E.g. Ifyou werenot so indifferent to him you would have noticed

that there was something happening to him.
You must remember if Mr Reed hadn't taken me out of the
drawing office, I should be there now getting two pounds a
week.

§ 149. Sentences of unreal condition referring to the future
may be of four types: ^l

1) The first type has already been described: the Past Indefi-
nite is used in the if-clause and the Present Conditional Mood in
the principal clause.

e.g. Half of the people would distrust you if you went away at

such a moment.

If we allowed him to go on with his experiments we would
never have any peace.

¹ Conditional sentences referring to the future, no matter what forms of the verb
are used in them, are always hypothetical, because one can never be sure of the actual
course of events in the future. But these future actions may be represented differently
by the speaker: either as an actual fact (when the Indicative Mood is used) or as
actions contradicting reality or problematic actions (see § 149).

The action is represented in such sentences as contradicting
reality — the speaker does not believe that it can be realized in
the future.

2) As the above type of conditional sentences may refer to both
the present and the future, there is a strong tendency in English
to use another type which is unambiguous, in order to show that
the action refers only to the future and not to the present.

In this type of conditional sentences we find the form were of
the modal verb to be to followed by an infinitive in the if-clause.
In the principal clause the Conditional Mood is used.

e.g. Mother would resist it bitterly if I were to ask for breakfast

at this hour.
If we were to take this man in hand for three months he

would become as soft as wax.
If young Adeline were to occupy the room it would look so

different.
If Meg were to repay you the fifteen dollars you lent her,

what would you do with the money?
He had lately thought much about what he would do if he

were to meet them.

This second type differs from the first type in that it em-
phasizes the tentative character of the condition.

3) Should + infinitive is used in the if-clause and the Future
Indefinite of the Indicative Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. I don't expect any telephone calls tonight. But if anyone
should call, the butler will say I've gone on a visit to some
of my relatives.

If the other conclusion should be correct the slight loss of
time will make no difference.

The Imperative Mood may also be used in the principal clause.

e.g. Better employ a solicitor. Sir, in case anything should arise.
If she should leave, keep an eye on her.

This third type of conditional sentences referring to the fu-
ture differs from the first two types in that it shows that the re-
alization of the action is represented as possible though unlikely
(but not contradicting reality as in the first two types). The if-clause

of the third type may be rendered in Russian as Если кто-нибудь
случайно позвонит..., Если так случится, что кто-нибудь слу
чайно позвонит... Если вдруг кто-нибудь позвонит.... We may
say that the realization of the action depends on some contingency.
In this type of sentences the clause of condition is rather often
introduced by the conjunction in case.

e.g. I'll let you know in case there should be some unavoidable

delay.
I' ll be at the flat all evening in case you should change your

mind.

The clause of condition introduced by this conjunction ac-
quires the meaning of на тот случай, если; в случае если.

4) Sometimes would + infinitive is used in the if-clause and the
Present Conditional Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. If he would only trust me, we would get on much better.
I'd love it if you would call me Eliza.

Would + infinitive expresses consent or willingness (=Если бы
вы согласились... Если бы вы захотели...).

A sentence of this type is often a conditional sentence only in
form; it is actually a polite request (see the last example above).

§ 150. The modal verbs can and may can also be found in con-
ditional sentences. If they occur in if-clauses referring to the
present or future, they have the past form.

e.g. If I could be a writer I should write detective stories.

His bedroom is very cold. If I might move him into your
study he would feel more cheerful there.

In the principal clause we generally use the Conditional Mood.
But as can and may are defective verbs and cannot be used in the
Conditional Mood, the past tense of these verbs is used in combi-
nation with the simple infinitive to refer the action to the present
or future.

e.g. I could try to make the place comfortable with more heart if

the sun were shining.

If you had any office training it might be possible to use you
up here.

When reference is made to the past, could and might are com-
bined with the Perfect infinitive (both in the if-clause and in the
principal clause).

e.g. Yet if she could have seen me there, she would have been a

little puzzled.

If I hadn't been there something very unpleasant might have
happened to him.

§ 151. A clause of unreal condition may be joined to the prin-
cipal clause asyndetically. In that case it always precedes the
principal clause and we find inversion in the subordinate clause —
the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.

e.g. Had Irene been present, the family circle would have been

complete.

Should you want to do so you can withdraw your money at
any time.

As is seen from the above examples, asyndetic connection is
possible only when the predicate of the subordinate clause is an
analytical form (or a modal phrase). This construction is emphatic
and characteristic only of literary style.

Complex Sentences with Adverbial Clauses of Concession

§ 152. Complex sentences with a clause of concession intro-
duced by the conjunction even if or even though are built up on
the same pattern as sentences of unreal condition — the form of
the Past Indefinite or the Past Perfect is used in the subordinate
clause and the Conditional Mood, Present or Past, in the principal
clause.

e.g. But even if you were right, I should be prepared for any con-
tingency.
Even if I had been a stranger he would have talked of his

misfortune.

Note. In complex sentences with a clause of concession introduced by though,
although, whoever, whichever, whatever, whenever, however, wherever, no matter
how the Indicative Mood is used in both clauses.

e.g.. And when we settle down, wherever it is, you'll have a garden, Chris.

In literary style may {might) + infinitive is occasionally used in clauses of con-
cession to lay stress on the meaning of supposition.

e.g. Whatever his invitation may mean, I'm going to accept it.

He said he would be glad to fulfil the conditions whatever they might be.

TheUse of Forms Expressing Unreality in a Special Type of Exclamatory Sentences§ 153.The form of the Past Indefiniteincluding the form wereis used in the following type of exclamatory sentences to ex- press a wish which cannot be fulfilled.

e.g. Oh, if only Daddy were home!
Oh, if only I knew what to do!

In the above examples reference is made to the present. With
reference to the past the form of the Past Perfect is used,
e.g. Oh, if only he had given me a chance!

When the sentence refers to the future we find would + infini-
tive or could + infinitive,

e.g. If it would only stop raining for a single day!
Oh, if only you would see a doctor!
If only their life together could always be like this!
Sentences of this kind are very emphatic and restricted to spo-
ken English.

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