Apparent_conclusion

This FE describes an additional situation or modification that would seem to hold given the rest of the situation. In some cases, it marks a completely separate conclusion than one would draw from the manner of the event in the main clause. As far as we know, this idea is only explicitly marked in English with "as if". We have to do our duty as if it matters . Usually, the Apparent_conclusion contains another FE, either peripheral or extra-thematic, which is non-factive (i.e., it may, but does not necessarily, hold). For these cases, we annotate the other frame-element on the second layer; thus the following should be annotated with Purpose on the second layer. As if to guarantee failure , they conducted the study without consulting experts . As if to guarantee failure , they conducted the study without consulting experts . We do not annotate this FE in cases where we merely infer that a part of the sentence is meant sarcastically, as in the following minimal modification of the above sentence: To guarantee failure , they conducted the study without consulting experts . In this case, we simply annotate the Purpose FE.