§ 147. Note the following construction which may be used with reference either to the present or to the past.

e.g, "Oh," Maurice went on, "if it weren't for my mother I should

be unhappy at home." "Mrs Davidson was saying she didn't know how they'd have

got through the journey if it hadn't been for us," she said. If it were not for his friend Crowdy, he would be in financial

difficulties.

§ 148. The if-clause and the principal clause need not necessar- ily refer to the same time: the if-clause may refer to the present and future and the principal clause may refer to the past, and vice versa. Sentences of this kind are called a split condition.

e.g. If you were not so indifferent to him you would have noticed

that there was something happening to him. You must remember if Mr Reed hadn't taken me out of the drawing office, I should be there now getting two pounds a week.

§ 149. Sentences of unreal condition referring to the future may be of four types: l

1) The first type has already been described: the Past Indefi- nite is used in the if-clause and the Present Conditional Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. Half of the people would distrust you if you went away at

such a moment.

If we allowed him to go on with his experiments we would never have any peace.

¹ Conditional sentences referring to the future, no matter what forms of the verb are used in them, are always hypothetical, because one can never be sure of the actual course of events in the future. But these future actions may be represented differently by the speaker: either as an actual fact (when the Indicative Mood is used) or as actions contradicting reality or problematic actions (see § 149).

The action is represented in such sentences as contradicting reality — the speaker does not believe that it can be realized in the future.

2) As the above type of conditional sentences may refer to both the present and the future, there is a strong tendency in English to use another type which is unambiguous, in order to show that the action refers only to the future and not to the present.

In this type of conditional sentences we find the form were of the modal verb to be to followed by an infinitive in the if-clause. In the principal clause the Conditional Mood is used.

e.g. Mother would resist it bitterly if I were to ask for breakfast

at this hour. If we were to take this man in hand for three months he

would become as soft as wax. If young Adeline were to occupy the room it would look so

different. If Meg were to repay you the fifteen dollars you lent her,

what would you do with the money? He had lately thought much about what he would do if he

were to meet them.

This second type differs from the first type in that it em- phasizes the tentative character of the condition.

3) Should + infinitive is used in the if-clause and the Future Indefinite of the Indicative Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. I don't expect any telephone calls tonight. But if anyone should call, the butler will say I've gone on a visit to some of my relatives.

If the other conclusion should be correct the slight loss of time will make no difference.

The Imperative Mood may also be used in the principal clause.

e.g. Better employ a solicitor. Sir, in case anything should arise. If she should leave, keep an eye on her.

This third type of conditional sentences referring to the fu- ture differs from the first two types in that it shows that the re- alization of the action is represented as possible though unlikely (but not contradicting reality as in the first two types). The if-clause

of the third type may be rendered in Russian as Если кто-нибудь случайно позвонит..., Если так случится, что кто-нибудь слу чайно позвонит... Если вдруг кто-нибудь позвонит... . We may say that the realization of the action depends on some contingency. In this type of sentences the clause of condition is rather often introduced by the conjunction in case.

e.g. I'll let you know in case there should be some unavoidable

delay. I' ll be at the flat all evening in case you should change your

mind.

The clause of condition introduced by this conjunction ac- quires the meaning of на тот случай, если; в случае если.

4) Sometimes would + infinitive is used in the if-clause and the Present Conditional Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. If he would only trust me, we would get on much better. I'd love it if you would call me Eliza.

Would + infinitive expresses consent or willingness (=Если бы вы согласились... Если бы вы захотели...).

A sentence of this type is often a conditional sentence only in form; it is actually a polite request (see the last example above).