[Grammar] I can imagine going to Canada

Consider these sentences, please:

1) I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used.

2) I can imagine going to Canada.

Q: I know sentences 1) and 2) mean it is possible for the speaker to imagine... What if I add "If I want to" to sentences 1) and 2)? Would their meanings change?

3) I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used if I want to.

4) I can imagine going to Canada If I want to.

I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used if I want to: If I want to put the effort into it, I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used.

I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used if I wanted to: I can imagine a few situations where, if I wanted to use them, I could use these words.

The second version is much more likely.

The sentences about going to Canada behave exactly the same.

GoesStation said:

I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used if I want to: If I want to put the effort into it, I can imagine a few situations where these words could be used.

The sentences about going to Canada behave exactly the same.

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OK. So the expression "I can imagine...", in the contexts of 1) and 2), only implies "it is possible to imagine" and tells nothing about whether the speaker is imagining them right now (when he utters those sentences) or has imagined them at least once in the past. Am I right?

NAL123 said:

OK. So the expression "I can imagine...", in the contexts of 1) and 2), only implies "it is possible to imagine" and tells nothing about whether the speaker is imagining them right now (when he utters those sentences) or has imagined them at least once in the past. Am I right?

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I think so, but it's risky to make blanket statements about English usage!

How about: I can imagine wanting to go to Canada.

Tdol said:

How about: I can imagine wanting to go to Canada.

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I don't have to imagine. I'd go there tomorrow if my health allowed and the border were open.

Tdol said:

How about: I can imagine wanting to go to Canada.

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I hate disagreeing with Tdol, but you either want to go to Canada or you don't. You do not, I think, imagine wanting something.

If you are going to imagine going to Canada, you can do that at any time. However, if you are going to actually go to Canada, go during the summer.

NAL123 said:

OK. So the expression "I can imagine...", in the contexts of 1) and 2), only implies "it is possible to imagine" and tells nothing about whether the speaker is imagining them right now (when he utters those sentences) or has imagined them at least once in the past. Am I right?

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I say no.

It's only with the addition of If I want/wanted to where that would be the case. Otherwise, the most likely interpretation would be that the speaker is imagining these possibilities as he speaks.

jutfrank said:

I say no.

It's only with the addition of If I want/wanted to where that would be the case. Otherwise, the most likely interpretation would be that the speaker is imagining these possibilities as he speaks.

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A: Can you imagine a context in which this sentence could be used?

B: I can imagine a few contexts if I want to. But right now I don't have enough time to think of them.

A: OK. ( "A" understands that "B" cannot explain to him those contexts right now.)

Another dialogue:

A: Can you imagine a context in which this sentence could be used?

B: Yes, I can imagine a few contexts.

A: Can you explain to me those contexts?

B: Yes. Suppose...

Is this what you mean?

Yes. The difference is between uses of the modal verb can (general ability versus ability right now).

This difference is beautifully shown in the following joke:

A: Can you smell onions?
B: Um, no.
A: Really? Not even if you get up close?

(Credit to the great Vic Reeves)

NAL123 said:

A: Can you imagine a context in which this sentence could be used?

B: I can imagine a few contexts if I want to. But right now I don't have enough time to think of them.
A: OK. ( "A" understands that "B" cannot explain to him those contexts right now.)

Another dialogue:

A: Can you imagine a context in which this sentence could be used?
B: Yes, I can imagine a few contexts.
A: Can you explain to me those contexts?
B: Yes. Suppose...

Is this what you mean?

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Don't waste precious space! (You had to explain "OK"?)

Tarheel said:

I hate disagreeing with Tdol, but you either want to go to Canada or you don't. You do not, I think, imagine wanting something.

If you are going to imagine going to Canada, you can do that at any time. However, if you are going to actually go to Canada, go during the summer.

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You're right, it usually wouldn't make sense. In if/then contexts, it could work:

- I can imagine wanting to go to Canada if I got a draft notice.
- I can imagine wanting to go to Canada if global warming got much worse.
- I can imagine wanting to go to Canada if I fell in love with someone from the Yukon.

Tarheel said:

I hate disagreeing with Tdol, but you either want to go to Canada or you don't. You do not, I think, imagine wanting something.

If you are going to imagine going to Canada, you can do that at any time. However, if you are going to actually go to Canada, go during the summer.

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I get your point. I was trying to incorporate if I want to into the sentence. I clearly missed the mark. ;-)

Tarheel said:

Don't waste precious space! (You had to explain "OK"?)

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Sorry, I didn't know we were running out of space:-(.

Charlie Bernstein said:

You're right, it usually wouldn't make sense. In if/then contexts, it could work:

- I can imagine wanting to go to Canada if I got a draft notice.
- I can imagine wanting to go to Canada if global warming got much worse.
- I can imagine wanting to go to Canada if I fell in love with someone from the Yukon.

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What type of conditionals are these? Shouldn't it be: I could imagine...?

NAL123 said:

What type of conditionals are these? Shouldn't it be: I could imagine...?

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Were the sentences corrected by a native speaker who has tutored English? (Yes, they were.) What do you think that tells you about their correctness?

Native speakers aren't infallible, but we usually use our language more or less correctly.

NAL123 said:

What type of conditionals are these? Shouldn't it be: I could imagine...?

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Good question.

"I could" is also correct and possibly more grammatical. We can let the grammarians here sort that out.

But "I can" also makes sense, because, in fact, I can imagine it under those circumstances.

(Despite GoesStation's kind words, I do make mistakes. But I don't think this was one of them.)

NAL123 said:

Sorry, I didn't know we were running out of space:-(.

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I was kidding.

The original had unnecessary spacing between the lines of a dialogue. Let me explain with an example.

Tarheel: Don't waste precious space!
NAL: Are we running out of space?
Tarheel: No, not really. I just mean don't put spaces between the lines of a dialogue. Instead, do it like this.
NAL: OK.

Tarheel said:

I was kidding.

The original had unnecessary spacing between the lines of a dialogue. Let me explain with an example.

Tarheel: Don't waste precious space!
NAL: Are we running out of space?
Tarheel: No, not really. I just mean don't put spaces between the lines of a dialogue. Instead, do it like this.
NAL: OK.

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I'd separate the speakers with blank lines.

GoesStation said:

I'd separate the speakers with blank lines.

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Yeah, that's how I do it. In dialogue, each person's line is really a paragraph, and paragraph breaks are usually shown with indents or blank lines.