Ch 10 · Lesson 17Latin · Chapter 10 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
If it were so: contrary-to-fact conditions
, : if you were here, I would be glad. The subjunctive in both halves, imperfect for now and pluperfect for the past: the conditions for what is not true.
The short version
The imperfect subjunctive in an if clause means now
, .
Why?Hide
A condition the speaker knows is untrue puts both halves in the subjunctive. The imperfect is about the present, the pluperfect about the past. , is if you were here (now), I would be glad; , is if you had been here.
Conditions with the subjunctive
When the speaker treats the condition as imagined or untrue, both halves go into the subjunctive. The tense then stops meaning time in the usual way: it marks distance from reality.
- si dicisif you say (indicative)
- si dicasif you should say (present subj.)
- si diceresif you were saying (imperfect subj.)
- si dixissesif you had said (pluperfect subj.)
One sentence, four ways:
| Kind | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| real | , . | If you say this, nobody believes it. |
| might be | , . | If you were to say this, nobody would believe it. |
| unreal now | , . | If you were saying this, nobody would believe it. |
| unreal past | , . | If you had said this, nobody would have believed it. |
The forms themselves are on the subjunctive page and the past subjunctives page. Here the job is to read them.
Contrary to fact: imperfect and pluperfect
These are the conditions the speaker knows are untrue. The imperfect subjunctive is about now; the pluperfect is about the past.
| Kind | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| now | , . | If you were here, I would be glad. |
| past | , . | If you had been here, I would have been glad. |
| past | , . | If you had not come, I would have died. |
The facts behind them: you are not here; you were not here; you did come.
English uses a past form (were) for the present unreal, which is why learners read as past. Read the imperfect subjunctive as now, but not really.
The medieval proverb is a past unreal, aimed at someone who talked himself out of a reputation:
tacuisses, philosophus .- If you had kept quiet, you would have stayed a philosopher.
One habit to recognise: verbs of being able and owing (, , ) often stay indicative in the main clause, because the possibility itself was real.
, .- If you had stayed, I could have seen you.
Going further: Plain conditions: si with the indicative and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
Latin · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 17 of 36 in this chapter