Essential or auxiliary in conditional sentences

Question

HiWhich part is the main part of the conditional sentence and which part is auxiliary? Do you have some tips that will help me to distinguish that easily? Those two look like first conditionals and as far as I know, the modal "would" is usually not used unless it involves what I call a reciprocal situation. Right? 1.If you haven't done that yet, I would suggest you do it now. -- Is the "would suggest" part auxiliary? How would you tell?2.If you haven't done that, then doing something else would be good.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AnonymousWhich part is the main part of the conditional sentence and which part is auxiliary?

I am not familiar with your terminology. It's also unclear how you define a reciprocal situation.
CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you. I think you were the person who imparted this idea of a sentential situation being reciprocal. I think this could be the one that illustrates what I mean by "reciprocal."

If you would bring/do this, I woulfd bring/do that.

One action is predicated upon the other doing something else.

Going back to my original question, would you tell me, if you could catch the gist of my problem, what part is something extra to the conditionlity of a sentence?

1.If you haven't done that yet, I would suggest you do it now. -- Is the "would suggest" part auxiliary? How would you tell?
2.If you haven't done that, then doing something else would be good.-- Is this correct?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousI think this could be the one that illustrates what I mean by "reciprocal."

If you would bring/do this, I woulfd bring/do that.

Yes. The idea of reciprocal action comes up in the context of those unusual conditional sentences in which both clauses contain would or will. These reciprocal actions (or "bargainings") are some of the few cases that allow would or will in both clauses. Neither of your examples had this pattern, so it never occurred to me that this is what you were talking about.

AnonymousIf you haven't done that yet, I would suggest you do it now.

This is correct. The function of would here is to soften the word suggest. As such it is not really necessary to the grammar of the sentence. Both clauses may be considered as taking place within a present point of view. The "unsoftened" form is:

If you haven't done that yet, I suggest you do it now.

AnonymousIf you haven't done that, then doing something else would be good.

This is also correct. It seems to me that this one has would within the structure of an implied conditional (shown in brackets):
If you haven't done that, then [it would be good if you did something else].
CJ
(I still have no idea what you mean by "part auxiliary", but maybe I've answered your question above anyway.)

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you. What I mean by "part auxiliary" is the like of the underlined part:

Borrowing/rewriting your correction of my sentence:
If you haven't done that, then [it would be good if you did something else].

If I insert something like "I think" after "then," then I would consider the part "I think" a part that is auxiliary in nature, not directly pertaining to the conditionality of the sentence. Trying to spot whether some phrase is auxiliary or not (in my context as noted previoulsy) is sometimes difficult for me. Do you have some tips?

Also, spotting an implied conditonal within a sentence like above would be difficult too. I think I sort of understand why it could be but ... not so sure I can find an implied conditional if I see something like the one above.t.

Essential or auxiliary in conditional sentences

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