10.09.26: Level 3+; Conditional clauses [7]: unreal conditions (2) present contrary-to-fact [i]

Known in grammar as either contrary-to-fact or counterfactual, these conditional clauses refer to:

[i] a condition that does not currently exist:

[Contrary-to-fact: If he were here now, we would be dining together.

[Fact: But he isn’t here now – we’re not dining together.]

[Contrary-to-fact: If you weren’t being so noisy, I could be reading in peace.

[Fact: But you are being noisy – I cannot read in peace.]

[ii] a condition that would have or could have existed in the past:

[Contrary-to-fact: If she had changed her mind, she could have driven back.

[Fact: But she didn’t change her mind – she didn’t drive back.]

[Contrary-to-fact: If Marion had not taken a wrong turning, she would not have stopped at the motel.

[Fact: But she did take a wrong turning – she did stop at the motel.]

Latin handles [i] and [ii] using different tenses of the subjunctive. Here, we will look at the first one.

Present contrary-to-fact: a condition that does not currently exist

Contrary-to-fact: If he were here now, we would be dining together.

Fact: But he isn’t here now – we’re not dining together.

What can seem misleading is that a present contrary-to-fact conditional uses the imperfect subjunctive in both clauses:

Contrary-to-fact: Sī hoc faceret [imperfect subjunctive], errāret [imperfect subjunctive].

Contrary-to-fact: If he were doing this (i.e. now), he would be making a mistake.

Fact: But he is not doing this now – he is not making a mistake.

While they may not always be the most appropriate translation, the English progressive forms i.e. if he were doing … he would be making emphasise actions that are happening in the present and so they strongly convey the meaning of the subjunctive in this type of conditional clause.

Sī Marcus Iūliam amāret, ea eum amāret.

• If Marcus loved Julia [but he doesn't love her now], she would love him [but she doesn't love him now].

Sī magistrum laudārem, mē bene docēret.

• If I praised [if I were praising] my teacher, he would teach [he would be teaching] me well.

Sī adesset [imperfect subjunctive], ¦ bene esset [imperfect subjunctive]

• If he were present, ¦ it would be well.

Sī hoc facere possem, statim facerem.

• If I were able to do this, I would do it at once.

Sī vīveret, verba eius audīrētis. 

• If he were alive, you would hear his words.

Sī vīverent, mihi cum illīs nūlla contentiō iam manēret.

• If they were alive, no dispute would now remain between me and them.

Nostrī mīlitēs hostem vincerent sī eī acrēs essent.

• Our soldiers would conquer the enemy if they were fierce.

Meus sī frāter esset, nihilōminus eum damnārem.

• If / even if he were my brother, I would nevertheless condemn him.

Note the translation of this final example which emphasises the current nature of the scenario:

Ego sī somnum capere possem, tam longīs tē epistulīs nōn obtunderem (Cicero)

• If I could sleep, I would not be bothering you with such long letters.