18.09.26: Level 3+; Conditional clauses [12]: mixed conditionals; a word of advice from Utah

The term mixed conditionals simply refers to a feature shared by Latin and English: writers will vary the choice of tense and / or mood depending on what precisely they wish to convey. In other words, they do not adhere rigidly to the patterns of conditional clauses.

Compare:

If you had listened, you would have been safe.

If you had listened, you would be safe.

If I had been there, I would help you.

If I were there now, I could have helped you.

There are so many permutations that it would be unproductive and time-consuming to try to identify every possibility. In such instances, it is better to look at the verbs in the protasis and apodosis separately:

Sī haec verba dīxisset, laetus fuissem.

• If he had said these words, I would have been happy.

i.e. this is the past contrary-to-fact conditional according to the usual patterns

However, both Latin and English frequently mix time references, for example:

Sī haec verba dīxisset, laetus essem.

• If he had said these words, I would be happy (now).

Sī villam emisset, beātam vitam nunc ageret.

• If he had bought the country house, he would now be living a happy life.

i.e. If he had done something in the past, he would be doing something now.

Nisi tam clārus esset, nōn eam fābulam narrāvissem.

• If he were not so famous, I would not have told that story.

Hunc ego sī in praefectīs habuissem, quem tū mē hominem putārēs? (Cicero)

• If I had had this man among my prefects, what sort of person would you think I am?

Nunc, sī iam rēs placeat, agendī tamen viam nōn videō (Cicero)

• Now, even if the matter should please (me), I nevertheless do not see a way of carrying it out.

Pol etsī taceās, palam id quidem est (Plautus)

• By Pollux, even if you were to keep silent, that is indeed common knowledge.

Magister, nisi nimis vīnī bibisset, in scholā nōn errāret.

• If the teacher had not drunk too much wine, he would not be wandering in the school.

So that you avoid wandering around having drunk too many conditionals, a quotation from Utah State University makes a point – and an important one:

“And one more thing to note. In actual practice, conditions in both English and Latin are often “mixed,” which means the protasis will belong to one type of condition, and the apodosis another. In this course, however, you won’t see mixed conditions. Latin’s challenging enough when the conditions are balanced. Let’s leave it at that.”

When studying Latin – not only the topic of conditionals, but other topics too – the prime focus must be on becoming familiar with the ‘patterns’ rather than jumping ahead and examining the ways in which authors manipulate those patterns. Mixed conditionals are not uncommon and, where examples of them occur, they will be noted and explained.

The Latin Tutorial video which summarises the conditionals makes no reference to mixed conditionals. The summary image which is taken from the video gives the key patterns to remember.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96pIN5edS8c