仮定法 — 〜がなければ、〜がなかったら
「〜がなければ／なかったら」はIf it were not for 〜 / If it had not been for 〜で表し、倒置形(Were it not for 〜 / Had it not been for 〜)や without 〜 / but for 〜 に置き換えられます。ある対象がないと仮定して、その対象の重要性を強調します。
概念の説明
「〜がなければ／なかったら」はIf it were not for 〜 / If it had not been for 〜で表し、倒置形(Were it not for 〜 / Had it not been for 〜)や without 〜 / but for 〜 に置き換えられます。ある対象がないと仮定して、その対象の重要性を強調します。
A. 現在なければ — If it were not for / Were it not for / Without / But for
「今〜がなければ」という現在の事実の反対は、If it were not for 〜 構文が基本で、倒置形の Were it not for 〜 または Without 〜 / But for 〜 に置き換えられます。後の主節には would / could / might + 動詞の原形が続きます。If it were not for = Were it not for = Without = But for。
| 形 | 格式度 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| If it were not for | 標準 | If it were not for air, we would die. |
| Were it not for | 格式・文語 | Were it not for air, we would die. |
| Without | 日常・会話 | Without air, we would die. |
| But for | 格式 | But for air, we would die. |
- If it were not for coffee, I couldn't wake up. (コーヒーがなければ、私は起きられません。)
- Were it not for your patience, this project would fail. (あなたの忍耐がなければ、このプロジェクトは失敗するでしょう。)
- Without the internet, life would be very different. (インターネットがなければ、生活は全く違うでしょう。)
- But for the rain, we could enjoy the picnic. (雨さえなければ、私たちはピクニックを楽しめるのに。)
B. 過去になかったら — If it had not been for / Had it not been for / Without / But for
「そのとき〜がなかったら」という過去の事実の反対は、If it had not been for 〜 構文が基本で、倒置形の Had it not been for 〜 または Without 〜 / But for 〜 に置き換えられます。主節には would / could / might + have + 過去分詞が続きます。If it had not been for = Had it not been for = Without = But for。
| 形 | 格式度 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| If it had not been for | 標準 | If it had not been for him, I would have quit. |
| Had it not been for | 格式・文語 | Had it not been for him, I would have quit. |
| Without | 日常・会話 | Without him, I would have quit. |
| But for | 格式 | But for him, I would have quit. |
- If it had not been for your advice, I would have made a big mistake. (あなたのアドバイスがなかったら、私は大きな失敗をしていたでしょう。)
- Had it not been for the alarm, I would have overslept. (アラームがなかったら、私は寝坊していたでしょう。)
- Without her support, we couldn't have finished the project. (彼女の支援がなかったら、私たちはプロジェクトを終えられなかったでしょう。)
- But for the doctor, he might have died. (その医者がいなかったら、彼は死んでいたかもしれません。)
C. Without / But for は2つの時制両方に使える
Without 〜 / But for 〜 は形が時制と無関係なので、現在の反対か過去の反対かは、主節の助動詞の時制だけで判断します。would + 動詞の原形なら現在の反対、would have + 過去分詞なら過去の反対です。
| 主節の助動詞 | 時制の判断 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| would / could / might + 動詞の原形 | 現在の反対 | Without you, I would be lost. |
| would / could / might + have + 過去分詞 | 過去の反対 | Without you, I would have been lost. |
- Without you, my life would be empty. (あなたがいなければ、私の人生は空虚でしょう。)
- Without you, my life would have been empty. (あなたがいなかったら、私の人生は空虚だったでしょう。)
- But for his help, I couldn't finish the work. (彼の助けがなければ、私はその仕事を終えられません。)
- But for his help, I couldn't have finished the work. (彼の助けがなかったら、私はその仕事を終えられなかったでしょう。)
重要ポイント
- 1現在なければ = If it were not for = Were it not for = Without = But forで、主節には would / could / might + 動詞の原形が来ます。
- 2過去になかったら = If it had not been for = Had it not been for = Without = But forで、主節には would / could / might + have + 過去分詞が続きます。
- 3Without と But for は時制と無関係で、現在の反対か過去の反対かは主節の助動詞の形で決まります。(例: Without you, I would be lost / Without you, I would have been lost)
- 4Were it not for と Had it not been for は格式体・文語体で、会話では Without のほうがずっと自然です。But for は格式体ですが、会話でもときどき使われます。
- 5会話の If it wasn't for は許容されますが、格式体では If it were not for が原則です。If it had been for のように not を落としてはいけません。