Unit 13: Past subjunctive, informal commands, translation considerations (part 3)
13.5 Contrary-to-Fact Sentences
The imperfect subjunctive is regularly used in “if” clauses that combine with a main clause that takes a verb in the conditional tense to form contrary-to-fact sentences. These are sentences in which the stated action is clearly untrue or it is unlikely to occur.
| Si me mudara allá, me moriría del calor. | If I moved (were to move) there, I’d die from the heat. |
| Si yo fuera tú, trataría de aprobar el examen ya. | If I were you, I’d try to pass the exam now. |
The order of the clauses may be switched with no change in meaning:
| Debido a la humedad, abandonaríamos la costa si fuera verano. | Due to the humidity we would leave the coast if it were summer. |
After the expression como si (“as if”), which inherently denotes a contrary-to-fact situation or state, the imperfect subjunctive (or past perfect subjunctive [see section 15.1.]) must be used:
| Se comporta como si fuese (fuera) príncipe. | He acts (behaves) as if he were a prince. |
| Habla como si supiera (supiese) todo, pero sabe bastante poco. | She speaks as if she knew everything, but she knows fairly little. |
