Game: If...then...

Question

Post a picture and caption of something that is not, but if it was, things would be totally different.

Above the picture, post the if and below the picture, post the then.

I don't know if that made any sense, so here is an example.

...the earth was square...

...la tierra era cuadrado...

... ships would disappear without a trace.

...los barcos desaparecerían sin rastro...

Actor, thi is hypthetical, a case for the subjunctive: Si la tierra fuera cuadrado los barcos desaparecerían.. I think, anyway. - annierats, Mar 19, 2014

Hypothetical, I mean, typo. Nice idea. - annierats, Mar 19, 2014

thanks. I will change it. :) - actorgirl, Mar 19, 2014

the earth is round and planes disappear. - heliotropeman, Mar 20, 2014

:P - actorgirl, Mar 20, 2014

Answer 1

If life could move backwards, we would start out knowing everything.

Si fuera posible que la vida pudiera comenzar al final, naceríamos saber todos.

that's a good one! - actorgirl, Mar 19, 2014

Ain't that the truth! - gringojrf, Mar 19, 2014

well done, just a couple of suggestions. naceríamos (for we would be born) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 20, 2014

and si fuera ;) (you need the imperfect subjunctive after si for hypothetical situations) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 20, 2014

Some think they do anyway. lol - rac1, Mar 20, 2014

Thanks for your help Kiwi! - 007c5fc1, Mar 20, 2014

:) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 20, 2014

' clever-clogs' might be a good translation? - annierats, Mar 23, 2014

Answer 2

If I were twenty feet tall, I wouldn't fit in my house.

Si tuviera veinte pies de altura, no cabría en mi casa.

(Please correct my Spanish.)

Nice job :) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 20, 2014

Muy bien! - annierats, Mar 21, 2014

Answer 3

Si yo hubiera sido más macho esto no habría pasado.

If I had been more ' macho' this wouldn't have happened .

Please correct! - annierats, Mar 19, 2014

this is a great one annie!!! - actorgirl, Mar 19, 2014

He forgot to strut his stuff. :=-) - 007c5fc1, Mar 19, 2014

well done Annie, you are the pro at these kinds of sentences :) (perhaps just 'esto' as it's an abstract 'this') - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 20, 2014

He looks like he strutted to much. jeje - rac1, Mar 20, 2014

Thanks Kiwi. Yes, rac, he asked for trouble, you can see has not yet accepted defeat, in spite of all that went wrong. It' was the other bloke's fault. - annierats, Mar 21, 2014

Answer 4

Good on you for pushing your boundaries Actor Girl, this actually involves a rather advanced grammar topic so it's lucky that you have Annie looking in on the thread as she's rather an expert on this topic.

She's quite right that your sentence should read - 'si la tierra fuera (imperfect subjunctive) + the condiitonal. This is an example of what's known as a 2nd conditional sentence where the hypothetical or unlikely present action or situation is presented using the imperfect subjunctive with the result clause in the conditional.

I'm just putting the finishing touches on a lesson on this subject that I'll share on SD in case it'll help anyone and I also plan to make a quiz but in the meantime all the best for your thread.

thanks! - actorgirl, Mar 20, 2014

You sure made me smile, Kiwi! You know how long this took me... - annierats, Mar 21, 2014

Answer 5

If I had cooked the candy longer, it would not have been too runny to eat.

Si hubiera cocinado el dulce más el caramelo, no fuera habría sido demasiado líquido para comer.

How about ... si hubiera cocinado más el caramelo no habría sido demasiado líquido para comer. - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 23, 2014

Hi Katy, nice tosee you. - annierats, Mar 23, 2014

Thanks Kiwi. Annie, I've been a busy bee lately. - katydew, Mar 24, 2014

Answer 6

Si + present tense + future tense

For events that will occur in the future if the condition is met in the present.

Thank you! Grat help, I have problems with transfering my knowledge, such a sit is, to the future. Thanks, Good example. - annierats, Mar 23, 2014

Answer 7

¡Si hubiera apostado al negro entonces habría sido rica! (Por favor, corrija si es necesario)

If I had bet on black, then I would have been rich! (please correct if needed)

Never knew you were a gambler! Possibly, me hubiera hecho rica, but that is up to Kiwi to say, good job we have Kiwi! - annierats, Mar 21, 2014

Both work there Annie, hubiera and habría :) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 23, 2014

Great Kiwi, thanks. - annierats, Mar 23, 2014

Answer 8

Si yo fuera un perro, comería sólo la mejor comida para los perros

If I were a dog, I would only eat the best quality dog food.

Good job, just one little agreement, 'la mejor comida' ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 23, 2014

ahhh yes, edited. Thanks Kiwi! :-) - mark1118, Mar 23, 2014

de nada :) - Kiwi-Girl, Mar 23, 2014

Answer 9

A little help (I hope)

Hola todos,

lately I've been working on a lesson to help advanced learners to understand when the subjunctive should and shouldn't be used after si and I thought it might help those playing this game.

I shall make a quiz to match asap.

Todos mis mejores deseos.

Si clauses, como si and when to follow 'si' with the subjunctive.