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Magda Posted 20 years ago
Linguistics Studies

False conditional

Hi,
could someone explain to me what false conditional is? I've found an example of it: "If you need to call, my phone number is...". How false conditional is different from a real conditional?

Thank you
  

Top answer

Perhaps real/unreal conditionals? html

  • Perhaps real/unreal conditionals?
  • html
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14 Answers
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False conditional is a less used term for counterfactual.
The past perfect is used in counterfactuals.

If I had seen him, I would have told you.

This implies that I did not see him.

Sorry, but your example is not an example of a conterfactual (false conditional).
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A false conditional has a true antecedent and a false consequent.

EG

True: If a person is 14 years old, then the person is a teenager.

False: If a person is 14 years old, then the person is a freshman.
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Thanks Milky Emotion: smile

could you give me one more exmple, please. It is all news to me.

Best regards
Magda
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MagdaThanks Milky Emotion: smile

could you give me one more exmple, please. It is all news to me.

Best
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CalifJimFalse conditional is a less used term for counterfactual.
The past perfect is used in counterfactuals.

If I had seen him, I would have told you.

Are counterfactuals and false conditionals really the same thing?

A counterfactual conditional, or conditional, is a conditional (or "if-then") statement i
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Thanks a million. I understand it now Emotion: smile
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MilkyFour permeatations are possible with conditional statements:

Four permutations.

MrP
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Are counterfactuals and false conditionals really the same thing?

According to some of the grammar websites these students are visiting daily, they absolutely are exactly that!!!
I think our job is to straighten them out on matters of terminology on the grammar sites, not to go off on a wild romp through the truth tables of mathematical logic.

CJ

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