Conditional

Question

Hi."But any move that further eroded the returns of savers, even indirectly, would face a backlash.  [From The Independent.]Is the construction "...that further eroded the returns of savers, even indirectly, would face a backlash" a conditinal one?Thank you.

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

No

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, Fivejedon, for your reply.

But why not? If the construction I cited isn't the conditional one, then the whole sentence is a conditinal one, isnt it?

Fivejedjon · Answer

AnonymousIf the construction I cited isn't the conditional one, then the whole sentence is a conditinal one, isnt it?

No. This is constructed as a conditional: "If there were any move that further eroded the returns of savers, even indirectly, it would face a backlash."

Your sentence isn't.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, Fivejedjon, for your useful reply.

But still, if from the strictly "technical" point of view it is not the conditional construction, then, in my opinion, the meaning is. What I mean is the hypothetical past tense of the verb "erode" which refers to the present and future time.

Fivejedjon · Answer

AnonymousBut still, if from the strictly "technical" point of view it is not the conditional construction, then, in my opinion, the meaning is. What I mean is the hypothetical past tense of the verb "erode" which refers to the present and future time.

I see your point. However, we need to recognise that not all uses of the past tense for present/future hypothetical situations are, explicitly or implicitly, conditionals.

There are those who claim that in such sentences as, "I'd hate to have Sam as a boss" imply some some such conditional idea as, "if the situation arose". However, it's difficult to see a realistic implied condition in "It's time you stopped drinking".

While one may suggest that a sentence such as "I wish I were rich" has a similar meaning to "I would be happy if I were rich" (conditional). one could just as easily say that it has a similar meaning to, "I regret that I am not rich" (Not conditional).

The nature of hypothetical situations almost inevitably results in a large number of sentences about them being conditional in structure; Some, as we have seen, are not.

Conditional

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