Sookmyung Women`s University

Graduate School of TESOL

Approaches to English Grammar

Stephen van Vlack

Observations and comments on Yule (1998) Explaining English Grammar chapter 5, Conditionals.

       Yule starts us off by breaking the conditional down into two main groups which are later split again, making four groups in all. These groups are:

Real                                                                 Unreal

factual                                                 hypothetical

predictive                                                        counterfactual

These groups can be identified by their verbal patterns (and in this respect they follow Yule`s ideas about the way tenses work and the theory of remoteness/probability) which in a profound way affect their meaning. These meaning differences can best be contextualized, by imagining each types of conditional as coming as a response to a different question.

What happens if .........? (factual)

What will happen if ............? (predicative)

What would happen if ...........? (hypothetical)

What would have happened if .........? (counterfactual)

Here are some examples. Answer the questions below.

a. What happens if you pinch a baby?

b. What will happen if you drink 10 big beers on an empty stomach?

c. What would happen if an elephant were to step on your foot?

d. What would have happened if you had actually managed to smuggle the hungry baby crocodile aboard the airplane by keeping it down your pants?

       Having broken the conditional down into groups based on their syntax and basic meaning differences, Yule gives us the major functional categories that are covered by conditionals. They are:

Restating - Real conditionals

Contrasting - Real and Unreal conditionals

Listing Alternatives - predictive conditionals

Giving Examples - Real and Unreal conditionals

Conditionals also have the added general function of either uncertainty or politeness.

Now, think of some examples based on the above functions and forms.

End weight is another idea that Yule introduces in this unit. The basic idea behind this is that things that are heavy are moved to the end of the sentence. This is a tendency and not rule and only occurs when the meaning is left intact.

`John, a good friend of mine, beat the hell out of Bob` cannot become `John beat the hell out of Bob, a good friend of mine.`

       This is basically all Yule has to say about conditions except for the fact that there are certain exceptional uses of conditionals when used with words like `only` and `even`. I do not know why he includes this section to the chapter because the meanings of these expressions are not exceptional given the meanings of `only` and `even`.

        The most important thing he explores or points out in this section is the division of the conditional into four different units based on their syntax and meaning. That this fits into the systems that he has already discussed in the first four units is nice and makes it all easier to understand. It also makes explanation easier and quicker.