[Grammar] first conditionals or hypothetical conditionals

[NAL123]

Consider these first conditional sentences, please:

1) If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.

2) She'll be late if the train is delayed.

3) She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.

Do we call first conditional sentences "hypothetical" conditionals?

 

[Skrej]

No, because the first conditional is for real possibilities.

Hypothetical situations are associated with the second (unreal) conditional.

Here's an article from this site with more details about hypothetical conditionals.

 

[NAL123]

No, because the first conditional is for real possibilities.

Hypothetical situations are associated with the second (unreal) conditional.

Here's an article from this site with more details about hypothetical conditionals.

But technically speaking, aren't sentences 1,2 and 3 hypothetical conditionals because each of them contains an "if-clause", which marks a hypothesis?

 

[Phaedrus]

But technically speaking, aren't sentences 1,2 and 3 hypothetical conditionals because each of them contains an "if-clause", which marks a hypothesis?

"All" three types of conditionals contain if-clauses. Thus, if we used the term hypothetical simply on account of the presence of an if-clause, the term hypothetical would not pick out one of the three types to the exclusion of the others. That is, the term hypothetical would be uninformative as a category designation for conditionals.

 

[Skrej]

NAL123, I think I understand what you're saying, and it boils down to the definition of 'hypothetical'. In the strictest sense of the definition, I suppose one could argue that all conditionals are hypothetical, because the second clause will only occur when the 'if' clause (condition) is met. I think that's the argument you're trying to make, if I understand you correctly.

However, what is really meant by 'hypothetical' in regards to conditionals is the concept of 'real' possibility vs. 'unreal'. 'Real' possibility refers to situations where the outcome dependent on the if condition is very likely or very probable. 'Unreal' possibility refers to outcomes that are unlikely, contrary to fact, or just flat out impossible, so discussion of them is purely hypothetical.

For example:

If it is sunny tomorrow, I'll go to the beach. 1st Conditional, aka Future Real Conditional (real situation in the future)
(real, because there's a good possibility that the if condition (sun tomorrow) likely will happen, therefore it's a good possibility that I will go to the beach.)

If I spoke Swahili, I could understand him. 2nd Conditional, aka Present Unreal Conditional (unreal situation in the present)
(unreal - I don't actually speak Swahili, so there's zero possibility of me understanding him. Hypothetically though, if I did speak Swahili, I'd understand him.)

If I had sung better, I would have won first prize. 3rd Conditional, aka Past Unreal Conditional (unreal situation in the past)
(unreal - I didn't sing better, so I didn't win first prize, and because this is all in the past, it's impossible for it to ever happen as I want -so it's purely hypothetical. Also, this is purely conjecture on my part - even if I had sung better, I still might not have won.)

 

[Skrej]

I meant for the last sentence to illustrate the fact that the situation is hypothetical, not what I actually believed in the example sentence. Apparently it was a misguided attempt to clarify the hypothetical nature, but it was intended as a separate observation from the example sentence.