I've tried to figure out the difference between "if" and "even if". My reasoning is as follows. Do I correctly understand?
- Even if your partner were a saint, he would not accept your proposal.
=Even your partner is a saint. Regardless of it, he doesn’t accept your proposal.
or
=Even your partner will be a saint. Regardless of it, he will not accept your proposal.
.
- Even if you had not seen the message, you could have imagined what it meant.
=Even you didn't see the message. In spite of it, you imagined what it meant.
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The reason why I thought as above is because of the following.
When "If" is used in second type conditional, If clause has an unreal or hypothetical condition/situation, and a main clause is a possible result from if clause. It is kind of < cause-and-effect relationship >.
No condition in If clause take places and then no result in the main clause follows.
e.g.)
If I had a partner, I would go to a dancing party.
=I don't/will not have any partner, and I cannot go to a dancing party.
However, “even if” is a condition but is not one relevant to a main clause. They are NOT < cause-and-effect relationship.>.
Even if clause doesn't impact on a content of a main clause. The under-written "even if clause + main cause" can be paraphrased like these with indicative moods.
- Even if your partner were a saint, he would not accept your proposal.
=Even you are partner are a saint. Regardless of it, he doesn't accept your proposal.
.
- Even if you had not seen the message, you could have imagined what it meant.
=Even you didn't see the message. In spite of it, you imagined what it meant.