keannu
VIP Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Korean
- Home Country
- South Korea
- Current Location
- South Korea
Does this conditional belong to unreal present or unreal future?
Conditionals define that conditional 2(or hypothetical conditional) is for unreal or hypothetical future, while conditional 1(or predictive conditional) is for real or possible present, but a few cases seem to mean also an unlikely present like this. It wouldn't mean "what if there would appear a giant in the future..", but an unlikely creature in the present.
ex)If there were a giant 2.8 meters tall, he would hit the Guinness record.
I think conditionals are the hardest area to understand as there's so many exceptions and variations, but I think I need to understand even those variations. I concluded that there's no 100 percent fixed pattern in people's speech in every language. If I'm asked about conditionals of Korean language, I have no way to answer about the rules as I've been quite naturally familiar with the natural way of saying them. It would be like asking a centipede to analyze its feet movement.
Conditionals define that conditional 2(or hypothetical conditional) is for unreal or hypothetical future, while conditional 1(or predictive conditional) is for real or possible present, but a few cases seem to mean also an unlikely present like this. It wouldn't mean "what if there would appear a giant in the future..", but an unlikely creature in the present.
ex)If there were a giant 2.8 meters tall, he would hit the Guinness record.
I think conditionals are the hardest area to understand as there's so many exceptions and variations, but I think I need to understand even those variations. I concluded that there's no 100 percent fixed pattern in people's speech in every language. If I'm asked about conditionals of Korean language, I have no way to answer about the rules as I've been quite naturally familiar with the natural way of saying them. It would be like asking a centipede to analyze its feet movement.
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