Part 215

I would he were still alive!

+~Möchte~ er bald kommen!+

Would he might soon come!

§ 35. It must always be remembered that both moods (the Indicative and the Subjunctive) may stand in Principal Clauses as well as in Subordinate Clauses, since their use depends alone on the nature of the statement we wish to make (see § 25). Nor has the notion connected with the verb standing in the principal clause an absolute influence on the mood to be used in the subordinate clause. The Indicative stands in subordinate clauses not merely after verbs expressing Certainty, but also after such as denote Belief, Supposition, and Doubt, when the statement contained in the subordinate clause is represented objectively, i.e. as being based upon a fact, or as being, in the speaker’s opinion, not open to any doubt. So we say—

+Ich glaube, daß er in der Schlacht geblieben ~ist~+ (not +sei+).

I believe that he was killed in battle.

+Ich weiß nicht, ob er ~lebt~, oder ob er tot ~ist~.+

I do not know whether he is alive, or whether he is dead.

+Ich zweifle, daß der Kranke ~genesen wird~.+

I doubt if the patient will recover.

+Ich hoffe, daß er sich wohl ~befindet~.+

I hope that he is well.

But when the statement contained in the subordinate clause is represented subjectively, i.e. as being based upon a mere idea or belief, the correctness of which is still open to doubt, the Subjunctive must be used; as—

+Man glaubt, man sagt+, etc., +er ~sei~ in der Schlacht geblieben.+

People believe, people say, etc., that he was killed in battle, (but it is still doubtful).

+Er fürchtet, daß man ihn verraten ~habe~.+

He is afraid that they have betrayed him, (yet he does not know).

D. THE CONDITIONAL MOOD.

§ 36. The Conditional is the mood for representing a state or an event as dependent on another, which other, however, is not based upon a real fact, but is a mere hypothesis or supposition. As such we use not only the First and Second Conditional (+ich würde+, etc.), as given in the tables of verbs, but also the Imperfect and Pluperfect Subjunctive. The latter two, in fact, may be called the simple forms of the Conditional Mood, and the former (+ich würde+, etc.) the compound forms. Every true conditional statement consists of two clauses: (a) the hypothetical clause, which contains the supposition, (b) the conditioning clause, which contains the inference drawn from that supposition; as—

If I had money (hypothetical clause),

I should like to travel (conditioning clause).

The Imperfect and Pluperfect Subjunctive may be used in both clauses, but the First and Second Conditional (+ich würde+, etc.—see the tables of verbs) can only be used in conditioning clauses.

The conditioning clause is often introduced by »+so+.«

EXAMPLES.

+Wenn ich Geld ~hätte~, ~ginge~ ich gern auf Reisen+ (or +~würde~ ich gern auf Reisen gehen+).

If I had money, I should like to travel.

+Wenn es heute schönes Wetter ~gewesen wäre~, so ~würden wir ausgegangen sein~.+

If the weather had been fine to-day, we should have gone out.