Unreal conditionals

These are the ones translated in English by words such as 'would', 'should'. Both verbs are in the subjunctive, the tense in the condition being one tense further back in time than the English translation:

  1. The pluperfect subjunctive represents the past.
  2. The imperfect subjunctive represents the present.
  3. The present subjunctive represents the future.

This category can be further split into two subcategories, impossible and improbable.

Impossible and improbable conditionals

Impossible

These sentences imply that the action cannot happen and therefore only describe past and present scenarios.

Pluperfect referring to the past

si hoc Graece scripsisses, me obstupefecisses
If you had written this in Greek, you would have surprised me.

Imperfect referring to the present

si pater adesset, nos adiuvaret
If father were here, he would help us

Although the verbs are past, there is an implied iam in each half of the sentence, locating it firmly in the present.

Remote future, improbable

These sentences imply that the action may not happen, but that it is not impossible, as the future has yet to happen.

si id faciat, erret
If he were to do that, he would do wrong
si sues per aera volent, omnes mirentur
If pigs were to fly through the air, everyone would be amazed.