MAR: Lesson - Grammar - Contrary to Fact Conditional Sentences (Subjunctive)

Contrary to Fact Conditional Sentences (Subjunctive)

Conditional sentences in Latin can be in either the indicative mood or the subjunctive mood. The next subjunctive mood conditional sentence is called Contrary to Fact.

Contrary to Fact Conditional Sentences

In a Contrary to Fact construction, both the protasis and apodosis will use the same tense of the subjunctive: either imperfect or pluperfect. In these conditionals, the protasis sets up action that we understand was or had not been happening. If the protasis is talking about a current situation, we use imperfect; if the situation was in the past, we use pluperfect. The apodosis tells us what would have happened if the action in the protasis had occurred. Thus, we are describing consequences for events that are contrary to what happened - which is why these are called contrary to fact conditionals.

• Si adesset, laetus esset.
• Translation: If he were here, he would be happy.

Consider the following:

• Note on the use of were in the translated protasis: this use is a relic in English. It is the only surviving subjunctive form and can be (and often will be) substituted with was (If he was here) in modern usage.
• "if he were here" = he is not here
• "he would be happy" = stated as a consequence of the action that is not happening

For the pluperfect, we see:

• Si adfuisset, laetus fuisset.
• If he had been here, he would have been happy.
  • In this case, the pluperfect tells us not only that this is contrary to fact, but because it was in the past, the consequence will never come about.
  • Compare this to the pluperfect optative: Utinam adfuisset! - If only he had been here! - he was not here, and now can never be here. The contrary to fact pluperfect conditional grew out of this optative use.

Additional Examples

Let's look at a few additional examples of Contrary to Fact Conditionals:

• Imperfect: Si studeremus, disceremus.
  • If we were studying, we would learn.
• Pluperfect: Si studuissemus, didicissemus.
  • If we had studied, we would have learned.
• Nisi laeta esset, nemo esset laetus.
  • If she weren't happy, no one would be happy.
• Example from Classical Literature:
  • Si viveret, verba eius audiretis. (Cicero, Rosc. Com., 42)
  • If he were living, you would hear his words.

Review - Contrary to Fact Tenses

• Imperfect: translate: was/were...would
  • The verb in the protasis can be translated either -ing or to + verb:
    • If he were seeing...
    • If he were to see...
• Pluperfect: translate: had been...would have