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iloveyou
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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 Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:29 pm Post subject: ommision of if [subjunctive mood] |
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Hello,
If seems to be often ommited in subjunctive mood.
In the following sentence...
[If I had free time, I could help you]
Do I have to use the first sentence?
Is the second sentence wrong?
- Did I have free time, I could help you (O)
- Had I free time, I could help you (X)
Thanks.
Yun |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:17 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
If seems to be often ommited in subjunctive mood.
In the following sentence...
[If I had free time, I could help you]
Do I have to use the first sentence?
Is the second sentence wrong?
- Did I have free time, I could help you (O) Wrong
- Had I free time, I could help you (X) Right |
Yes, if is sometimes omitted in sentences where the subjunctive is used in a counterfactual conditional (that is, one in which the if-clause is contrary to fact or contrary to possibility). The result (which sounds a bit formal) is often referred to as inversion. This is what is happening in your second sentence (the one you marked with an X for some reason).
If I had free time, I could help you.
Had I free time, I could help you.
If is omitted, and the subject and operator are inverted (not changed; just inverted). For example:
If I were a politician, I'd make a lot of changes.
Were I a politician, I'd make a lot of changes.
If I had known you were coming, I would have ordered a pizza.
Had I known you were coming, I would have ordered a pizza.
Your first sentence "Did I have free time, I could help you" makes no sense at all, since you have changed the word had to something else. Don't change it; just invert it.
Hope this makes sense.
Greg |
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