246. A "condition contrary to fact" indicates that the opposite of what
is mentioned has really taken place or is taking place. It expresses the
speaker's certainty that an act or state would have been realized, if
some other act or state were also realized. Such conditions cannot refer
to the future, but only to present or past time. The conditional mood is
used:
Se vi estus turninta vin, vi estus vidinta tion,
if you had turned, you would have seen that.
Se la malsekajxo ne estus densigxinta, ne estus pluvinte,
if the moisture had not condensed, it would not have rained.
Se li estus kaptita, li estus punita,
if he had been caught, he would have been punished.
Se li estus sidanta tie, mi vidus lin,
if he were (if he should be) sitting there, I should see him.
Se la gravitado ne ekzistus, tiu pluvo ne estus falanta,
if gravitation did not (should not) exist,
that rain would not be falling.