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German Grammar Guidebook

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Time vs "Reality"

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(5th of 5)

Whether real or unreal, the conditions and consequences may be situated in the past, present or future. The following sentences illustrate some combinations.

PAST
 

Real
If he was here, there will be footprints.
Unreal
If he had been here, there would have been footprints.

PRESENT
 

Real
If I have five dollars, you can have it.
Unreal
If I had five dollars, you could have it.

FUTURE
 

Real
If she takes her car, she will drive faster than Mike.
Unreal
If she were to take her car, she would drive faster than Mike.

Real conditions and consequences are expressed with the normal tense forms for present, past, and future time. These forms are called indicative, i.e. they indicate factual or plausible situations.

Unreal conditions and consequences are expressed with subjunctive forms; these forms express implausible or counterfactual circumstances.

In practice, German and English grammar does not always distinguish between present and future conditions. For this reason, only two categories of conditions are recognized: a) present-future; b) past.

PRESENT-FUTURE

Real (Indicative)
 

Wenn Sie kommen, bin ich hier.
If you are coming, I'll be here.

Unreal (Subjunctive)
 

Wenn Sie kommen würden, wäre ich hier.
If you were coming, I'd be here.

PAST

Real (Indicative)
 

Wenn Sie hier waren, konnten wir reden.
Whenever you were here, we were able to talk.

Unreal (Subjunctive)
 

Wenn Sie hier gewesen wären, hätten wir reden können.
If you had been here, we would have been able to talk.


Examples of Time vs "Reality"

  • Wenn ich Kleingeld habe, kannst du es haben.
  • Wenn ich Kleingeld hätte, könnten Sie es haben.