What is the grammatical structure commonly used to express hypothetical situations in Italian?

The most common grammatical structure used to express hypothetical situations in Italian involves the 'se' clause, which means 'if'. This structure typically combines the imperfect subjunctive in the 'se' clause with the conditional mood in the main clause. Specifically, the formula is: 'Se + imperfect subjunctive, conditional'. For example, 'Se avessi tempo, andrei al cinema' (If I had time, I would go to the cinema). 'Avessi' is the imperfect subjunctive of 'avere' (to have), and 'andrei' is the conditional of 'andare' (to go). To express hypothetical situations in the past (counterfactuals), the pluperfect subjunctive is used in the 'se' clause, and the past conditional is used in the main clause. The structure becomes: 'Se + pluperfect subjunctive, past conditional'. For example, 'Se avessi studiato di più, avrei superato l'esame' (If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam). 'Avessi studiato' is the pluperfect subjunctive, and 'avrei superato' is the past conditional. Therefore, the 'se' clause coupled with subjunctive and conditional moods is fundamental for expressing hypothetical scenarios in Italian.