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In a cartoon (Peanuts) I saw the conditional 'If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this...'.

Can you explain me why it is the ‘first conditional’?

image of Peanuts comic

Laurel
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Maryachl
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    This just shows that ESL teachers are incorrect when they say that there are only three (four? five?) conditionals in English, and try to fit all conditionals to these templates. (Although I understand why they do it — simplifying complicated stuff makes it much easier to teach.) – Peter Shor May 07 '17 at 13:40
  • @PeterShor You know, I actually think it’s a veiled rewrite of condition type #IV from this list of conditional types. :) – tchrist May 07 '17 at 14:55
  • @tchrist: I don't think it's the same. When you try to rewrite it with "will", you get "If you will get any joy out of being depressed, you need to stand like this," which doesn't really convey the same meaning, that standing like this *causes* you to get joy out of being depressed. Add another one to your list. – Peter Shor May 07 '17 at 14:58
  • @PeterShor My thinking was that have to is like must for the second part, and for the first part will and going to are pretty close, although I did mean will in the volitional sense for #IV and going to is more of an epistemic thing. I'm happy to add more to the list though. – tchrist May 07 '17 at 15:00
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    I’m voting to close this question because it should be on ELL (though it's too old to migrate now). – alphabet Jul 15 '23 at 17:29

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