Remember the Si Clause?

Hey everybody - I wanted to give you a quick lesson on the si clause.  It is mainly for advanced students, but even you rookies should start seeing this grammar tool.

The si clauses are made up of two separate clauses - a past subjunctive clause followed by a conditional clause.  These kinds of statements are known to grammar experts as contrary-to-fact clauses, as well.

Note the following examples with translations.  If you need extra help, or you really want to learn this subject matter, buy a $10 one hour lesson!  Baratísimo....

Si Juan tuviera un plan, esto no sucedería.  If Juan had a plan, this wouldn't have happened.  

Si yo ganara la lotería, compraría un avión Cessna.  If I won the lottery, I would buy a Cessna airplane.  

Si el gobierno supiera ahorrar dinero, no estaríamos en una crisis económica.  If the government knew how to save money, we wouldn't be in an economic crisis.