Conditional Sentences.docx

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES CONDITIONAL SENTENCES are usually used when we want to express a situation which has a condition or requirement. So, the requirements parts of the sentence become the CONDITIONAL SENTENCE. Later on the conditional sentence part is commonly called if clause. There are three main patterns of CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

TYPE

PATTERNS

S + will/shall + verb1 + if + S + verb1(+s/es) I

DESCRIPTION Main Clause uses will/shall, shall is used for I and we only. If Clause is in the form of Simple Present Tense.

I will go with you if you wait in the park. S + would + verb1 + if + S + verb2 II

Main Clause uses would + verb1. If Clause is in the form of Simple Past Tense.

If my parents lived here, I would be very happy. S + would have + verb3 + if + S + had verb3 III

Main Clause uses would have + verb3. If Clause is in the form of Past Perfect Tense.

You would have got an accident if you had been careless. *NOTES:  The position of Main Clause and If Clause is interchangeable. When the If Clause is in the beginning, use comma (,) to connect with the Main Clause.  The word UNLESS can replace the “if … not”. e.g. If you do not have enough time, …..  Unless you have enough time, …..  When the If Clause contains were or had, they can be inverted. It means that were or had are put in the beginning of the sentence and the word if is omitted. e.g. If I had the money, …..  Had I the money, …..  VARIOUS VARIATIONS:

A

MAIN CLAUSE variation, for If Clause which is in question. can / may / must / should / ought to / needn’t / let’s / had better / would rather TYPE I Simple Present Tense / verb 1 / don’t TYPE II could / might could / might / should TYPE III

B

IF CLAUSE variation, for Main Clause which is in question. Present Continuous Tense / Present Perfect Tense TYPE I can / may / must TYPE II Past Continuous Tense could

+ verb 1 + verb 1 + verb 1 have + verb 3

+ verb 1 + verb 1

USAGE OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES AND THEIR MEANINGS

TYPES

DESCRIPTION

FUNCTION

EXAMPLES

REAL PRESENT

present tense in main clause and present tense in the dependent clause (beginning with If, when or whenever)

A situation that is always true whenever the condition exists.

If I eat raw onions, I get sick. I get sad whenever I hear that song.

REAL FUTURE

future (will, may or can + base verb or be going to + base verb) in the main clause and present tense in the dependent clause (beginning with if or when) You can also use “unless” to mean “if not.”

A situation that will be true in the future if the condition exists in the future

If the DJ plays that song, I am going to cry.

would + base verb in the main clause and past tense in the if clause

A situation that is not true because the condition is not expected to be met

PRESENT UNREAL

You’ll pass the test if you study. I expect you to pass because I expect you will study. • Use future only in the main clause, not in both clauses. (If you will study, you will pass.)

(You can also use might or could) in the main clause for an even less certain outcome.)

If I were you, I would apologize. ( I am not you.) I would give money to charity if I won the lottery. I don’t have much chance of winning the lottery. If you studied, you would pass the test. You are not studying, so I don’t expect you to pass. • WERE is used for all persons in the unreal conditional

PAST UNREAL

MIXED TIME IN UNREAL CONDITIONAL NTENCES

Would (or might or could) + present perfect in the main clause and past perfect in the if clause

I call this the “too late” conditional. It is untrue because it is no longer possible. The condition was not met.

If you had studied, you would have passed the test.

1. Past perfect in the if clause and would + base verb in the main clause

1. An untrue condition in the past affects the present time.

2. Past tense in the if clause and would, could, or might + present perfect in the main clause

2. A condition that still does not exist in the present time has affected the past.

Example #1: If he had passed, he wouldn’t be in summer school now. (He didn’t pass. That’s why he’s in summer school.)

You didn’t study, so you didn’t pass, but don’t you wish you could turn the clock back and have another chance?

#2: If I were rich, I could have bought you a car for your birthday. (I’m not rich. That’s why I wasn’t able to buy you a car.)

CHANGING THE FACT INTO CONDITIONAL SENTENCE 1. The part of the sentence that states the cause becomes the If Clause, the part of the sentence that states the effect becomes the Main Clause. 2. Present fact becomes Conditional type II. Past fact becomes Conditional type III. A combination of present and past fact becomes Mixed Type. 3. REMEMBER! Conditional is always the opposite of the fact. When fact sentence is positive, conditional is negative. When fact sentence is negative, conditional is positive. 4. Conjunction (because, therefore, etc.) is not used anymore.

1. Tom Cruise is a handsome guy, therefore thousands of women fall in love with him.  If Tom Cruise were not a handsome guy, thousands of women wouldn’t fall in love with him. 2. I couldn’t lend your book to him because I didn’t know him.  I could have lent your book to him if I had known him. 3. I don’t like city life. I was not accustomed to the noisy vehicles.  I would like city life if I had been accustomed to the noisy vehicles.