Conditional sentences rely on one part being true for the other to be true. They often use “if-then” statements and can be classified as facts, inferences, predictive or imaginative utterances. Imaginative expressions can be hypothetical or impossible.
A conditional sentence is a statement that relies on one part of the sentence to be true in order for the other part to be true. Usually expressed as an “if-then” statement, a conditional clause includes a dependent clause, or a sentence that cannot be considered a sentence, and an independent clause, or a sentence that is also a complete sentence. These two clauses are normally separated by a comma.
While conditional sentences can come in other forms, most often they are expressed as “if-then” statements. When expressed as such, the “if” is almost always included in the dependent clause, but the “then” is more often implied. For example, the sentence “If it snows too much, the school will be closed” is more often expressed as “If it snows too much, the school will be closed”. However, both forms are grammatically correct.
There are several types of conditional sentences. They can be classified simply as true and false statements or, more precisely, as facts, inferences, predictive utterances, and imaginative utterances. Facts, inferences, and predictive utterances are usually true statements, but imaginative utterances deal with the hypothetical or impossible.
The most direct of all conditional sentences is probably fact. Facts simply express a situation of cause and effect which is always the same. For example, “If the water reaches a temperature below 32°F; (0°C;), turns into ice.” From 32°F; (0°C;) is the freezing point of water, this statement is factual.
Alternatively, a conditional statement expressing an alleged effect on a given cause is normally an inference. Statements that assume whether one person can accomplish something that another can, such as “If I can do it, you can do it,” are inferences. Also, phrases like “If it’s a vacation, we don’t need to go to work,” fall into this category.
Predictive utterances usually indicate desired plans or courses of action. They depend on the truth of the “if” statement to be accurate, but they do not assume that the “if” statement is accurate. Often these expressions describe possible future events. For example, the sentence “If I save enough money, I will go on vacation” depends on the “if” clause being true in order for the “then” clause to be true as well. Predictive utterances usually use the future tense in the “then” part of the statement.
Imaginative expressions can be hypothetical or impossible. A hypothetical conditional sentence is similar to a predictive conditional sentence but states something that is possible but unlikely, rather than probable but not factual. For example: “If I saved enough money, I would go on vacation.” The hypothetical uses the past tense in the “if” part of the sentence and “would” in the “then” part.
Similarly, impossible situations also fall into the imaginative category. When an impossible situation is expressed, the past perfect is usually used in both clauses and the word “would” is used in the “then” statement. Impossible situations can often be classified as unfulfilled plans from the past. For example: “If I had saved enough money, I would have gone on vacation.”
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