Cases of ellipted if-clauses?

Question

Hi, would you say all these are cases of ellipted if-clauses?

1. Yes, Jane. I would do it.
2. As to your question, yes, I would love to take on that volunteer job.
3. You asked me for my opinion and it is that, yes, it would take more than a few hours to complete the job.
4. Yes, Joe, he would be a perfect candidate for that velunteer job (if no one else is willling?/was going?/were going? to take on the job).

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

I don't know that they are ellipted, so much as simply understood or surmised.

I would do it if you needed me to.

I would love to take on the job if you asked me.

It would take more than a few hours, if we were to do it in the first place.

Yes, he's be a good candidate for that volunteer job [if he wanted to do it, if the opening still exists, if whatever it is that makes it conditional]

You'll know that "if" part based on context.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks. Would any context allow this "would" to be correct?

4. Yes, Joe, he would be a perfect candidate for that velunteer job

You said:

I don't know that they are ellipted, so much as simply understood or surmised.

Q: Would by chance anyone guess wrong and come up with a wrong if-clause? I seem to have come up with a different if-clause than some other person in several occasions.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Please note: volunteer.

That's fine. He'd be perfect if he agreed to to do it. He'd be perfect if Mary (whom you've already asked) says "no." He'd be perfect if the Board of Directors agrees to create the position.

In real life, misunderstandings do occur, yes. If this is some sort of test, it's silly to assume there could be only ONE if clause and the others are all wrong.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much. Would you say making a past tense of the tenses in the if-clauses is the correct thing to do for the type of situations like here? If that is so, why did you use the present tenses here?

He'd be perfect if Mary (whom you've already asked) says "no." He'd be perfect if the javascript:void(0) agrees to create the position.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymouscases of ellipted if-clauses?

I'm not clear about what the central, typical case of an "ellipted if-clause" is. Like GG, I would say that sometimes an if-clause is vaguely implied. There is often no way to extract from the sentence the exact if-clause that goes with a would-clause because many different if-clauses might be consistent in a general way with the thought expressed.

would simply moves the discussion into an "imagined world" -- a world where some fact of the real world is altered temporarily (in the imagination) for the purposes of discussion. The exact form taken by the imaginings is often left unstated.

Hence, statements like I would do it mean something like I can imagine myself doing it or I could imagine you doing it or even I think you should do it.

I would love to take that job means something like I can imagine myself very happy doing that job.

It would take more than an hour means something like When I imagine doing that, I see that it takes more than an hour (on the basis of my own previous experience with the matter).

He would be a perfect candidate means something like When I imagine him as a candidate, I see him as perfect in that role.

There is often a shade of meaning in these which has to do with giving your opinion.

I think I can see myself doing that. In my opinion, having that job is a very good idea. I believe that it takes more than an hour. In my opinion, he is the perfect candidate.

It's not essential to find an exact if-clause to go with every would-clause.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Hi,

You wrote this as part of your response to my question:

He'd be perfect if Mary (whom you've already asked) says "no." He'd be perfect if the Board of Directors agrees to create the position.

Personally, I would have written:

He would be perfect if Mary said "no".
He is likely to be perfect if Mary says "no".
He would be perfect if the Board of Directors agreed to create the position.
He is likely to be perfect if the Board of Directors agreed to create the position.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, Jim. I wrote this post in response to GG's last response post:

Hi,

You wrote this as part of your response to my question:

He'd be perfect if Mary (whom you've already asked) says "no." He'd be perfect if the Board of Directors agrees to create the position.

Personally, I would have written:

He would be perfect if Mary said "no".
He is likely to be perfect if Mary says "no".
He would be perfect if the Board of Directors agreed to create the position.
He is likely to be perfect if the Board of Directors agreed to create the position.

And you wrote this in your response:

Hence, statements like I would do it mean something like I can imagine myself doing it or I could imagine you doing it or even I think you should do it.

I would love to take that job means something like I can imagine myself very happy doing that job.

It would take more than an hour means something like When I imagine doing that, I see that it takes more than an hour (on the basis of my own previous experience with the matter).

He would be a perfect candidate means something like When I imagine him as a candidate, I see him as perfect in that role.

There is often a shade of meaning in these which has to do with giving your opinion.

Does that mean how GG constructed her sentences is correct?

Her sentences as part of her response to my post:

He'd be perfect if Mary (whom you've already asked) says "no." He'd be perfect if the Board of Directors agrees to create the position.

Then what is the difference here?

He would be perfect if the Board of Directors agreed/agrees to create the position.
He would be perfect if Mary said/says "no".

I think the past tense versions are what one needs to form a typical conditional 2 sentences.

CalifJim · Answer

My comments had nothing to do with GG's responses. They were responses directly to your question.

You'll have to wait for GG to answer for herself with regard to what she wrote.

CJ

BarbaraPA · Answer

You are thinking of "would" as indicating past tense, instead of a condition.

You can use it for the future or the present.

Actual situation: He does a good job.

Possible situation: He would do a good job. This does not require a "past if" construction as you have in your "how I would have been written them" section.

"He would be a good candidate" and "He is likely to be a good candidate" have different levels of certainty.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you. Can you please tell me what is the difference here? Can you answer this question of mine? I read your response but couldn't understand, maybe due to my own limitations(?).

Then what is the difference here?

He would be perfect if the Board of Directors agreed/agrees to create the position.
He would be perfect if Mary said/says "no".

I think these are correct conditionals.

I would take on that job if the Board of Directors agreed to create the position.
I would be happy if Mary said "yes."

Cases of ellipted if-clauses?

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