Conditional
FIRST CONDITIONAL
CONDITIONALS are clauses introduced with if. They consist of two parts: the if-clause (hypothesis) and the main clause (the result). The if-clause can come before and after the main clause.
When it comes before the main clause, the two clauses are separated with a comma. If you drive carefully, you won’t have an accident. or You won’t have an accident if you drive carefully.Type 0 conditionals are used to express habits, a general truth or a scientific fact. We can use when(=whenever) instead of if in this case.
| If-clause | Main clause |
| If + present simple present simple If/When/Whenever you mix red and yellow, you get orange. |
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”Type 0“ is not being thought in our book now but we expect you to teach them now.
- Type 1 conditionals (real present) are used to express real or very probable situations in the present or future.
| If-clause | Main clause |
| If + present simple /present continuous future/imperative/can + infinitive If I finish the project on time, I will take a few days off. If the alarm goes off, evacuate the building. If we have enough time, we can visit Robert. If you are working now, I will come back later. | |
Underline the correct verb form.
- If they eat/are eating dinner, I won’t disturb them.
- If I don’t feel well tomorrow, I couldn’t/won’t go to work.
- If you will behave/behave yourself, Dad will take you to the park.
- Does water turn into ice if it will freeze/freezes?
- If Sam will lay/is laying the table, I can serve dinner.
- If I get a headache, I usually take/will take an aspirin.
- If the alarm goes off/is going off, press this button.
SECOND CONDITIONAL
Type 2 conditionals (unreal present) are used to express imaginary situations which are contrary to facts in the present and, therefore, are unlikely to happen in the present or future.
| If-clause | Main clause |
| If + past simple /past continuous would/could + infinitive If I had a lot of money, I would (’d) travel round the world.(But I do not have a lot of money.) If I didn’t feel so tired, I would (’d) come out with you. (But I feel very tired.) If the weather were nice, I would (’d) go to the beach. (But the weather is not nice.) If we were earning more money, we could buy a house by the sea. (But we aren’t.) | |
We often use were instead of was after if, especially in a more formal style.
I would (’d) come out for a walk with you if I weren’t so busy. If she were more efficient, she would get a promotion.We often use If I were you to give advice.
If I were you, I would (’d) apply for the job. If I were you, I would (’d) attend a computer course.Jimmy is in prison. Read about his life in prison, then complete the sentences about his dreams.
REALITY DREAM
He is in prison. He … If he weren’t in prison, … -gets up at 5.00. he would (’d) get up at 7.30. -wears a prison uniform. he would (’d) wear a suit. -has cold toast for breakfast. he would (’d) have coffee and croissants for breakfast. -works in a factory. he would (’d) work in an office.We use first conditionals to talk about possible present or future situations.
If you need money, I’ll lend it to you. (Perhaps you need the money.) If we leave at 1.30, we’ll arrive at 2.30. (Perhaps we will leave at 1.30.) We use second conditionals to talk about unreal or unlikely present or future situations. If you needed money, I’d lend it to you.(But you don’t need the money, or you probably don’t need it.) If we left at 2.00, we’d arrive at late. (But we won’t leave at 2.00, or we probably won’t leave then.)Rewrite the following as first or second conditional sentences.
1- This jacket is expensive, so I won’t buy it. If this jacket weren’t / wasn’t expensive, I would buy it. 2- You need to pass your driving test before you can drive. If you pass your driving test, you can drive / If you don’t pass your driving test, you can’t drive. 3- I can’t understand their French because they speak so fast. If they didn’t speak so fast, I could understand their French. / If they spoke more slowly, I could understand their French. 4- Ann has a lot of homework, so she won’t go out tonight. If Ann didn’t have a lot of homework, she would go out tonight. 5- You must study harder to pass your exams. If you study harder, you will pass your exams. 6- I don’t go to the movies often because I’m so busy.If I weren’t so busy, I would go to the movies (more) often.
THIRD CONDITIONAL:
If + Past perfect, would have (or could have, might have) + Past Participle (V3)
Conditional Part Main Part
v We use Conditional III, the “Impossible” Condition, for a past situation that did not happen. The if event is impossible because we cannot change the past.
e.g. If I had known it was your birthday, I would have baked you a cake. (But I didn’t know that so I didn’t) I would have gone to the concert if I hadn’t been ill. ( But I were ill. So I couldn’t.) v The contraction ’d can be used for both would and had. e.g. If I’d seen him, I’d have talked to him.Note: With conditionals, the TENSE and TIME do not correspond. With Conditional III, the sentence is about the Past Time but the conditional part of the sentence is in the Past Perfect Form- it is one step back in time.
e.g. Terry wouldn’t have passed the exam if he hadn’t studied half the night. If I hadn’t been there, I would never have believed it.v If there is an element of doubt or if the result is not certain, we use would probably have, might have or could have in the main part of the sentence.
e.g. If Jane had practiced more, she could have been a famous pianist. Our team might have won the game if the referee hadn’t been so unfair. If we had left earlier, we would probably have arrived by now.Note: Conditional Type II refers to the present / future and express something highly improbable and impossible. Conditional Type III refers to the past.
e.g. If you bought that dress, you could wear it to the party on Saturday. If you had bought that dress, you would have worn it to the party last Saturday.CONDITIONALS I, II AND III
Conditional I refers to something that is possible or even likely in the future.
If I like the restaurant, I will go in. (there is a possibility that I will like it)
Conditional II refers to something that is unreal or unlikely.
If I liked that restaurant, I would go in. (but I don’t like it)
If I won, what would you say? (but it’s unlikely I will win)
Conditional III refers to a past situation that didn’t happen.
If I had liked that restaurant, I would have gone in. (but I didn’t like it, so I didn’t go in)
The relationship between TIME and TENSE can be seen below:
| Conditional I: If I like it, I will go there. Conditional II: If I liked it, I would go there. Conditional III: If I had liked it, I would have gone there. |
A. Match column A with column B
A B
B. Complete The Following Sentences By Putting The Verb In The Brackets Into The Proper Tense
1- I (sleep) __would have slept___ better if I (not/eat) ___hadn’t eaten ___so much last night. 2- I’ve run out of suntan lotion. If I (have) __had__ some more, I (stay) __would stay __on the beach but I don’t. 3- That (not/happen) __wouldn’t have happened__ if Ken had been chairman of the committee. 4- What (you/say) ___would you say__ if I told you that I was leaving school? 5- The accident was Barry’s fault. If he (not/be) __hadn’t been__ so close to the car in front, he (can/stop) _could have stopped__ in time. 6- I can’t answer your questions unless you (stop) __stop__ talking. 7- Of course I didn’t ask him. If you (see) __had seen__ him, you (not/ask) __wouldn’t have asked__ him either. 8- I am not quite ready. If you (wait) __wait__ for me outside, I (meet) __will meet_ you in five minutes. 9- Joanne knows that if she (be/not) __wasn’t/weren’t__ so shy, she (be invited) __would be invited__ to parties. But she can’t change her character, can she?C. Use the man’s thoughts to write conditionals
e.g. I didn’t pay attention. I crashed the car. If I had paid attention, I wouldn’t have crashed the car. 1- I haven’t got much money. I won’t be able to pay for repairs If I had enough money, I would be able to pay for repairs. 2- I borrowed my friend’s car. I had an accident. If I hadn’t borrowed my friend’s car, I wouldn’t have had an accident. 3- I’ll drive more carefully in the future. I won’t have another accident. If I drive more carefully in the future, I won’t have another accident. 4- I am not an experienced driver. I don’t drive well. If I was/were an experienced driver, I would drive well. 5- I didn’t see the tree. I crashed into it. If I had seen the tree, I wouldn’t have crashed into it.