Unit 11.1

Conditional Adverbial Subordinate Adverbial Sentences

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Introduction

The subordinate clause [oración subordinada] is a compound sentence structurally dependent on another sentence’s nucleus, called the main sentence [oración principal].

There are three types of subordinate clauses: noun, adjective (or relative) and adverbial [sustantivas, adjetivas (o de relativo) y adverbiales].

Adverbial subordinate clauses [oraciones subordinadas adverbiales] express a circumstance of the main verb. Conditional adverbial subordinate sentences [oraciones subordinadas adverbiales condicionales] indicate a necessary and indispensable condition for what the main sentence says to happen, to which a nexus connects them.

Form

Conditional adverbial subordinate clauses usually are connected to the main sentence with the conjuction si.

The subordinate clauses comes first together with the nexus si called a protasis, and the main sentence is called apodosis.

Conditional adverbial sentences can have two structures:
Si + subordinate clause (protasis) + , + main sentence (apodosis).

Main sentence + si + subordinate clause.

The protasis is in the present indicative.

NOTE: The conjunction si (without accent) joins the main sentence with the subordinate sentence; its function is to introduce a condition. On the other hand, the word (with an accent) is the adverb for positive answers.

Example

  • Si tienes alguna duda puedes escribir en el foro;
  • Si me envías un mensaje electrónico más te bloquearé para siempre;
  • Si veis a mi perro por algún lado, mandadme un mensaje por favor;
  • Si te digo que dijo eso de verdad, es porque lo vi en el chat;
  • Si cogemos el hotel en Madrid, tendremos que buscar la dirección en internet.

Use

Conditional subordinate adverbial sentences indicate a necessary and indispensable condition for the fulfilment of what is expressed in the main sentence.

Summary

Conditional sentences indicate a necessary and indispensable condition for what the main sentence says to happen.

In Spanish, the structures are:
Si + subordinate clause + , + main sentence
Main sentence + si + subordinate clause.

For example:
— «Si no comes la sopa, no te voy a dar el postre» = comerse la sopa is the condition set for the main sentence to occur dar el postre;
— «No te voy a dar el postre, si no comes la sopa.» = for the main sentence to occur, dar el postre the condition of comerse la sopa must be given.

Check the contents of the {Form} section. Then move on to the {Example} section, which shows you the usage in context.

Exercises


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