This topic is one of the most serious in English grammar. Learning a language at the initial stage, you can do without this knowledge for some time. But the higher your level is, the more you will have a desire to diversify and complicate your speech, making it close to that which native speakers speak. At this point, it will be necessary to study the subordinate clauses of the condition: their meaning, varieties, methods of formation and examples of use. This article will help.
Where are they used?
In English, as in Russian, all sentences are divided into simple and complex. And the latter, in turn, can be complex and complex. The first type does not create great difficulties in learning the grammar of a foreign language. But in the case of the second, there are some nuances.
Let's consider a typical complex sentence in English:
If (when) the weather is fine, I'll go for a walk - If (when) the weather is fine, I'll go for a walk.
In this case, you can easily see two components:
- I'll go for a walk - the main thingmain clause;
- if (when) the weather is fine - condition clause or time clause.
What do they mean?
In the example above, the main clause expresses the thought: "What will happen?", and the subordinate clause - "Under what condition (or at what time, when) will this happen?"
In such sentences, the inextricable semantic and grammatical connection of the main and subordinate parts is expressed. In general, subordinate constructions can express a variety of meanings: mode of action and degree, place, time, condition, cause, effect, goal, comparison, concession. But in this article we will focus only on two types, expressing situations of time and conditions.
In speech, such constructions express logical, spatio-temporal and causal relationships. Therefore, the advanced English learner needs to understand when to use the tense clauses and conditions.
Used conjunctions
It is characteristic that in complex sentences the main part is invariably one, and there can be several subordinate clauses. All of them are directly dependent (logically and grammatically) on the main component and join it with the help of various conjunctions and allied expressions. Here are the most common ones:
- if – if;
- in case;
- when - when;
- while - while;
- as soon as (as long as) - as soon as;
- until – until, before;
- after - afterlike;
- before - before;
- unless (if not) – if not.
Please note: the conjunction used does not always help determine the type of complex sentence. And often it is necessary to do this in order to apply the grammatical rule, which is described later in the article. To confirm exactly that this is a sentence with a subordinate condition or time, you need to ask a question to the subordinate part.
Remember also that a sentence can begin with either a main clause or a clause. Is it hard not to get confused? Just pay attention to which part of the sentence the union is in (one or the other from the list above).
What is a clause of time?
This type includes a part of a complex sentence that is subordinate to the main one, while answering the questions: “When?”, “How long?”, “How long ago?”, “Since when?”, “Until what since?” etc.
To attach clauses of time to the main part, unions are used: when, after, before, until and others with a similar meaning. However, in order to make sure that the value of time is being expressed, and not some other, it is safest to ask a question.
What is a subordinate clause?
Such grammatical constructions answer the question: "Under what condition?". They are quite diverse and are joined by unions if, in case, unless, etc. But not always the allied word acts as a guarantee that the meaning of the condition is realized in the sentence. Because in many cases the turnover, for example,with if, it is translated not “if”, but “whether”. Compare:
- I'll come if they invite me - I will come if they invite me.
- I don't know if they will invite me - I don't know if they will invite me.
Subjective clauses in English are found in sentences that take place in the past, present or future tense. In addition, the conditions put forward themselves have a gradation: real, unlikely and unreal. This is best understood through examples.
I type
The first type of subordinate condition describes a real fact. That is, what really took place in the past, present or future. At the same time, the tense forms of the verb-predicate in the main and subordinate parts usually coincide.
This is clearly seen in the examples.
Past tense:
If the weather was fine, he went for a walk - If the weather was fine, he went for a walk.
Present:
If the weather is fine, he goes for a walk - If the weather is fine, he walks (goes) for a walk.
Future tense:
If the weather is fine, he will go for a walk – If the weather is fine, he will go for a walk.
Only in the last example, you can see that the two parts of the complex sentence do not agree in time (the clause is in the form of the present, and the main one is in the future). This did not happen by chance, but as a result of a special grammatical rule to which the subordinate tenses and conditions obey. Details will be explained later.
MeanwhileLet us consider manifestations of the second and third types of subordinate conditions. They are no longer revealed in three grammatical tenses, but acquire the meaning "if, then …". Moreover, such a hypothetical situation may be relevant both to the present day and to the past.
II type
When the speaker believes that the reality of fulfilling the condition is rather small, then a separate speech construction is used. Drawing an analogy with the Russian language, this is the subjunctive ("if only…"). Example:
If the weather was fine, I would go for a walk - If the weather was fine, I would go (went) for a walk.
Note that the situation being described is happening at the time the person is talking about it. This is not regretting yesterday.
To construct a grammatically correct statement of this type, you need:
- in the subordinate clause put the verb-predicate in the Past Simple form;
- in the main part, use would + the infinitive form of the verb (but without the particle to).
III type
In the event that the observance of this condition (and the performance of an action) is considered by the speaking person as completely impossible, a subordinate condition of a different type comes into play. The impossibility of realizing such a situation is due to the fact that the action has already taken place in the past, and the speaker cannot change its result. And therefore, a complex subordinate condition with a subordinate clause of this type usually expresses regret and lamentation about the circumstances.
If the weather had beenfine yesterday, we wouldn't have stayed home. In that case we would have gone for a walk - If the weather had been good yesterday, we would not have stayed at home. In that case, we would go for a walk.
But there may be another, opposite in meaning, situation. The person thinks about what might have happened, but does not feel regret about it. For example:
If I had overslept, I would have been late - If I overslept, I would be late.
Please note that the entire sentence refers entirely to the past tense and expresses the impossibility of performing a certain action just then, in the past.
The following grammatical structure is formed as follows:
- in the subordinate part, the verb-predicate is put in the Past Perfect form;
- in the main part would + Perfect Infinitive is used.
What tenses are used in subordinate clauses?
This question is very serious. A little earlier in the article it was mentioned that it is important to determine the type of subordinate part. And moreover, in this matter, it is necessary to focus not on unions, but on the questions asked.
The fact is that there is a certain grammatical rule. It is connected with the type of the subordinate clause and the use of the present/future tense in it.
If subordinate clauses answer the questions: "Under what condition will the action be performed?" or “At what time (when) will this happen?”, then they express, respectively, a condition or time. In these types of subordinate clauses, you cannot usefuture tense (with the verb will). Instead, the present is used. Even when the situation clearly refers to the future and it is this tense that is translated into Russian.
Compare:
- She'll make a cake when you come.
- If I get this job, I'll be happy.
As it is easy to see, in the latter case the given example belongs to a variety - a type I subordinate clause. This rule does not apply to the other two types of conditional clauses, since there are completely different constructions for expressing grammatical meaning.
In many situations, complex sentences allow you to better express the speaker's thoughts. Subordinate parts join with the help of special alliances. As the main varieties, adverbial tenses and adjunctive conditions are distinguished.
The English language imposes certain grammatical rules on the use of such structures. To learn them reliably, you need to understand the theory well once, and then do as many exercises as possible so that the example of correct use is fixed in memory. Subsequently, when the need arises, it will automatically appear in speech.
