" here is not the past tense, if that's what your message title is referring to. It's a subjunctive.

1) ... are you planning to go to *** Museum with your friends? -- Fine.

2) ... were you planning to go to *** Museum with your friends? -- Fine; more cautious/polite/uncertain.

3) If you are going to *** Museum tomorrow... -- Fine.

4) If you were going to *** Museum tomorrow... -- Doesn't sound quite right to me. My guess as to why this is so when #2 sounds OK is that "planning to go" shifts us into the present, near present, or even past, while "going" here is definitely referring to the future (but this has nothing to do with "were" being the past tense; here it's not). Thus, "What would you do if you were going to the shops and suddenly..." seems OK because "going" is now just timeless hypothetical rather than future. If I wanted to use subjunctive "were" with a future sense of "going" then I would say "If you were to go to *** Museum tomorrow..."

Re: "If I were" in past

Marius Hancu — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:24:34 GMT

Huevos
Philip
I can't speak for the UK, but this would not likely be heard in the US.
Hi Philip,
I know it is unusual which is why I also posted the default form, but my understanding was the OP was specifically asking for the "were" form of a type III conditional. I just tried a search of "were to have been" on Gutenberg.org and it turned up more than 100 books.

Yes, but what do they mean? In many of them:

---------

Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 6, by Thomas Moore

... two of them officers of our brigade, in consequence of which cards were exchanged, and two duels were to have been fought the next morning. ...

---------

they mean: were scheduled/meant to take place the next morning

This is indicative, not subjunctive.

For past time, in the original context, I suggest the had version.

**If I were to have been stronger I would have taken part. [this is strange to me.

Re: was or were

Mister Micawber — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:41:06 GMT

.
If I were there, I would buy that for you.

Use the subjunctive form here in this conditional sentence, which states a condition contrary to fact (the fact is, you are not there).
.