Глагол в английском языке

42. Where the fulfillment of the condition is considered highly improbable, or impossible, the condition is expressed by means of the anomalous finite " were" in all three persons, followed by the infinitive with " to," or by a noun or pronoun complement. The result is expressed by " should," " would," " might," or " could " The use of "should" in the second and third persons strengthens the unreality of the supposition. E.g., Where should one finish, if one were to act in accordance with that criterion. If / were you, I should not do it. / could never forget it, were I to live to be a hundred. If he were to live  in Paris, he might change his ideas about Frenchmen. / would help you, if / were able to. If / were rich, I could do a lot of things that I cannot do now.

43. When the fulfillment of the condition depends on chance, we express the condition by means of "should" with an infinitive, in all three persons. The result is expressed by an infinitive preceded by the past or present tense of any of the anomalous finites except" will" and " would" in the meaning of custom or obstinacy, and " used to." The imperative can also be used. E.g., If you should see John, you may as well humor him. If / should come into a fortune, / might go on a trip round the world. If you should find the book, send it along to my house. If you should happen to hear from him before tomorrow, you can telephone me. If you should hear any strange noise, you must telephone the police at once. If he should find himself in difficulties, he ought to be able to extricate himself easily. If you should be unable to finish the work in time, you had better ask Miss Smith to help you. If they should find the dog, they will let you know at once. If the lions should escape, they would be caught at once. If it should get dark before you arrive, you need not be afraid, as the roads are quite safe. I dare not think what / might do if he should get ill. / might do anything.

44. When the fulfillment of the condition depends on consent, " would" with an infinitive expresses the condition in all three persons (par. 21 (B)). The result is expressed by " should" " would," " might," or " could." E.g., / might understand you better, provided you would speak a little more slowly. / could not do it if / would. If he would show a little more good will. / would help him. If he would arrange the preliminaries, / could go on with the work alone.

45. Conditionals dependent on consent are often used incompletely in polite language.¹ The result with " might" is also used alone, often indignantly. Could you send the parcel at once? I.e., Could you send the parcel now, if you would? You might get the letter written at once. I.e., You might write the letter now, if you would. You might at least be polite! You might wipe your feet before you come in! I had rather you did not go.

46. To indicate a past condition, which was not fulfilled, the condition is expressed by " had " or " could have " followed by a past participle; and the result is expressed by means of the perfect infinitive of any suitable verb, preceded by the past tense of any anomalous finite except "had better" "used to," and must (obligation). E.g., If / had told him that, he would have been angry. If the wireless operator had repaired his transmitter, the ship could have been saved. If you had received the order, you should have obeyed. If / had got your letter in time, / could have come. If he could have found a friend, he need not have starved. If he had been threatened with a pistol, he dare not have resisted. Had I known, I should have come. Could he have helped me, he would have done so. Had he lived, he was to have been Prime Minister.

463. The part of the sentence which expresses the condition can be introduced by one of the following conjunctions:

on condition that as long as provided providing

if    if only        suppose supposing

unless

Ex.: Unless John stops playing the fool, he will not be a success in life. Supposing everybody behaved like- that, what would become of the world ? As long as he continues obstinate, one cannot, do anything about it. She could get better, provided she took a little nourishment.

466. The conjunction introducing the condition is often omitted when the fulfilment of the condition is unlikely (par. 41); highly improbable or impossible (par. 42); or unwelcome (par. 40). It can also be omitted in sentences expressing a condition depending on chance (par. 43); or a past condition that was not fulfilled (par. 46).

In all these cases, the condition is introduced by an anomalous finite, followed immediately by its subject. E.g., Should he refuse to pay, see your solicitor? Did I know, I might tell you. Were he to live in Paris, he might change his ideas. Should you see John, ask 'him to ring you up. Had I told him, he would have been angry. Had I got your letter; I could have arranged the matter. There might be some possibility of my helping you, did I have the money.

 

C. EXERCISES ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES.

(a) Change Prose Passage (i) so as to convey that fulfillment of the conditions expressed is rather unlikely.

(b) Change Prose Passage (2) so that the sentences express past conditions unfulfilled.

(c) Change the following sentences, so as to indicate that the fulfillment of the" conditions given is unwelcome.

E.g.: If people talk scandal in her presence, Mary tells them that they ought not to run down their friends and neighbors. If they take it badly and break off with her, Mary remains as cool as a cucumber. If they drop on her, she says, she has no need to worry. If they do not mind their p's and q's while they are with her, it is necessary for her to bring it home 'to them that they must not tear other people's characters to shreds. If they want to make innocent fun of other people, it is quite another matter. If they send her to Coventry as a result of her attitude, well and good. She can grin and bear it.

(d) Change the sentences in the following passage, so as to convey that the fulfillment of the conditions expressed is almost or completely impossible.

E.g.: If Solomon conies back to earth again, he will find everything changed, at least superficially, with the exception of the heart of man. He will notice, for instance, if he picks up a newspaper, that all men are still liars. Indeed, he will be enormously surprised if he finds any thing else to be the case. As he remarked some thousands of years ago, " That which is crooked cannot be made • straight." If he enters the divorce courts and listens to the divorce cases, he will find that model wives are as scarce as ever. And if anyone tells him with pride., that women can now be freed from bad husbands, he will murmur inconsequently, " Who can find a virtuous woman ? For her price is above rubies! " Should anybody ask him what he thinks of all the wonderful discoveries that have been made since his time, he will answer obstinately, " Is there anything whereof it may be said ' This is new ..." There is no new thing under the sun." But he will notice one new thing, just the same. He will observe, provided he gets the opportunity to mix with a few English families, that whereas in his day the women got their own way with their menfolk by diplomatically managing them, they now rule the poor males openly and brutally. And, unless he is more unobserving than I take him to be, he will draw consolation from the fact that a man need not, indeed cannot, any longer be saddled with a hundred shrewish wives at once, but can have them one at a time, if he is willing to spend sixty pounds or so in divorce expenses.

(e) Where possible, change the following sentences so as to convey that the conditions depend for their fulfilment either on chance or on consent.

E.g.: If I get a lot of money left to me, I shall start a newspaper. Supposing somebody realizes what good I can do in this way, and provides me with the wherewithal, the newspaper will be a sensation. What will you say if you pick up a newspaper that tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? If I get the necessary capital, and if I manage to find ten men or so who are incrable of lying, the success of the venture is assured. But it will be difficult to fulfil these conditions. Most people, including newspapermen, cannot undertake to tell the truth, even if they want to. For he is a brave man who tries to tell the truth to others, when he cannot tell it to himself. If you ever meet a man who can be perfectly frank with himself, you might introduce me to him. And if he wants to take on the chief editorship of my paper, I shall pay him an enormous salary. By pure force of truth, he will make the thing a success, even if I do not find any others like him to assist him.

***

1.Change Prose Passage (4) so as to make the sentences express conditions whose fulfillment is rather likely.

2. Classify the conditional sentences in Prose Passage (3) under separate headings, according to the class of condition expressed.

D. QUESTIONS ON THE PROSE PASSAGES

1. May John ruin his health and prospects? What would prevent him from being wild? What is there no doubt of? Will he get on in the world? What would be better for him? When is he game for anything? What cannot a young man expect? What does Jim make fun of? Why? What kind of life would be mere existence? What does he forget? If a man like that got over his folly, what would be the result? If you should see him, what ought you to do? What might you tell him? What might do some good? Unless we lay our heads together, what will happen? If he meets all attempts to help him with high words, what will be the result? What would it be difficult to expect anybody to do? Under what condition might it is possible to do something for him? Why must not he be surprised if people draw in their horns? If he keeps up in that strain, what will happen? What does he say would happen if everybody were to behave as he does? Under what condition would he be more impressed with my remarks? What is your answer to that? Would you condemn a little fun? How can a nation prosper? Under what condition may Jim pick quarrels with his best friends? If he sows his wild oats, who will reap the crop?

2. Under what conditions would Mrs. X. not have her attacks? How could things be different with her? Will she take the rest she needs? If her relatives were to press her, what would happen? What would aggravate her state? How could she get better? Would nourishment be of any use? What would she do from dawn to dusk? What does she say would make sick people more patient? What would be help? Does she think the servants would obey Mary? Under what condition would the servants obey Mary '?

3. Does Mary expect to catch the two thirty? Does she consider the unwelcome possibility of missing it ? How do you know? What remark does John make about last minute rushes? What did Mary say at the Waterloo inquiry office? What did the clerk answer? Did Mary ask John what he thought of it? And what did John answer? What does Mary think John might have done? What does John think might happen if they went to Victoria immediately? What does Mary tell John to do at the bookstall? What does John say at the bookstall? What did the assistant say? What did John answer? Why did Mary wish John would consult her before buying things? What suggestion did John ask to be allowed to make? What did Mary do then? What did she wail that John might try and do? If he didn't stop behaving like a bear, what would she do? Why did John cast an uneasy glance around? What did he say urgently? What did he suggest? Under what condition would they have been in Worthing by then? What was Mary's retort, and John's impatient answer? What did John reflect when he had to take a seat separate from Mary? What question did he ask the man passenger? What did the man answer? What did the lady reply when he asked her if she liked hiking?

4. What might you let me know ? If I had met a seer, what should I have done ? What could I have asked him ? What does it seem to me ? Under what condition can I go to America ? What reflex ion do I make about Columbus and Isabella of Castile ? What would it be interesting to know about Asia Minor and North Africa ? What is an interesting conjecture about the fate of the Greek Empire ? What might have happened if Luther had been a Dominican ? What should we probably not have had, in like case ? What about Japan? What reflection do I make about my right to vote ? Under what conditions would the Allies not have been able to win the war ?

¹ In this class of sentence, the condition is often left unexpressed. E.g.: Do you think that Fred will pass his exam. ? Well, of course, he might . . . i.e., He might, if he studied. Will you lend me five pounds? Well, of course, / could . . . i.e., / could if I trusted you.