Constructions
containing
hypothetical clauses
HYPOTHETICAL MEANING
• A FACT (OR FACTUAL MEANING) IS USUALLY EXPRESSED BY A FINITE VERB CLAUSE, AS IN [1] IN 274, OR
BY AN -ING CLAUSE (SEE 493) OR A NOUN PHRASE WITH AN ABSTRACT NOUN.
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Hypothetical Clauses and Their Meaning: Expressing Uncertainty and Conditions, Appunti di Lingua Inglese
The use of hypothetical clauses in English language, focusing on their meaning and various constructions. Hypothetical clauses express uncertainty, tentative possibilities, and conditions. conditional clauses, constructions like 'it's time you were in bed,' and special uses of modal auxiliaries. It also discusses the were-subjunctive, should, and conditionals with inversion.
Tipologia: Appunti
2019/2020
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Constructions
containing
hypothetical clauses
HYPOTHETICAL MEANING
- A FACT (OR FACTUAL MEANING) IS USUALLY EXPRESSED BY A FINITE VERB CLAUSE, AS IN [1] IN 274, OR BY AN -ING CLAUSE (SEE 493) OR A NOUN PHRASE WITH AN ABSTRACT NOUN.
Constructions containing hypothetical
clauses (II)
Apart from conditional clauses, hypothetical meaning occurs in a few other special constructions. The main ones are illustrated here (with the negative statements they imply in brackets): It’s time you were in bed. (‘but you’re not in bed’) He behaves as if he owned the place. (‘but he doesn’t own the place’) It’s not as if you were all that fond of Alice. (‘You’re not fond of Alice’) Suppose (that) the United Nations had the power to impose a peaceful solution. (‘It does not have the power …’) If only she had kept her eyes open. (‘She didn’t keep them open’) In your place, I’d have taken the taxi. (‘I didn’t take the taxi’) Very often would is used where there is no if-clause, but where a conditional ‘if’ is Implied: I can’t let anyone see the letters – it wouldn’t be right, would it? (‘… if I let see them’)
Other ways of expressing hypothetical meaning (^) Were, were to, should In addition to the past tense, there are three less common ways of expressing hypothetical meaning in subclauses: (^) The were-subjunctive- I’d play football with you if I were younger (^) Were to + infinitive : If it were to rain tomorrow, the match would be postponed.
Conditionals with
inversion
Another type of hypothetical conditional clause has no if, but instead begins with an operator placed before the subjective three operators which occur in this construction are had, subjunctive were, and putative should. Had they known, they would have been more frightened.
Putative should
SHOULD EXPRESSES A TENTATIVE CONDITION IN IF-CLAUSES. IN OTHER DEPENDENT CLAUSES, TOO, SHOULD IS USED NEUTRALLY, TO REPRESENT SOMETHING AS A NEUTRAL ‘IDEA’ RATHER THAN AS A ‘FACT’. WE CALL THIS USE OF SHOULD PUTATIVE. FACT: THE FACT IS THAT THE REFERENDUM WILL BE HELD NEXT MONTH. IDEA: : THE IDEA IS THAT THE REFERENDUM SHOULD BE HELD NEXT MONTH./ SOMEONE IS SUGGESTING THAT THE REFERENDUM SHOULD BE HELD NEXT MONTH. PUTATIVE SHOULD OCCURS QUITE WIDELY IN THAT-CLAUSES. IT’S A PITY THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE TO LEAVE.- PUTATIVE SHOULD IN [4]–[7] HAS A MORE EMOTIONAL TONE. PUTATIVE SHOULD IS ALSO FOUND IN SOME QUESTIONS AND EXCLAMATIONS: HOW SHOULD I KNOW? WHY SHOULD SHE HAVE TO RESIGN?
The subjunctive The subjunctive also has neutral meaning. It can be used:
- In some that-clauses, where the clause expresses an intention (this is especially common in
): Congress has voted /decided /decreed /insisted that the present law continue to operate. Here putative should + infinitive can also be used: … should continue to operate. In some conditional, contrast and purpose clauses Whatever be the reasons for it, we cannot tolerate disloyalty. <formal, elevated> (= ‘Whatever the reasons for it may be …’ In main idioms: God save the Queen! God Bless America. If you want to throw your life away, so be it. It’s your life, not mine.