Year 4C · Grade 8: Conditions
Match indicative facts, future conditions, and contrary-to-fact conditions.
What to notice
- simple and future conditions
- should-would conditions
- contrary to fact
Explanation
A condition has a si clause and a main conclusion. If both verbs are indicative, Latin is talking about a fact or a straightforward future. Si venit, eum video means if he comes, I see him. Si veniet, eum videbo means if he comes, I will see him. That future pair is sometimes called future more vivid.
The subjunctive makes the condition less sure, or contrary to the facts. Si veniat, videam means if he should come, I would see him. Si adesset, videret means if he were here now, he would see, but he is not here. Si venisset, vidisset means if he had come, he would have seen, but he did not come. Imperfect subjunctive is the present contrary-to-fact pair. Pluperfect subjunctive is the past pair.
Examples
- Si venit, eum video. — If he comes, I see him. Both verbs are indicative.
- Si veniet, eum videbo. — If he comes, I will see him. Future more vivid.
- Si veniat, videam. — If he should come, I would see him. Present subjunctive in both clauses.
- Si adesset, videret. — If he were here, he would see. Present contrary to fact.
- Si venisset, vidisset. — If he had come, he would have seen. Past contrary to fact.
Latin in this lesson
- Si venit, eum video. — a simple fact
- Si veniet, eum videbo. — future more vivid
- Si veniat, videam. — should-would
- Si adesset, videret. — present contrary to fact
- Si venisset, vidisset. — past contrary to fact
- pluperfect subjunctive — the tense of a past contrary-to-fact pair