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N2Condition & Supposition

Conditionals: としたら vs 以上は vs たところで vs ものなら

The trap here is trying to judge "settled fact vs hypothetical" from verb tense — that fails. Use the もし insertion test instead: if you can naturally prepend もし, it is a genuine hypothetical.

The patterns

としたら/とすれば

supposing that; if we assume

彼の話が本当だとしたら、大変なことになる。

If what he says is true, we're in trouble.

以上は/上は/からには

now that; since (given this settled premise)

引き受けたからには、最後までやる。

Now that I've taken it on, I'll see it through.

た(だ)ところで

even if ~, it would be pointless

今さら後悔したところで、事態は変わらない。

Even if you regret it now, nothing changes.

ないことには

unless you ~, it won't work

実際に使ってみないことには、良さは分からない。

Unless you actually try it, you won't see how good it is.

さえ〜ば

as long as just ~

一日一回飲みさえすれば、効果がある。

As long as you take it once a day, it works.

可能形+ものなら

if only I could ~ (knowing it is unlikely)

行けるものなら行きたい。

If I could go, I would.

Decision procedure

1

Try putting もし in front of the first clause — does it read naturally?

Natural ("if ~ then")としたら/とすれば
Unnatural — can only mean "now that ~ is settled"以上は/上は/からには
2

What attitude does the second clause carry?

"Even doing it would be futile"た(だ)ところで
"Without doing it, nothing is possible"ないことには
"Just this one condition is enough"さえ〜ば
"I know it's unlikely, but I want to"可能形+ものなら

Commonly confused

としたら vs 以上は — why tense fails

In 「会議に出席する以上は」 the verb is dictionary form (non-past), yet it is a settled premise, not a hypothetical. "Settled" means "treated as a given in this discussion", not "already happened in time". Judge by the もし test, not the tense.

Second-clause tendency is only a hint

以上は/からには usually take duty or resolve (べきだ, わけにはいかない, たい); としたら usually takes neutral inference (だろう, ことになる). But 「留学するとしたら、資金を貯めなければならない」 is perfectly valid — this is a tendency, not a rule.