MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

HÀ THỊ PHƯƠNG THÚY

A STUDY OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES IN THE NOVEL
“JANE EYRE” BY CHARLOTTE BRONTE AND THEIR
VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS
(NGHIÊN CỨU CÂU ĐIỀU KIỆN TRONG TÁC PHẨM VĂN HỌC “JANE EYRE” CỦA NHÀ
VĂN CHARLOTTE VÀ TƯƠNG ĐƯƠNG TIẾNG VIỆT)

M.A. THESIS

Field: English Language
Code: 60220201
Hanoi, 2015


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

HÀ THỊ PHƯƠNG THÚY

A STUDY OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES IN THE NOVEL
“JANE EYRE” BY CHARLOTTE BRONTE AND THEIR
VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS
(NGHIÊN CỨU CÂU ĐIỀU KIỆN TRONG TÁC PHẨM VĂN HỌC “JANE EYRE” CỦA NHÀ
VĂN CHARLOTTE VÀ TƯƠNG ĐƯƠNG TIẾNG VIỆT)

M.A. THESIS


completed without the help, inspiration and moral support of many
people. I would like to thank them all here.
This work owes its existence to my supervisor Dr. Dang Ngoc
Huong who opened my eyes to the complexity of conditionals. From him
I have learned more than I could have ever done the work alone. He read
through my work and gave advice and made comments that provided
justification for my work. His guidance and positive criticism helped to
give shape to this work. I am grateful to him.
My thanks also go to all lecturers of the Faculty of Graduated Studies,
Hanoi Open University who taught me valuable lessons.
I would like to thank my beloved family members who inspired,
encouraged and fully supported me. Without their love and dedication, this
academic work would not be translated into reality.
Last but not least, I would like to gratefully acknowledge support and
encouragement of my classmates and friends who willingly helped me to
accomplish this thesis in many aspects.

 
 
 
 

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ABSTRACT
This thesis discusses about the English conditional sentences in the
novel” Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte. The research is conducted to
examine the structures and usage of conditional sentences in English, find
out all kinds of conditional sentences being employed in this novel and its

Chart 4.1: Classification of zero conditional sentences..................................40
Chart 4.2: The frequency of basic types of conditional sentences in the novel52
Chart 4.3: The appearance of modal verbs can, could, shall, may in
conditional sentences ......................................................................................55
Chart 4.4: The appearance of modal verbs must, should, might in conditional
sentences .........................................................................................................55
Table 2.1: The Zero conditional with the same tense in both clauses..........18
Table 2.2: The First conditional sentences (also called type 1)...................19
Table 2.3: The Second conditional sentences (also called type 2) ..............19
Table 2.4: The Third conditional sentences (also called type 3) .................20
Table 2.5: Types of English Conditional Sentences and their basic syntactic
features ............................................................................................................22
Table 2.6: Types of Mixed English Conditional Sentences ...........................22
Table 4.1: The summary of the ways of translating English conditional
sentences based on pragmatic functions .........................................................61
 

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certificate of originality................................................................................... i
Acknowledgements......................................................................................... ii
Abstract .......................................................................................................... iii
List of tables and figures................................................................................ iv
Definition of key technical terms ................................................................... v
Chapter I. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Rationale for the research ..................................................................... 4

3.3 Summary of the chapter...................................................................... 34
CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS .................................. 36
4.1 The forms of conditional sentences in the novel and its Vietnamese
equivalents ................................................................................................ 37
4.1.1 The basic types of conditional sentences in the novel and its
Vietnamese equivalents ............................................................................ 38
4.1.1.1 The zero conditional sentences ............................................... 38
4.1.1.2 The first conditional sentences ................................................ 40
4.1.1.3 The second conditional sentences ............................................ 43
4.1.1.4 The third conditional sentences ............................................... 48
4.1.1.5 The mixed conditional sentences.............................................. 50
4.1.2 The features of modal verbs in conditional sentences used in the
novel ………............................................................................................. 52
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4.2 The pragmatic functions of conditional sentences in the novel and its
Vietnamese equivalent…………………………………………………...56
4.3 Implications for translating conditional sentences in the novel ......... 62
4.3.1 Some mistakes that learners often have in using English
conditional sentences in the novel.…………………………………62
4.3.2 The ways to help learners overcome difficulties in translating
English conditional sentences in the novel….…………………..……62
4.4 Summary of the chapter...................................................................... 65
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ................................................................. 67
5.1 Recapitulation .................................................................................... 67
5.2 Concluding remarks........................................................................... 67

conditional sentences are considered one of the most difficult issues for
nonnative speakers of English. English conditional structure plays an
important part in English Grammar and mastering it contributes greatly to
the students’ English performance. English conditionals require coordination
of verb forms in both the “ if” and the result clauses and the fact that verb
forms often do not retain their normal temporal meaning makes it even more
complex. Although the various conditional forms might seem quite abstract
at first, they are actually some of the most useful structures in English and
are commonly included in daily conversations. 
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For the above reasons, the main aim of this paper is to examine the
structures and usage of conditional sentences in English and Vietnamese in
the novel “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte. The author will find out all kinds
of conditional sentences being employed in this novel and its Vietnamese
equivalents and then discuss as well as suggest some implications related to
translating English conditional sentences to Vietnamese learners. The writer
hopes this will be a useful references for both teachers of English and
learners. 
1. 2 Aims of the research 
The study is expected to offer an overview of English conditional
sentences by means of descriptive and contrastive methods through the novel
“Jane Eyre” and then to provide Vietnamese learners with the deeper
understanding of English conditional sentences and some ways to help them
overcome the difficulties in translating them.
1. 3 Objectives of the research 

these conditional sentences and its Vietnamese equivalents. Last but not
least, the paper suggests some implications for translating English
conditional sentences.  
1. 6 Structure of Thesis 
Chapter I: Introduction 
Provides rationale of the study, research problems, aims and objectives
of the research, the significance of the study and the scope of the research. 
Chapter II: Literature Review 
Summarizes, synthesizes and reviews critical points of relevant
published works. Concepts that are mentioned in the theoretical background
of interpreting include: overview of mood, tense and English conditional
sentences. 
Chapter III: Methodology  
Explains what methods are employed for data collection and analysis,
looks at the selection of subjects and the procedures of data collection and
analysis. 
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Chapter IV: Findings and discussions  
Finds out the basic types and most common forms of conditional
sentences that appeare in the novel as well as their pragmatic functions, the
frequency of conditional sentences and its Vietnamese equivalents. Then,
lists out the current mistakes of using conditional sentences and suggests
some implications for translating English conditional sentences. 
Chapter V: Conclusion  
Summarizes the main features of conditional sentences in answer to

talked about mix type such as 1-3, 2-3, 3-2.  
In universal grammar, the linguisticians such as Fillmore (1986),
Langacker (1987), Sweetser have applied prototype theory on linguistic
analyses. Eve Sweetser, in From Etymology to Pragmatics (1990) classified
conditional semantics according to the three domains she speaks of in that
book, the content domain, the epistemic domain, and the speech act domain.
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Content-based conditionals are understood by relating the content of the two
clauses to each other. A typical way in which content conditionals can be
understood is for the "P" clause to identify a situation which causes or
automatically results in the state of affairs signaled by the "Q" clause. 
Grammar books agree that there are three or four main types of
conditional clauses. Quirk et al (A Comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language) distinguished four main types such as the Zero (Cause and
Effect) Conditional, the First (Open) Conditional, the Second (Unreal)
Conditional and the Third Conditional. 
2.1.2 Previous researches in Vietnam 
Dang Thi Huong (Practical English Grammar,1998) approached the
conditions from the view of two separation clauses and Mood categories.
Specifically, the authors suggested that the IF clause was divided into two
categories, depending on the speaker's conception, the indicative and
Subjunctive (based on the correlation of tense and time); the main clause
included Infinitive and Modal and would be changed if it referred to the past,
present or future. This system came from the perspective of theory and
conditional problem was solved flexibly. However, when applied in practice,

 

This relation is established by the speaker who may wish to present an
action as a real fact or as a command (a request) or as something unreal,
something that does not exist in reality.  
V. Vinogradov also expressed the same idea in another way: “Mood
expresses the relation of the action to reality as stated by the speaker”.  
2.2.3.2 Types of Mood  
There have been a lot of opinions about the difficult types of mood but
the most common view is that in modern English there are three moods:
Indicative , Imperative mood and Subjunctive mood.
a) Indicative Mood

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According to llyish (1971), the use of the Indicative Mood shows that
the speakers (or writers) present the action or real. Most of what we have
said is in the indicative mood, most of what anyone says or writes is in the
indicative mood. So, this is the most common mood used in any language.
We can use indicative mood to give information (I like reading poetry, we
had dinner at six…), to express opinions (I think she is a good student,…) to
make promises (I shall do everything I can help you,…)  
b) Imperative Mood
The imperative Mood is the plain stem of the verb. It may be used in
the affirmative (Sit down!) and in the negative form (Don’t go out!, Don’t be
a fool!) If we want to make a command or request more expressive, we use

The past Subjunctive in English consist of the past Subjunctive which
is identical with the simple past tense indicative, except that the verb “to be”
has “were” for all persons and the past perfect Subjunctive which is identical
in form with the past perfect indicative. The past Subjunctive is used in
conditional clauses implying a negative, or in clause in which the condition
is combined with improbability or unreality.  
Examples: 
If I were you I should accept the offer.
If I had worked harder, I wouldn’t have failed the exam.  
Futhermore, the past subjunctive is also used after such expressions
as:  
- I wish that… ( I wish he visited us more often)  
- Suppose that…(Suppose (that) the teacher caught us wasting time) 
Summary

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Indicative mood 

Imperative Mood

Mood 
 

 


2.2.2.2

Types of tense

a) Present tenses
Comrie (1988:37) states that the present moment is a location fixed in
the time line. Thus, the present tense is the location of the situation at that
point. Yet, this seems somehow a controversial argument since
situations that coincide with the present moment are rare. However, such
rare situations do occur. Comrie gives an example with a performative
verb:  I promise to pay you ten pounds. 
Comrie (Ibid.: 38) adds that one of the most interesting characteristics
of the present tense is that it can be used to refer to situations that occupy a
much longer period of time than the present moment, including the present
moment. 
Example: The Eiffel Tower stands in Paris. 
b) Past tenses
The past tense is used when the happening state, action or event
is related to a definite time in the past, a point that may be called ' then '.The
past tense is the marked member of the opposition past/ present, as Fowler
(1974:42) suggests that tense in English has only two values from a formal
point of view, i.e., [ ± past ] avoiding the use of ' present ' in tense
opposition. A sentence is either marked ( + past ) or unmarked ( - past ). 
c) Futurity
Traditional grammarians divide time into threefold opposition, i.e.,
past, present and future, while structuralists, being more committed to
form than to meaning, reject the term ' future tense ' because there is no verb
form that can denote future time like the two forms representing past/ present
respectively. 
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15
 
 
 


 

Present tenses 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Past tenses 

Tense 
 

 
 

Futurity 

 
 
 

This section deals with various types of conditionals clauses that
exist in English. The mood of the verb is the key element in identifying the
type of condition, certain constructions are fairly standard. The verb
forms are a salient feature in the description of conditionals and later the
classification. The classification of the types of conditionals identified
as shown subsequently is dependent on the various verb forms used in
both the protasis (antecedent) and the apodosis (consequent). The
identification, classification and discussion done in this study is in
conformity with most grammarians on conditionals such as (Young,
1989), Goodwin cited in (Fintel, 2012), and whose classification of
conditional sentences is based on the verb in the protasis, Robertson also
cited in (Fintel, 2012) whose classification basically follows that of
Gildersleeve in classical Greek by identifying four types of conditionals,
each determined by the mood of the protasis. Depending on which book of
grammar one consults, one will find three, four or more English
conditional sentence types referred to (and with slightly different names
for each), but generally, one can say that there are four that are most
recognized. These are the zero conditional, the first conditional, the
second conditional, the third conditional and the mix conditional.
a) The zero conditional sentences
The zero conditional is a structure that expresses that something is
(or was) always true, that one action is (or was) always followed by
another. It is also used to talk about scientific facts - things which always
17
 
 
 


happen under certain conditions. It is worth pointing out that most zero

If+ [pas]

Past

[past]

Past

If

generic

you expose a candle to it melts.
excessive heat,
it means that he is very angry.
Peter is cursing,
she just stared into
the
Mary was sad,
distance.
Table 2.1: The Zero conditional sentences with the same tense in both clauses.

b) The first conditional sentences: real possibility
The first conditional sentence (also called conditional type 1) is a
structure used for talking about possibilities in the present or in the future.
In other words, it is possible and also very likely that the condition will be
fulfilled. Table 2.2 describes how this is realised.

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y
Real, possible
& probable

Pre/future
time
bound:
I will stay at homeexplicit

Table 2.2: The First conditional sentences (also called type 1)

c) The second conditional sentences: unreal possibility or dream
The Second Conditional (also called conditional type 2) is a
structure used to talk about unreal situations in the present or in the
future. It is used to talk about impossible situations. Table (3) shows how
this type of conditional is realised.
Form

Semantic Function

If-clause

Time ref
of clause

If+ past

Now

Main clause Time ref

words, it is used to talk about things which DID NOT HAPPEN in the
past. The action in the third conditional is characterized by impossibility

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