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iii. SummaryThe forms of the Subjunctive most commonly used in subordinate clauses expressingfalse or improbable conditions are summarized in the followi ng table.Referring ToPresent orfuture timePast timeVerb in Subordinate ClauseSimple Past Subjunctiveor Past Continuous Subjunctivee.g. If you started now, you would arrive on time.Past Perfect Subjunctiveor Past Perfect Continuous Subjunctivee.g. If you had started yesterday, you would have arrived on time.See Exercise 12.c. Changing a statement containing a probable condition into a statement containingan improbable conditionA statement containing a probable condition can be changed into a statementcontaining an improbable condition, by changing the forms of the verbs.For instance, in each of the following pairs of examples, the first statement contains aprobable condition; whereas the second statement contains an improbable condition.The verbs in the subordinate clauses and main clauses are underlined.Probable: If he is here now, we will gi ve him the book.Improbable: If he were here now, we would gi ve him the book.Probable: If I have time tonight, I will help you with your homework.Improbable: If I had time tonight, I would help you with your homework.In these examples, he is here now and I have time tonight express probableconditions; whereas he were here now and I had time tonight express improbableconditions.These examples illustrate how, when referring to non· continuous actions in present orfuture time, a statement containing a probable condition can be changed into astatement containing an improbable condition. The verb in the subordinate clause ischanged from the Simple Present Indicative to the Simple Past Subjunctive; and theverb in the main clause is changed from the Simple Future to the Simple conjugationwith would.See Exercise 13.It is sometimes said that when a verb is in the Indicative Mood, the use of a past tenseindicates remoteness in terms of time; however, when a verb is in the SubjunctiveMood, the use of a past tense indicates remoteness in terms of probability.

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