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If..........then constructions, the "Unlikely Case"

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If..........then constructions, the "Unlikely Case"

by chendawg » Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:34 am
I am going through chapter 7 of the Manhattan GMAT Sentence correction right now, and I'm not quite fully understanding the unlikely case. The example they've given is as follows:

IF Sophie ATE pizza tomorrow, THEN she WOULD BECOME ill.

IF (Hypothetical Subjunctive), THEN (Conditional)

I understand the conditional tense gives us an unlikely case and needs to be in the THEN clause, but are we required to use the hypothetical subjunctive in the IF clause? Also, the clause "IF Sophie ATE pizza tomorrow" is a hypothetical subjunctive, correct? The book isn't too clear on this subject at this point in the book.

Thanks!
Last edited by chendawg on Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by hrishi19884 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:50 am
chendawg wrote:I am going through chapter 7 of the Manhattan GMAT Sentence correction right now, and I'm not quite fully understanding the unlikely case. The example they've given is as follows:

IF Sophie ATE pizza tomorrow, THEN she WOULD BECOME ill.

IF (Hypothetical Subjunctive), THEN (Conditional)

I understand the conditional tense gives us an unlikely case and needs to be in the THEN clause, but are we required to use the hypothetical subjunctive in the IF clause? Also, the clause "IF Sophie ATE pizza tomorrow" is a hypothetical subjunctive, correct? The book isn't too clear on this point at this point in the book.

Thanks!
If Sophie eats pizza tomorrow, then she will be ill ---future tense ---(here, we are sure that Sophie will be ill)

IF Sophie ate pizza tomorrow, THEN she would become ill --- (hypothetical situation and here we are not completely sure that "Sophie will be ill"(possibility is there))

"ate"(past tense) should always follow "would" and not "will". Hence the sentence is correct
Hrishi

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by chendawg » Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:04 am
hrishi19884 wrote:If Sophie eats pizza tomorrow, then she will be ill ---future tense ---(here, we are sure that Sophie will be ill)

IF Sophie ate pizza tomorrow, THEN she would become ill --- (hypothetical situation and here we are not completely sure that "Sophie will be ill"(possibility is there))

"ate"(past tense) should always follow "would" and not "will". Hence the sentence is correct
I know the sentence is correct; my question is whether we are always required to use the hypothetical subjunctive in the IF clause.
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by hrishi19884 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:24 am
chendawg wrote:
hrishi19884 wrote:If Sophie eats pizza tomorrow, then she will be ill ---future tense ---(here, we are sure that Sophie will be ill)

IF Sophie ate pizza tomorrow, THEN she would become ill --- (hypothetical situation and here we are not completely sure that "Sophie will be ill"(possibility is there))

"ate"(past tense) should always follow "would" and not "will". Hence the sentence is correct
I know the sentence is correct; my question is whether we are always required to use the hypothetical subjunctive in the IF clause.
No, not always.
Hrishi

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by chendawg » Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:46 am
So using the same sentence as the example, what other forms can we use in the IF clause, while keeping the SAME THEN cluase? Can you give me some examples? Thanks!
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by hrishi19884 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:10 am
chendawg wrote:So using the same sentence as the example, what other forms can we use in the IF clause, while keeping the SAME THEN cluase? Can you give me some examples? Thanks!
We can use IF-THEN as conditional clause

1)If you are sure then only I will believe you.
2)If you pass this exam then only I will work with you.

I don't remember more examples right now;)

You can remember the below rules for If clause

IF ...(present clause) ....then ...(will + verb)
If ...(simple past) ....then ...(Would/should + verb)
If ...(past perfect) ....then ...(would/should + have + verb)

For subjunctive mood, use plural verb after IF clause (IF I WERE 7 feet tall, I would have become a great basketball player.)
Hrishi

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