16. Сослагательное наклонение (The Subjunctive Mood)

Сослагательное наклонение (The Subjunctive Mood) выражает действие как возможное, вероятное, предположительное, желательное, проблематичное или противоречащее реальности в отличие от изъявительного наклонения (the Indicative Mood), которое представляет действие как факт в настоящем, прошедшем или будущем. Сравните:

He speaks as if he knew you. (The Subjunctive Mood – Сослагательное наклонение).	Он говорит так, как будто он вас знает.
He says that he knows you. (The Indicative Mood – Изъявительное наклонение)	Он говорит, что знает вас.

16.1. Сослагательное наклонение в сложном предложении с придаточным условия

В английском языке существуют условные предложения четырех типов. В условных предложениях I типа используется изъявительное наклонение, в условных предложениях II, III, IV типов – сослагательное.

I тип. Действие и условие вполне реальны:

If he finds out her address, he will write to her.	Если он узнает ее адрес, он напишет ей.
He said if he found out her address, he would write to her.	Он сказал, что, если он узнает ее адрес, он напишет ей.

II тип. Действие и условие предложений данного типа либо противоречат действительности, либо маловероятны. И условие, и следствие относятся к настоящему или будущему времени. В условном предложении для всех лиц единственного и множественного числа употребляется форма сослагательного наклонения, совпадающая с Past Indefinite (глагол to be имеет одну форму were для всех лиц единственного и множественного числа); в главном предложении – would (could, might) + Indefinite Infinitive (для всех лиц единственного и множественного числа):

If he knew her address, he would (could, might) write to her.

Если бы он знал ее адрес, он бы написал ей (мог написать ей, возможно написал бы ей).

III тип. И условие, и следствие относятся к прошлому, поэтому и то, и другое абсолютно нереальны. В условном предложении для всех лиц единственного и множественного числа употребляется форма сослагательного наклонения, совпадающая с Past Perfect; в главном предложении – would (could, might) + Perfect Infinitive (для всех лиц единственного и множественного числа:

If he had known her address, he would (could, might) have written to her.

Если бы он (тогда) знал ее адрес, он написал бы (смог бы написать; возможно, написал бы) ей.

IVтип. Придаточное и главное предложения относятся к разному времени. Этот тип условных предложений называют смешанным. Таким образом, сочетание глаголов would, could, might c Indefinite Infinitive обозначает нереальное или маловероятное действие, относящееся к настоящему или будущему. Сочетание глаголов would, could, might c Perfect Infinitive используется для обозначения абсолютно нереального действия, относящегося к прошлому.

If I knew English, I would have helped you with the translation yesterday.	Если бы я знал английский (вообще), то вчера я бы помог вам сделать перевод.
If you had seen the film, we could discuss it now.	Если бы вы уже видели фильм, мы бы сейчас его обсудили.

Условные придаточные предложения присоединяются к главному предложению следующими союзами: if – если, unless – если не, provided (that), providing (that) – при условии, что; при условии если.

В условных предложениях второго и третьего типов союзы provided и if могут отсутствовать. В этом случае в условном предложении глаголы could, were, had, should ставятся перед подлежащим:

Were you free next week, we could go fishing.	Если бы вы были свободны на следующей неделе, мы могли бы поехать на рыбалку.
Had he been here, he would have helped you.	Если бы он был здесь, он бы помог вам.
Should the temperature drop, the metal would set.	Если бы температура понизилась, металл бы затвердел.

 If you laugh before breakfast, you will cry before supper.

 If there were no clouds, we would not enjoy the sun.

 If my aunt had been a man, she would have been my uncle.

 You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. (Albert Einstein)

 “How far is it from here to the station?” asked an English tourist.

“It’s about a fifteen-minute walk,” answered an Irish local, “if you run like hell.”

Exercise 16.1.1. Define the type of the Conditional Clause. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. If we look around, we can see that electricity is serving us in one way or another. 2. If we had tested this material, we would have used it in our work. 3. Don’t you think it would be rather nice if we asked her to stay on for a week as our guest? 4. If ordinary gases are greatly compressed, they become liquids. 5. If supercomputers had not been used for thermodynamic calculations, designers would have spent all their lives on computations. 6. If he had wanted to do it, I suppose it could have been done. 7. If you think that a computer never makes mistakes, you are wrong. 8. We would take it kindly if you responded as soon as possible. 9. If extreme temperatures generated by atmospheric friction were not so high, a hypersonic craft would not require complicated cooling measures. 10. If the phone had been answered, he would have made an excuse about the wrong number. 11. Superconductivity can be obtained in some materials if the temperature is very low and close to absolute zero.

Exercise 16.1.2. Translate the following sentences into Russian.

1. If you heat a magnet it will lose all of its magnetism. 2. This iron instrument would be covered with rust if you kept it moist. 3. They would do it once more if they had time. 4. Were he here he would give him considerations about the results of our experiment. 5. Had he informed me in time I would have avoided that awkward situation. 6. If these words were spoken publicly they would be undiplomatic and unpopular. 7. If all other data had lacked we would have been satisfied with this conclusion. 8. If he were able to get all the books on this subject his report would be much more interesting. 9. If it were not for the journalists, everything would be perfectly easy. 10. It would have been better if you had taken things coolly, as I do. 11. Had they met with such difficulties before they would have known what to do. 12. If sufficient heat is applied over a long period of time, the electrons will leave the surface of the metal and fly off into space. 13. Many people ask themselves: “What should I do differently if I had another chance?” 14. Had we used the other method we could have saved much time required for the analysis. 15. If you were an experienced driver, you would never have any road accidents no matter what road conditions were. 16. I wouldn’t be surprised, if he were offered an important post under the next government. 17. If the stress had been doubled, the strain would have doubled too. 18. If there were no friction, the world would look very strange. 19. She could have gone to Cambridge if she had wanted. She had been offered a scholarship. 20. If he hadn’t been absorbed in his thoughts he might have taken notice of her remark.

Exercise 16.1.3. Put the verbs in brackets into the proper form.

1. If you (to know) English well, you will be able to read books in the original. 2. If I (to tell) you beforehand, you might have refused. 3. If I get this book, I (to be) very happy. 4. If we (to stop) the trials completely for a week – how would that suit you? 5. You (to become) much stronger if you did your morning exercises regularly. 6. If the situation (not to be) so tragic I might have laughed. 7. If I (to lose) my ideas, I would lose everything. 8. I (to help) them if I had been at home. 9. You (to write) the test work well if you had learnt grammar. 10. If we had not been present at the lecture, we (not to understand) the new approach to the solution of the problem.

Exercise 16.1.4. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to the verb to provide and conjunction provided.

1. The experiments conducted provided very good results. 2. A tire pressure display provides information for front and back pairs of tires. 3. Provided new composite materials are used, it will be possible to reduce overall aircraft weight. 4. Provided with a new vacuum controlled carburator this car model has several important advantages. 5. Having measured the distance between two points, it is possible to calculate the time during which a car can cover it provided we know the car’s average speed. 6. Our laboratory has been provided with the latest equipment. 7. The apparatus would weigh less provided some plastic parts were used instead of steel.

Exercise 16.1.5. Change the sentences according to the models.

Model 1. If I were free, I would help you. – Were I free, I would help you.

Model 2. If he had known about the lecture, he would have come. – Had he known about the lecture, he would have come.

1. If he had used new materials, the device would have been more reliable. 2. If electric motors were used, cars would not pollute the air, would be practically noiseless and very easy to control. 3. If they had applied the new method, the result would have been much better. 4. If you had had his experience you would have known what to do. 5. If we had been here, the other reason wouldn’t have mattered. 6. If she were busy, she wouldn’t interfere in your affairs. 7. If drivers were more attentive while driving, there would be fewer accidents on the road. 8. If they had been in Kharkov at that time, they would have taken part in that conference. 9. If we had had more time, we would have considered all suggestions. 10. If I were you, I would try to persuade her not to do so.

Exercise 16.1.6. Finish off the following conditional sentences.

1. You wouldn’t have got into trouble if ___. 2. He would have become an artist if ___. 3. I would come earlier if ___. 4. I would try to rise above it if ___. 5. It would look silly if ___. 6. He wouldn’t have got wet through if ___. 7. I might have taken notice of her remark if ___. 8. She wouldn’t have been involved in it if ___. 9. This group wouldn’t be so popular if ___. 10. You wouldn’t have been horrified if ___. 11. If I were there ___. 12. If he had driven straight home ___. 13. If you were not to leave ___. 14. If I had got your message in time ___. 15. If you got the scholarship ___. 16. If my chief were out ___. 17. If she took things coolly ___. 18. If I had to do it over again ___. 19. If you had kept the news to yourself ___. 20. If there were a telephone call for me ___.

Exercise 16.1.7. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Если бы у тебя был более точный инструмент, ты бы заметил изменения. 2. Если бы предложенная работа им понравилась, они уехали бы сразу после защиты диплома. 3. Результаты эксперимента были бы намного лучше, если бы вы использовали новое оборудование. 4. На твоем месте я бы поступил иначе. 5. Прибор весил бы меньше при условии, если бы некоторые металлические части были бы заменены на пластиковые. 6. Если бы он принял во внимание все свойства этого вещества, то результаты эксперимента были бы лучше. 7. Если ситуация не изменится к субботе, у него могут быть неприятности. 8. Я бы не удивился, если бы ему предложили должность в новом правительстве. 9. Если бы я придерживался первоначального плана и не менял ничего по ходу дела, я бы не добился успеха. 10. Я бы никогда не подумал, что это возможно, если бы я не увидел этого своими глазами. 11. Если бы он пришел вовремя, этого могло бы не случиться. 12. Я буду у себя весь вечер на случай, если ты передумаешь и захочешь встретиться. 13. Если бы ты не был так занят, мы могли бы пойти куда-нибудь прогуляться. 14. Если бы я только мог представить, что все получится именно так, я бы не пришел. 15. Я бы никогда не поверил, если бы он не рассказал об этом сам.