Clausula Si + Subjunctive Sentense

Question

               **Si alguien encuentra mi cartera le sería fácil devolvérmela.**

Who thinks this is correct and who thinks this is incorrect ?

...it would be easy to return it to me = sería fácil (note the accent) devolvérmela (note the accent). You would use the infinitive, no subjunctive necessary. - Jubilado, Jan 20, 2016

I agree, Jubilado. - annierats, Jan 20, 2016

Answer 1

How would you feel about this ?

Es possible que el equivocara. ( presente mixed with past subjunctive) instead of

Era possible que el equivocara or es possible que el haya equivocado.

If you have present tense in your main clause you need present perfect or present perfect subjunctive in the subjunctive clause. And it is reflexive. "Es posible que él se equivoque." or - Daniela2041, Jan 21, 2016

es posible que (él) se haya equivocado. There was a long discussion about this on another post. - Daniela2041, Jan 21, 2016

Thanks Daniela. - annierats, Jan 21, 2016

I don't think the first sentence can be understood, actually.( on account of the loss of the 'se' and the unusual structure. - annierats, Jan 21, 2016

Answer 2

It's correct, I think, but you could also say ' Si alguien encontrara .. ( if anybody were to find) .

Sorry, I didn't see the end of the sentence, it is not showing on my internet connextion. - annierats, Jan 20, 2016

That is the answer I was expecting and what we all seem to get taught. - TessaCoe, Jan 20, 2016

Yes, but a positive si phrase in the present doesn't take the subjunctive so that is correct. - annierats, Jan 21, 2016

Answer 3

The rules as taught will generally say.

SI + presente + presente o futuro

or

Si + past subjunctive + conditional.

and here we have

Si+ presente + conditional.

This will almost always be classified as incorrect by teachers. However I am assured that it is correct.

As a native speaker and a teacher I use "si + presente + presente/futuro." You can go ahead and use what you want, you'll be understood as some do say it this way, buti it still incorrect like a lot of mistakes I hear English speakers make in English. - Daniela2041, Jan 20, 2016

I find it amazing that you reject what your teachers tell you. Hm! - Daniela2041, Jan 21, 2016

Answer 4

I find it amazing that you reject what your teachers tell you. Hm! - Daniela2041 8 mins ago flag !!!

And that is the point. My teacher said using si + presente + conditional was correct, I was adamant that it was not as all my teachers have taught me si + past subjunctive + conditional

So to solve the dispute my teacher wrote to the RAE -- Royal Acadamy of Spanish you are the guardians and ultimate authority on the language and they said

si + presente + conditional, but we would need to use a comma if it was written.

Si alguien encuentra mi cartera,,,,,,,,comma,,,,,,,,,, le sería fácil devolvérmela

That is why I found the sentence so interesting as does not accord with Daniela a native speaker, nor 99% of teachers, but the RAE said it is correct.

HI, Tessa, I got your PM, with the same message. I think I may have explained a little better in my return. This is a verhy interesting point of grammar. - Daniela2041, Jan 21, 2016

"very" that is. - Daniela2041, Jan 21, 2016