Understanding Conditional, Concessive, and Final Clauses
Condition, Object, and Purpose – In addition to time, place, manner, and comparison, adverbial subordinates can express condition, object, or purpose. To express a condition or hypothesis, these structures are used:
- Noun phrase with preposition: With only five dollars, families live one day.
- Conditional subordinate clauses: If they had taken more help, it would have been safer.
- Audio: With everything and with that, the young man managed to reach the Canary Islands.
- Concessive subordinate clauses: Although the situation was hopeless, the boy overcame the difficulties.
- Noun phrase with preposition: They save every last euro for the education of their children.
- Final subordinate clause: Work hard to bring up their children.
Conditional Propositions
The conditional subordinate propositions (PS Adv Cond) express a condition that must be met as stated in the main clause.
Types of Conditions
- Real condition: If the condition is made, the main action is necessarily met. (If you go to the doctor, the patient is cured.)
- Possible scenario: The main action will be accomplished only if the condition takes place. (If you go to the doctor, the patient is cured.)
- Impossible hypothesis: The main action is not met because the condition does not occur. (If I had gone to the doctor, the patient would be cured.)
Sentences that include conditional statements consist of a subordinate clause expressing the condition, called the antecedent, and a main clause that includes the action whose realization depends on the condition expressed, and is called the apodosis.
- If you fill out the application correctly (protasis = subordinate), your proposal will be considered (apodosis = principal).
Conditional propositions can stand in front of or behind the main clause.
- Your proposal will be considered if the application is properly filled.
In addition to conditional sentences, the subordinate conjunction whether also introduces substantives. To determine the type of preposition, you must switch the subject for this or that; if it supports the transformation, it is a substantive, otherwise, it is a conditional.
Conditionals with Personal Forms
In conditional sentences whose nexus is a proposition, the verb of the protasis is presented in the infinitive.
- With a try, you will not get what you want.
Conditional sentences can also be constructed with the verb in the gerund or participle; in this case, there is no connection link.
- By trying, you will not get what you want.
- Aware of the selection process, you would have succeeded.
Selection of Concession
The concessive subordinate clauses (PS Adv Conc) state an obstacle or objection to the main action taking place. Concessive propositions can stand in front of or behind the main one.
- Even if you have to eat, I am touched by your generosity.
- I am touched by your generosity, but you do not have to eat.
Concessive subordinate clauses can also be built with expressions like the following:
- Studying and striving, the boy failed to make it into medicine.
- With the understanding that it, Mars was excited at the idea.
Concessive propositions can also be built with personal forms of the verb:
- Gerund: Even trying to join, he has had to overcome many problems.
- Participle: Still interested in the story, I did not study the subject. / While interested in the story, I wanted to study the subject.
Concessive subordinate clauses, such as coordinated effects, are very common procedures for introducing linguistic antithesis and counterarguments.
- He got the work (main), but had to overcome great difficulties (concessive).
Final Selection
The final subordinate clauses (PS Final Adv) express the purpose, real or hypothetical, of what is stated in the proposition on which they depend. Like conditional and concessive clauses, final proposals can be placed before or after the main clause:
- He gave the documents so he could apply for the job.
- So he could apply for the job, he delivered the documents.
Final propositions introduced by to or in order to are formed with the verb in the infinitive:
- The volunteer went to help the young.
- The volunteer came to help.
(Note that “because” can be a link both final (= so that) and causal).