Uncertainties regarding "If-Clause" & "Wish" Clause

Question

For "If-Clause", I understand that there are three authentic forms of it.
-If I work hard, I will succeed.
-If I worked hard, I would succeed.
-If I had worked hard, I would have been a successful person already.

However, do you think it is possible to have these manifestations?
-If I work hard, I succeed. <--- I wish to make my intonation sounds more confident. Is it formal or the opposite?
-I would like to share a song with you, which might remind you of the youth or even childhood if you have (ever) watched Disney's catoon. <--- The meaning is as it shows. Is this fine? Or I must use "watched" when I use "might"? Can't I use "have ever"? Because I am concerning something from someone's birth till present moment.

Additionally, I would like to know if it is possible to apply "hope" with "could, would, might and etc." I know that we can apply "wish" when we are not confident, or wish to alter the situation (suddenly a question comes - does it has other purposes too? Like just to be more polite?) And we use "hope" to express we look for something to come but not change ( At least I was told like this by a website). And the only form I was told of "hope" is "hope...can". Therefore I wonder whether it is alright to use "hope...would;hope...could" just simply for better courtesy. (another question pops in to my head - will using "would" and "could" in hope change the certainty of the sentence to the one like "wish"?

These questions have been confusing me for several days already. I have had sufficient confusion already... thereby thanks for answering my queries. I am absolutely grateful to it.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Hi LoveCz;

Are you asking about the "conditionals"? These are different ways to use an if-clause. There are 4 conditionals:

Zero conditional: statement of fact:
- If you boil eggs in water for 5 minutes, you will get hard-boiled eggs.
- If you jump off that diving board, you will get wet.

First conditional: statement of possibility in the future:

- If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I will go for a walk.
- If I fail my exam, I will not be happy.
- If you study hard, you might get the highest grade in the class.

Second Conditional: statement of hypothetical (very unlikely) future event.

- If I were you, I would exercise more.

- If I won the lottery, I could quit my job.
- If I found Alladin's magic lamp, I would wish to live forever.
- If I could speak Chinese and Arabic, I would start a translation business.

Third Conditional: statement in the past about something that didn't happen:
- If I had studied harder, I could have passed the test.
- If I had bought new tires, I would not have had the accident.
- If it had snowed yesterday, I might have made a snowman.

See this LINK for lots of clear explanation.

loveCZ-I would like to share a song with you, which might remind you of ~~the youth or even~~ your childhood if you have (had) ever watched Disney's cartoon

- had is better because it means an action that was completed in the past (during your childhood)

loveCZAdditionally, I would like to know if it is possible to apply "hope" with "could, would, might and etc."

Here are some combinations:

I hoped that he would ask me to go with him to the party. (past)
I hoped that I could travel all over the world. (past)

I hope I can help my students. (present)

I hope you might be free for lunch tomorrow. (present)

LoveCZ · Answer

First of all, thanks for your reply and the helpful web link. However, I still have a question with the phrase - I would like to share a song with you, which might remind you of your childhood if you had ever watched Disney's cartoon. Actually the main concern goes without saying is "It might remind you of your childhood if you had ever watched Disney's cartoon". I entirely understand this phase's meaning and grammar, but I have a doubt which is that it doesn't really belong to any conditionals. Right? So why is this sentence possible? Sorry for my bother.

As far as I know, if we are looking that phrase in the aspect of conditionals, it should be like:

It might remind you of your childhood if you watched Disney's cartoon.

It might have reminded you of your childhood if you had ever watched Disney's cartoon.

Nonetheless, the above sentences seem unable to convey what I really want to express. I want to say : If you have watched Disney's cartoons then you may be able to remember your childhood by listening that memorable song.

PS:Note that I used "might" initially because of low possibility but not anything concerning the past.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

loveCZAs far as I know, if we are looking that phrase in the aspect of conditionals, it should be like:
It might remind you of your childhood if you had watched Disney's cartoon. (this is fine)
It might have reminded you of your childhood if you had ever watched Disney's cartoon. (this is fine)

Nonetheless, the above sentences seem unable to convey what I really want to express. I want to say :
If you had watched Disney's cartoons then you may be able to remember your childhood by listening to that memorable song.(this is fine)

LoveCZ;
Ok. Let's think about this.
First, there are actually 2 if-clauses here. Consider the present or future time:

a) If I had seen the cartoons (This is a past action that is complete, and hypothetical.)
b) if you played the music for me (This is a future action which might happen)
The future consequence is:
you might/could/would be reminded of your childhood.

So it could be first conditional if you expect that there is a good chance that I did see the cartoon. For example, I am a middle-class American, and grew up in a home with a TV, etc. "If you had seen the Disney cartoons, and I play this music for you, you may (might/ will) be reminded of your childhood."

It would be second conditional if I am a very poor villager in a remote part of the world with no electricity. There would be very little chance at all that I had seen these cartoons. "If you had seen the Disney cartoons, and I played this music for you, you might (could/should/would) be reminded of your childhood."

Consider the past time: If the experiment of playing the music and being reminded happened in the past, then we know what happened. If it was all true, it would be zero conditional (a fact), and if false, third conditional.
3rd conditional:

"If you had seen the cartoons and I had played the music for you (either one of both of these did not actually happen), then you would (might) have been reminded of your childhood."

zero conditional (past time):
Because you saw the Disney cartoon, if I played this music, you would be reminded of your childhood.

LoveCZ · Answer

I am impressed, entirely. Impressed by your persistence and patience of explaining the conditionals to me. Thanks, thank you very much! Your reply is ultra detailed and clear. I, eventually, have gotten a full understanding. I really appreciate what you have done. I am definitely storing this post up by Microsoft Word. How invaluable! How precious! Perhaps you think I am a bit over by now, but I tell you, I am real happy. Clearing a big handicap is not something small.

Anyway, I am ultimately grateful to your kindness. Wish you very nice days and good luck!

Uncertainties regarding "If-Clause" & "Wish" Clause

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