Variations for conditionals?

Question

I have learned that there are some fixed appearances for conditionals. For example,

1) If she loves me, I will marry her.

2) If she loved me, I would marry her.

3) If she had loved me, I would have loved her.

But we also see many sentences like

4) If you do not love me, I could kill myself.

5) I am sorry if I did something wrong.

6) If you do not mind, I would go now.

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So should we consider 4,5,6 as variations on conditionals or those are grammatically wrong but acceptable nowadays? Or is there something I have to know more about conditionals?

Thank you so much for your time and effort and help with my tricky questions.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Hans51So should we consider 4,5,6 as variations on conditionals

I consider them conditionals, just as the numbered conditionals are conditionals. It's just that you would need a lot of numbers if you numbered every possible pattern that uses "if". I distinguish between the three "numbered conditionals", and all the other "unnumbered" conditionals. The three numbered conditionals are by far the most common, and that is why they are discussed in grammar books much more than the many unnumbered kinds.

The only one I would consider ungrammatical is number 4. Number 6 is borderline. Number 5 is perfectly fine; there it's only a matter of a time difference: I am sorry now if I did something wrong then.

CJ

Hans51 · Answer

The only one I would consider ungrammatical is number 4. Number 6 is borderline. Number 5 is perfectly fine; there it's only a matter of a time difference: I am sorry now if I did something wrong then.CJ

Thank you. It really helps, but I saw "If I don't sleep now, I could miscarry" and people say it is right and I think this is a similar pattern with #4 or there is more I should know about usage of "could" there, you think? Thank you.

Shawn79 · Answer

Hans516) If you do not mind, I would go now.

I think that would be better said one of these two ways, according to your intended meaning:

If you did not mind, I would go now.
If you do not mind, I will go now.

Hans51 · Answer

Thank you so much and we could see "If you do not mind, I would like to go now." I know "would like to' is a fixed phrase. Anyhow, they are the same pattern, aren't they? Thank you.

Shawn79 · Answer

Hans514) If you do not love me, I could kill myself.

We already know you could kill yourself. That's not conditional on whether someone loves you. The question is whether you will or won't kill yourself as a result:

If you do not love me, I will kill myself.
If you did not love me, I would kill myself.

Shawn79 · Answer

Hans51Thank you so much and we could see "If you do not mind, I would like to go now." I know "would like to' is a fixed phrase. Anyhow, they are the same pattern, aren't they? Thank you.

"I would like" is just a polite way of saying "I want." Your "liking" is not really conditioned on anything. It's not the same pattern as your example 6.

Hans51 · Answer

I got you!! Thank you!! Can I ask one more? Then, why is it okay?

"If I do not sleep now, I could miscarry."

I think I am almost aware of the reason, but I am not sure, so how do you a native English speaker feel about it? Thank you so much for your time and effort and help.

CalifJim · Answer

Hans51Thank you. It really helps, but I saw "If I don't sleep now, I could miscarry" and people say it is right and I think this is a similar pattern with #4 or there is more I should know about usage of "could" there, you think? Thank you.

Yes. I know some of these choices are puzzling, and even we native speakers can't always explain why certain choices are made. There are far too many complex variables in this pair of sentences to make a very thorough analysis.

If you do not love me, I could kill myself. - doesn't sound correct.

If I don't sleep now, I could miscarry. - sounds correct.

In the second sentence, could is obviously a substitute for may or might.

If I don't sleep now, I [may / might / could] miscarry.

But this formula can't be applied indiscriminately to every other sentence. In particular, it doesn't work well when the if-clause has a stative situation, as in the first sentence. Therefore, the following are similarly anomalous.

??? If I don't know the answer, I could scream.
??? If Susan doesn't have a car, she could throw a fit.
??? If Henry doesn't belong to that club, he could sue them.

could has the additional meaning of 'be capable of', and that is the reading that might be used in these:

??? If I don't know the answer, I am capable of screaming.
??? If Susan doesn't have a car, she is capable of throwing a fit.
??? If Henry doesn't belong to that club, he is capable of suing them.

But in every case, what they are capable of is true regardless of the if-clause, so the if-clause seems irrelevant. In particular, I am capable of screaming whether I know the answer or not, Susan is capable of throwing a fit whether she has a car or not, and Henry is capable of suing the club whether he belongs to it or not.

Such sentences are usually revised so that the if-clause has an action and the consequent clause has may or might. Inverting the clause order also helps.

I might kill myself if I find out that you don't love me.

CJ

Shawn79 · Answer

If I were CJ, I could give great answers like that.

Whatchadoin · Answer

CalifJimsounds correct.

CalifJimdoesn't sound correct.

Is it informal to leave out "it" in such cases?

Variations for conditionals?

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