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Certain constructions with the word "if" or si can express possible or hypothetical situations. These contrary-to-fact situations are clearly within the realm of unreality, uncertainty, or futurity -- all of which we associate with the use of the subjunctive. When sentences conform to a pattern that includes a clause introduced by the word si, followed by a statement that is contrary to fact, one must use a form of the past subjunctive, that is, the imperfect subjunctive or the pluperfect subjunctive. A result clause containing the conditional or conditional perfect tense will either precede or follow the si clause.
The patterns are as follows:
Si + imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive, followed or
preceded by a result clause in the conditional or conditional
perfect:
- Sería feliz si tuviera un millón de dólares. (I would be happy if I had a million dollars.)
- Si yo fuera President de los Estados Unidos, viviría en la Casa Blanca. (If I were the President of the United States, I would live in the White House.)
- Si hubieran sabido la respuesta, habrían ganado el juego. (If they had known the answer, they would have won the game.)
Note that the two sides of "'if' constructions" can be inverted.
A variation on the above construction occurs whenever como
si (as if) is followed by a verb.
- Hablas como si lo supieras todo. (You talk as if you knew everything.)
- El gobernador funciona como si fuera rey del estado. (The governor functions as if he were king of the state.)
- El muchacho sonreía como si hubiera ganado la lotería. (The boy was smiling as if he had won the lottery.)
Related topics:
Conditional
Compound tenses
Imperfect
Imperfect subjunctive
Pluperfect
Present
Future
Verbs
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