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HandWiki. English Conditional Sentences. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33809 (accessed on 20 September 2026).
HandWiki. English Conditional Sentences. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33809. Accessed September 20, 2026.
HandWiki. "English Conditional Sentences" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33809 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 10). English Conditional Sentences. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33809
HandWiki. "English Conditional Sentences." Encyclopedia. Web. 10 November, 2022.
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Prototypical conditional sentences in English are those of the form "If X, then Y". The clause X is referred to as the antecedent (or protasis), while the clause Y is called the consequent (or apodosis). A conditional is understood as expressing its consequent under the temporary hypothetical assumption of its antecedent. Conditional sentences can take numerous forms. The consequent can precede the "if"-clause and the word "if" itself may be omitted or replaced with a different complementizer. The consequent can be a declarative, an interrogative, or an imperative. Special tense morphology can be used to form a counterfactual conditional. Some linguists have argued that other superficially distinct grammatical structures such as wish reports have the same underlying structure as conditionals. Conditionals are one of the most widely studied phenomena in formal semantics, and have also been discussed widely in philosophy of language, computer science, decision theory, among other fields.
conditional
declarative
conditionals
References
- The term subjunctive conditional was borrowed from Latin grammar, but is a misnomer as applied to English. English conditionals of this sort do not use subjunctive mood. See Palmer (1986), Dancygier & Sweetswer (1996), Iatridou (2000), Karawani (2014), Romero (2014), Mackay (2015), von Fintel and Iatridou (2020), among others. http://lingphil.mit.edu/papers/iatridou/counterfactuality.pdf
- DeRose, Keith (2010). "The conditionals of deliberation.". Mind 119 (473): 1–42. doi:10.1093/mind/fzp149. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fmind%2Ffzp149
- Iatridou, Sabine (2000). "The grammatical ingredients of counterfactuality". Linguistic Inquiry 31 (2): 231–270. doi:10.1162/002438900554352. http://lingphil.mit.edu/papers/iatridou/counterfactuality.pdf.
- lingua.org.uk: WILL with IF (further down on the page) http://www.lingua.org.uk/eq&a.html
- "Conditionals: if — English Grammar Today". Conditionals: if — English Grammar Today. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/conditionals-if.
- Grammar for CAE and Proficiency by Martin Hewings
- wordreference.com: single forum post (Reliable source quoted in an online forum, changed slightly here to prevent confusing American speakers with the original's plural pronoun.) To stress willingness or wish, you can use "would" or "will" in both clauses of the same sentence: If he would practise more, he would play better. If he will practise more, he will play better. Both mean the same. (Based on the examples and explanations from Practical English Usage, Michael Swan, Oxford) http://forum.wordreference.com/showpost.php?p=5478593&postcount=6
- perfectyourenglish.com: Learn English - Writing - American and British English - Differences in usage "Conditional would is sometimes used in both clauses of an if-sentence. This is common in spoken American English." http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/writing/american-and-british-usage-2.htm
- Pearson Longman, Longman Exams Dictionary, grammar guide: It is possible to use would in both clauses in US English but not in British English: US: The blockades wouldn't happen if the police would be firmer with the strikers. Br: The blockades wouldn't happen if the police were firmer with the strikers.
- The English-Learning and Languages Review, "Questions and Answers". Retrieved 3 December 2012. http://www.lingua.org.uk/eq&a.html
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