H. C. Nutting was a professor of Latin at the University of California known for his work in Greek poetry, Latin prose, and Latin pedagogy and composition. This essay explores Cicero's use of 'unreal conditionals' – that is, hypothetical sentences that express the 'If x were true, then y would be true' idea. Cicero's syntax has long been considered the gold standard for proper Latin prose, and this paper is an excellent supplement to a course on Latin prose composition. Anyone wishing to develop a more natural command of Latin prose will find this an illuminating paper.