Conditional clauses and the shape of HAVE

Abstract

A conditional sentence consists of two parts: a condition and a consequent. The consequent is realized as a matrix clause, and the condition is realized as a subordinate clause (as part of the matrix consequent). In the Nordic languages, the condition may either have the shape of a regular subordinate clause (1a), or it may be verb-initial (1b). [...] The ScanDiaSyn survey included a sentence that tested word order after an initial condition, and a sentence with a verb-initial condition with a reduced or present tense form of HAVE and a (present) counterfactual reading. In addition, the Swedish part of the survey included a counterfactual with a simple preterite or past subjunctive in the condition and skulle ‘would’ in the consequent, as well as a corresponding sentence with skulle ‘would’ also in the condition. Results from the Nordic Syntax Database (Lindstad et al. 2009) and the Nordic Dialect Corpus (Johannessen et al. 2009) are presented below.