CONDITIONALSENTENCES

ConditionalSentenceshavetwoparts:theIFclauseandthemainclause:

IfitrainsIwillstayathome.
IFClauseMainClause

Therearedifferentkindsofconditionalsentences.Eachkindcontainsadifferentpairof
tenses.

0. Type0(zeroconditional):IF+present+anotherpresent

Naturalfacts,generaltruths.Expressautomaticorhabitualresults.

E.g.
Ifyouheatice,itturnstowater.

IF+present+imperative
Orders.

E.g.
Ifyougoout,buysomemilk.

1. ConditionalSentencesType1:PROBABLE.

TheverbintheIFclauseisinthepresenttense;theverbinthemainclauseisinthe
futuresimple.Itdoesntmatterwhichcomesfirst.

E.g.
Ifherunshellgetthereintime.

Thecatwillscratchyouifyoupullhertail.

TheactionintheIFclauseisquiteprobable.

PossibleVariations:

IF+present+MAYPossibility/permission.

E.g.
Ifthefoggetsthickertheplanemaybediverted.

Ifthedocumentsareinorderyoumayleave.

IF+present+MUST/SHOULDObligation.

E.g.
Ifyouwanttoloseweight,youmusteatless.

IF+
presentcontinuous+WILL Future.

presentperfect

2. ConditionalSentencesType2:HYPOTHETICAL,IMPROBABLE.

TheverbintheIFclauseisinthepasttense;theverbinthemainclauseisinthe
conditionaltense(WOULD+verb).

E.g.
IfIhadamap,Iwouldlendittoyou.
Adaptedfrom:Thomson&Martinet,A Practical English Grammar,R.Murphy,English Grammar in Use.

ThepastintheIFclauseisnotarealpastbutasubjunctive.TheactionintheIF
clauseisahypothesis,notarealcondition.

PossibleVariations:

IF+pastsimple+MIGHT/COULD

(insteadofwould).

E.g.
Ifyoutriedagainyoumightsucceed.

IfIknewhernumber,Icouldringherup.

IF+pastsimple+WOULDBE+gerund
ING(continuous).

E.g.
IfIwereonholidaysIwouldbetouringItaly.

Note:IF[I/He/She/It]+WEREcanbeusedinsteadofWASanditisconsideredthe
mostcorrectform.

IF+pastcontinuous+WOULD+verb.

pastperfect

E.g.
IfIweregoingbyboat,Iwouldfeelmuchsafer.

Ifhehadtakenmyadvice,hewouldbearichman.(2ndnot3rd)

3. ConditionalSentencesType3:Impossible.

TheverbintheIFclauseisinthepastperfecttense;theverbinthemainclauseis
intheperfectconditional.Theconditioncannotbefulfilledbecausetheactionin
theIFclausedidnthappenandisalreadypast.

E.g.
IfIhadknownthatyouwerecomingIwouldhavemetyouatthe
airport.

Possiblevariations:

COULD/MIGHTinsteadofWOULD.

E.g.
Ifwehadfoundhimearlierwecouldhavesavedhislife.

Continuousperfectconditional. (WOULDHAVEBEEN+gerund).

ContinuousPastPerfect.

E.g.
IfIhadntbeenwearingabelt,Idhavebeenseriouslyinjured.

HADcanbeplacedfirstandIFomitted:

E.g.
Hadyouobeyedorders,thisdisasterwouldnothavehappened.(Ifyou
hadobeyedorders...)

Adaptedfrom:Thomson&Martinet,A Practical English Grammar,R.Murphy,English Grammar in Use.

IFALTERNATIVES

UNLESS+affirmativeverb=IF+negative.

E.g. Unlessyoustartatonceyoullbelate.

PROVIDED[THAT].
CanreplaceIFwhenthereisastrongideaoflimitationorrestriction.Itischieflyused
withpermission.

E.g. Youcancamphereprovidedyouleavenomess.
ASLONGAS

E.g. Youcangoout,aslongasyouphoneme.

SUPPOSE/SUPPOSING...?.=WHATIF...?.

E.g. Supposetheplaneislate?=Whatwillhappeniftheplaneislate?
SimilarconstructionsNOTCONDITIONALS
EVENIF=EVENTHOUGH.(concessive)

E.g. Youmustgotomorrowevenifyouarentready.

WHETHER...OR=IF...OR.(alternative)

E.g. Youmustgotomorrowwhetheryouarereadyornot.
INCASE.+presentorpasttense,orbyshould.INCASEgivesreasonnotcondition.

E.g. Takeanumbrellaincaseitrains.
Timeclauses:WHEN/ASSOONAS+PRESENT(FUTUREMEANING).
E.g. AssoonasIgethome,Illgiveyouaring.

EXERCISES

Putinthecorrectverbforms.
1)IfBrian________________(tolike)horses,hecouldridewell.
2)TheywillstaylongerinParisifthey________________(tofind)acheaphotel.
3)IfAlice________________(tohave)moremoney,shewouldgotoAfrica.
4)Ifyoulistenedcarefully,you________________(toknow)aboutit.
5)Hecanwritegoodstoriesifhe________________(tofeel)likeit.
6)IfStevenhadtakenhiscamera,he________________(totake)nicepictures.
7)John'smother(________________tohave)moretimeforhimifhedoesthewashingup.
8)IfSarah________________(not/toeat)somuchjunkfood,shecouldhavebeeninthe
schoolhockeyteam.
9)Ifyouwereolder,you________________(togo)totheparty.
Adaptedfrom:Thomson&Martinet,A Practical English Grammar,R.Murphy,English Grammar in Use.

10)Iftheweatherhadbeenbetter,we________________(tocome)bybike.
Rephraseusingconditionalsentences:
1.Sheisn'tpassingherexamsbecausesheisn'tstudyinghardenough.
..
2.I'dliketobuyabiggerflat,butIhaven'tgotenoughmoney.
..
3.InevertravelbyplanebecauseIgetearache.
.
4.Iwon'tgotothepartyifyoudon'tgowithme.(unless)
.
5.Youcanattendthemeetingaslongasyouareaclubmember.
..
6.I'mtoobusytogotothepub.
..
7.Icemeltsdownwhenyouheatit.
.
8.Shedoesn'tunderstandbecauseyouhaven'texplainedthesituationtoher.
.
9.Youwon'tgetapromotionifyourworkdoesn'timprove.
..
10.InevereatoctopusbecauseIgetsick.
.
11.Thegovernmentwon'twintheelectionsunlesstheycreateemployment.
.
12.I'llbuyanewcomputerprovidedthatIgetariseinsalary.
.

Supplyiforunlessinthefollowingsentences:
1.Illanswerthephone____youwish.
2.Youwontlearnmuch____youworkharder.
3.Youllnevergetagoodjob____youfinishcollege.
4.Wewontgoout____itstopsraining.
5.____theweatheriswarm,Icansunbatheinthegarden.
6.Thewontanswerthedoor____youringthreetimes.
7.____wehaveflu,westayathome.
8.Theycertainlywontgiveyoupermissiontoenter____youhaveapass.
9.Weusuallywalktoschool____wehaveenoughtime.
10.____therooferdoesntcomesoon,therainwillleakinside.

Rewritethesesentencesusingtheconjunctioninbrackets:
1.Ifyou(nottell)anyoneelse,Illletyouinonasecret.(providedthat)
2.IcantgotothepartyifI(find)somethingsuitabletowear.(evenif)
3.IcoulddothecrosswordpuzzleifI(have)agooddictionary.(providedthat)
4.Youcanthaveanotherhelpingoficecreamifthere(be)enoughtogoaround.
(evenif)
5.Wecouldredecorateourroomiftheshop(supply)allthewallpaperwechose.
(ontheconditionthat)

6.Ifyou(lose)allyourmoney,whatwouldyoudo?(supposing)
7.Ifyou(feel)ill,wouldyouhavegonetotheconcert?(suppose)
8.Hecangetaninterpretersjobifhe(study)thelanguage.(providedthat)
9.Wouldyougetagoodmarkifyou(make)severalspellingmistakes.(evenif)
10.IfI(be)shortofmoney,wouldyoulendmesome?(supposing)

Adaptedfrom:Thomson&Martinet,A Practical English Grammar,R.Murphy,English Grammar in Use.