If-Sätze: Typ 2 (Erkärung, Bildung und Übung)
In diesem Abschnitt geht es um if-Sätze (conditional clauses, if-clauses) des Typ 2.
Vertiefung
Englische Version:
Formation
Basics
Beispiel
1. If I were stronger, I'd become a boxer.
2. If my brother had any money, I am sure he'd share it with his family.
3. If you took a plane instead of the train, you'd get there quicker.
Typ 2: Talking about imagined conditions consequences now: What would you do if you lost your job?
The table below is taken from the introduction and contains the basic pattern:
| If | past | would ('d) |
| If | I lost my job, | I'd find a new one. |
| If | you did not arrive on time, | I wouldn't wait for you. |
The most common pattern for if-clauses Type 2 is:
Merke
if + past simple + 'd conditional
Instead of would, which is almost always shortened to 'd, you may also use should for the 1st person singular and plural. Should is never shortened. In addition to that you may also use could meaning was/were able to.
Beispiel
If we wanted to talk more together, we should watch less TV.
If we watched less TV, we could talk more together.
Please note that the past simple of the if-clause does not really say something about the past. That is why it is sometimes referred to as unreal past.
Variations
Typ 2 allows for a relatively high degree of variation and thus is an ideal possibility for you to demonstrate the level of your language comptetence. Please consider the examples and explanations below:
1. In case of If I/he/she/it you may replace was with were to make your sentence sound more formal:
Beispiel
If I was/were younger, I'd go back to university and study for a proper degree.
Additional effects of were instead of was:
You can emphasise the imaginary character of your utterance: If I were king, you'd be my queen.
You can give advice: If I were you, I'd not go there today.
You can give a reason why something has (not) happened: If it were not for my friend Paul, I'd still be unemployed.
An additional variation which allows you to improve your style is to simply replace the past simple verb with the combination was/were + to-infinitive
Beispiel
If I asked her, I am sure she'd tell us. -> If I were to ask her, I am sure she'd tell us.
The last variation I would like to mention allows you to make your Type 2 sentence sound as extraordinarily formal as the word extraordinarily itself. And it does not even include if:
Beispiel
Normal: If the government reduced the income tax, peolpe'd have more money to spend.
were + to-infinitive: If the government were to reduce the income tax, peolpe'd have more money to spend.
were + to-infinitive without if: Were the government to reduce the income tax, peolpe'd have more money to spend.
Typt 2 allows for some variation in the tenses as well, but this time only outside of the if-clause.
Beispiel
Progressive: If my friend Paul, who is a carpenter, were here now, he would be helping us with the wood work.
Perfect: If my friend Paul, who is a carpenter, were in town, he would have helped us with the wood work yesterday.
Hinweis
"who is a carpenter" -> defining or non-defining relative clause?
Use
Type 2 is most frequently used to talk about something impossible or just imagined:
Beispiel
If I had longer arms, I would be better at table tennis.
If it is used to replace type 1 and contains conditions which might actually be fulfilled, the utterance becomes more tentative and the speaker/writer expresses some uncertainty. Compare:
Beispiel
Typ 1: If you go by train, you will get there quicker. (Speaker is sure about what he predicts.)
Typ 2: If you went by train, you would get there quicker. (Speaker includes some uncertainty about what he says. There might for example be a delay.)
Bildung (Formation)
Grundlagen (Basics)
Beispiel
1. If I were stronger, I'd become a boxer.
2. If my brother had any money, I am sure he'd share it with his family.
3. If you took a plane instead of the train, you'd get there quicker.
Typ 2: Über eine imaginierte Situation und ihre ebenfalls imaginierten Folgen jetzt reden: What would you do if you lost your job?
Orientiere dich für die normale Bildung an der Tabelle aus der Einleitung:
| If | past | would ('d) |
| If | I lost my job, | I'd find a new one. |
| If | you did not arrive on time, | I wouldn't wait for you. |
Die häufigste Kombination in if-clauses des Typ 2 ist:
Merke
if + past simple + 'd conditional
Anstelle von would, das eigentlich immer zu 'd verkürzt wird, kann in der ersten Person (I, we) auch should benutzt werden (vgl. will/shall), welches immer ausgeschrieben wird. Du kannst außerdem auch could im Sinne von was/were able to verwenden:
Beispiel
If we wanted to talk more together, we should watch less TV.
If we watched less TV, we could talk more together.
Auch wenn im if-clause das past simple steht, hat die Aussage keine Vergangenheitsbedeutung. Deshalb wird hier auch manchmal von unreal past gesprochen.
Variationen (Variations)
Konditionalsätze des Typ 2 können recht flexibel gestaltet werden. Sie stellen eine sehr schöne Möglichkeit für dich dar, deine Sprachkompetenz eindrücklich unter Beweis zu stellen. Daher gibt es noch einige Besonderheiten, die bei der Bildung von Typ 2 zu beachten sind:
1. Bei If I/he/she/it kannst du were statt was benutzen, damit der Satz z.B. einen formelleren Charakter erhält:
Beispiel
If I was/were younger, I'd go back to university and study for a proper degree.
Weitere Effekte, die durch were anstelle von was erzielt werden:
Du kannst betonen, dass es sich um ein reines Gedankenspiel handelt: If I were king, you'd be my queen.
Du kannst einen Rat geben: If I were you, I'd not go there today.
Du kannst begründen, warum etwas (nicht) passiert ist: If it were not for my friend Paul, I'd still be unemployed.
Eine weitere Variation, mit der du deinen Ausdruck bereichern kannst, besteht im Ersetzen des Verbs im past simple mit einer Kombination aus was/were + to-infinitive:
Beispiel
If I asked her, I am sure she'd tell us. -> If I were to ask her, I am sure she'd tell us.
Als letzten Hinweis zu Variationsmöglichkeiten möchte ich dich noch auf die äußerst formell wirkende Bildung des Typ 2 aufmerksam machen, die sogar ohne if auskommt:
Beispiel
Normal: If the government reduced the income tax, people'd have more money to spend.
were + to-infinitive: If the government were to reduce the income tax, people'd have more money to spend.
were + to-infinitive ohne if: Were the government to reduce the income tax, people'd have more money to spend.
Auch beim Typ 2 kannst du die Zeiten variieren. Diesmal aber nur außerhalb des if-clause.
Beispiel
Progresive: If my friend Paul, who is a carpenter, were here now, he would be helping us with the wood work.
Perfect: If my friend Paul, who is a carpenter, were in town, he would have helped us with the wood work yesterday.
Hinweis
"who is a carpenter" -> defining oder non-defining relative clause?
Verwendung (Use)
Am Häufigsten wird Typ 2 benutzt, um über Unmögliches bzw. bloß Vorgestelltes zu sprechen:
Beispiel
If I had longer arms, I would be better at table tennis.
Wenn er für etwas Mögliches eingesetzt wird und dabei Typ 1 ersetzt, klingt die Aussage zögerlicher und weniger verbindlich. Vergleiche:
Beispiel
Typ 1: If you go by train, you will get there quicker. Der Sprecher ist sich seiner Sache sicher.
Typ 2: If you went by train, you would get there quicker. Der Sprecher ist unsicher, weil er bspw. Verspätungen für möglich hält und gibt einen vorsichtigen Rat.
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