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CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

INTRODUCTION

A conditional sentence is a type of SUBORDINATE STRUCTURE. It often

refers to a CONDITION something which mst happen first !the action inS"#O$DINATE CLA"SE %I&'CLA"SE( so that something else can happen!the action in the )AIN CLA"SE*.

conditional conjunctionCONDITION MAIN ACTION

If yo get here +efore eight, we can catch the early train.

subordinate clause main clause

The order in which the )AIN or the S"#O$DINATE clase appear in the

sentence is not -ery important. owe-er, when the I&'CLA"SE precedesthe )AIN CLA"SE, a commais COMPUSOR!.

Ifyo get here +efore eight"we can catch the early train.Oil floats if yo por it on water. !no comma needed*

As far as the NE#ATI$Estrctre is concerned, any of the clases or +oth

of them can ta/e the negati-e form

%#OT( If yo don%t get here +efore eight, we can%tcatch

the early train.

%I&'CLA"SE( If yo don%tphone me +y three, I0ll phone 1ohn.

%)AIN CLA"SE( If yo do yor homewor/, I &on%ttell yormother.

,+t we can only ma/e 'UESTIONSchanging the word order in t(e MAINCAUSE.

E)am*le2 +I !OU P,ONEme if I gi-e yo my telephone nm+er3 au) subj -

If I told yo a secret, +OUD !OU TEmy parents3

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au) subj -

CONDITIONA CON.UNCTIONS

I/ is, +y far, the most common con4nction to introdce conditionalsentences.

E)am*le2 Ifyo get here +efore eight, we can catch the early train.

BE CARE/U2 In formal style, and follo&ed b0 an adjecti-e !with no-er+*, ifcan +e sed with a similar meanin1to although.

E)am*le2 is style, if sim*le, is pleasant to read. !5, although it is simple*

owe-er, there are some ot(er conjunctionswhich are also important.

6hene-er we se any of these other con4nctions, we will place them atthe BE#INNIN# of the SUBORDINATE CAUSE, that is to say, in theplace of if.

"NLESS2 it has a similar meaning to if not, in the sense except if.

E)am*le2 Come tomorrow nless I phone. !7 5 ifI dontphone/ except ifIphone.*

I0ll ta/e the 4o+ nless the pay is too low. !75 if the pay isnt toolow 8 except ifthe pay is too low.*

BE CARE/U2 The -er+ in t(e subordinate clauseCANNOT+e inthe negati-e form when we se unless.

E)am*le22I0ll ta/e the 4o+ unlessthe pay isn%ttoo low.

9$O:IDED !TAT*, 9$O:IDIN; !TAT*, AS LON; AS,SO LON; AS, ON CONDITION TAT2 All these con4nctions ha-ea -ery similar meaning3 only if5/ the condition is that5.

E)am*le2


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main clause subject : sim*le *resent -erb

Usin1 t(e 7ero conditional

The ?ero conditional is sed to tal/ a+ot things which are always tre ''scientific facts" 1eneral trut(s, and so on2

E)am*le E)*lanation

If 0ou cross an internationaldate line" t(e time c(an1es=

This always happens, every timeyou cross a dateline.

If 0ou 1o ;< meters under&ater" t(e *ressure increases

to t&o atmos*(eres=

This is basically always true -- thepressure of 0 meters of water

e!uals one atmosphere.

P(os*(orus burns if 0oue)*ose it to air=

This is a scientific fact -- you cantest it in a laboratory.

/IRST CONDITIONA

The first conditional!also called conditional type "or open conditional*

is a strctre sed for tal/ing a+ot *ossibilities in t(e *resent or in t(efuture.

T(e structure of a first conditional sentence

A first conditional sentence consists of two clases, an @if@ clase and amain clase2

ifclause : *resentsim*le

main clause: sim*le future

If 0ou stud0 (ard" 0ou &ill *ass t(e test=

If the @if@ clase comes first, a comma is sally sed. If the @if@ clasecomes second, there is no need for a comma2

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main clause ifclause

!ou &ill *ass t(e test if 0ou stud0 (ard=

6e se different -er+ forms in each part of a first conditional2

ifclause if: subject : sim*le *resent -erb

main clause subject : will: -erb

Usin1 t(e first conditional

The first conditional is sed to tal/ a+ot things which are possi+le in thepresent or the ftre '' t(in1s &(ic( may happen2

E)am*le E)*lanation

If it>s sunn0" &e>ll 1o to t(e*ar?=

#aybe it will be sunny -- that$spossible.

Paula &ill be sad if .uanlea-es=

#aybe %uan will leave -- that$spossible.

If 0ou coo? t(e su**er" I>ll&as( t(e dis(es=

#aybe you will coo& the supper --that$s possible.

In Conditional sentences type I it is not *ossibleto se +,EN.

owe-er, there are more options of tense se in the strctre of theconditional sentence type I

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Conditional Sentences T0*e I 4li?el05

Conditionrefers to3

I/ Clause Main Clause

/uture actionSim*lePresent

If t(e boo? isinterestin1" @

Sim*le/uture

@I &ill bu0 it=

Im*erati-e @bu0 it=

ModalAu)iliar0

@0ou can bu0 it=

Action 1oin1on no&

PresentPro1ressi-e

If (e is snorin1" @

Sim*le/uture

@I &ill &a?e (imu*=

Im*erati-e @&a?e (im u*=

ModalAu)iliar0

@0ou can &a?e(im u*=

finis(edaction

PresentPerfect

If (e (as mo-edinto (is ne& flat" @

Sim*le/uture

@&e &ill -isit (im=

Im*erati-e @-isit (im=

ModalAu)iliar0

@&e can -isit (im=

im*robableaction

s(ould :Infiniti-e

!NOTE *

If s(e s(ould &int(is race" @

Sim*le/uture

@I &illcon1ratulate (er=

Im*erati-e @con1ratulate (er=

ModalAu)iliar0

@&e cancon1ratulate (er=

*resent facts

Sim*le

Present

If (e 1ets &(at (e

&ants" @

Sim*le

Present @(e is -er0 nice=

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Conditionrefers to3


Past facts Sim*le Past

If I &as ri1(t" @ Sim*lePast @0ou &ere &ron1=

If 0ou tra-elleddurin1 t(e ni1(t" @

Sim*lePresent

@ 0ou need a rest=

Sim*le/uture

@ 0ou &ill need arest=

NOTE ;3The se of SO"LD in the s+ordinate clase means that theaction might happen or not, t(e s*ea?er is not -er0 sure about it.

#esides, this type of strctre sally comes in what in English is /nown asthe BIN$ERSION O/ S,OUD%. In it, the con4nction I/is not usedand thestrctre in the subordinate clauseta/es the uestion &ord order.

E)am*le2 If yo shold see 9eter, please, tell him I want to see him.

S,OUD !OU SEE9eter, please, tell him I want to see him.

o USE O/ +I 9 +OUD IN T,E I/CAUSE

6e can se if ' willin *olite reuests. In this case, willis not aftre a=iliary it means (if) (you)are willing to (if) (you)want to.

E)am*le2 If yo will come this way, Ill ta/e yo to the manager0s office.

If yor mother willfill in this form, I0ll ha-e her lggage ta/en p to her room.

"f ' wouldcan +e sed to ma/e a reest e-en more polite.

E)am*le2 If yo wouldcome this way, I0ll ta/e yo to the manager0s office.

6ait o-er there if yo would.

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o Stressed willcan also +e sed after ifwhen it e=presses the idea of

insistence.

E)am*le2 If yowillget drn/ e-ery night, it0s not srprising yo feel ill. !7 If you insist on gettingdrn/ 5*

SECOND CONDITIONA

The second conditional!also called conditional type ""or hypothetical

(but possible) conditional* is a strctre sed for tal/ing a+ot unrealsituationsin the present or in the ftre.

T(e structure of a second conditional sentence

Li/e a first conditional, a second conditional sentence consists of twoclases, an @if@ clase and a main clase2

ifclause

: sim*le *ast

main clause: sim*le

conditional

If I (ad a milliondollars"

I &ould bu0 a bi1 (ouse=

main clause: sim*le

condicional

ifclause: sim*le *ast

I &ould bu0 a bi1 (ouseif I (ad a million

dollars=

6e se different -er+ forms in each part of a second conditional2

ifclause if: subject : sim*le *ast -erb2

main clause subject : would: -erb

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*NOTE that this @simple past@ form is slightly different from sal inthe case of the -er+ #E. 6hate-er the s+4ect, the -er+ form is@were@, not @was@. The grammatical name for this se of wereisBsubjuncti-e0.

E)am*le3 If I wererich, I'd spend all my time travelling.If my nose werea little shorter, Id be quite pretty.

In the main clase we can also se the other modals should, oughttoand could. If we se them, they /eep their -ales as modal -er+s+t cannot be contracted=

E)am*le3 If I had another FGG H, I could+y a car.If yo as/ed me nicely, I mi1(tget yo a drin/.

Usin1 t(e second conditional

The second conditional is sed to tal/ a+ot things which are nreal!not tre or not possi+le* in the present or the ftre '' t(in1s &(ic(don$t or won$t happen2

E)am*le E)*lanation

If I &ere 0ou" I &ould dri-e morecarefull0 in t(e rain= " am not you -- this is unreal.

Paula &ould be sad if .an left=%an will not leave -- that$s not

going to happen.

If do1s (ad &in1s" t(e0 &ould beable to fl0=

*ogs don$t have wings -- that$simpossible.

owe-er, there are more options of tense se in the strctre of the

conditional sentence type II.

Condition refersto3


Conseuence in t(e*ast

Sim*le*ast

If I ?ne&(im" @

PerfectConditional

@I &ould (a-e said(ello=

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o In this type of conditional sentences, the form be toin the past

!&as9&ere to* can +e sed in the if'clase.

E)am*le2 If yo &ere tomeet )r. 1ames, yo cold see that he0sa little gy.

In this case, the BIN$ERSION O/ +AS 9 +ERE TO0 can also apply.

+ere 0ou to meet)r. 1ames, yo cold see that he0sa little gy.

T,IRD CONDITIONA

The third conditional!also called conditional type """or (0*ot(etical

4but unreal5 conditional* is a strctre sed for tal/ing a+ot unrealsituationsin t(epast.

T(e structure of a t(ird conditional sentence

Li/e the other conditionals, a third conditional sentence consists of twoclases, an @if@ clase and a main clase2

ifclause main clause e)*lanation

If I (adstudied(arder"

I &ould (a-e*assed t(e

e)am=

" failed the exam, because "didn$t study hard enough.

If the "if" clause comes rst, a comma is usually used. If the "if"clause comes second, there is no need for a comma:

main clause ifclause

I *robabl0 &ould (a-e *assed t(e e)am if I (ad studied (arder=

We use dierent verb forms in each part of a third conditional:

ifclause if: subject : *ast *erfect -erb

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main clausesubject : would (+ could, + might) have: *ast

*artici*le

Third conditional forms can +e contracted2

ull formIf I (ad studied (arder" I *robabl0 &ould (a-e

*assed t(e e)am=

Contractedform

If I>d studied (arder" I *robabl0 &ould>-e*assed t(e e)am=

Usin1 t(e t(ird conditional

The third conditional is sed to tal/ a+ot t(in1s&(ic( DID NOT ,APPENin t(e *ast. It is often sed to e)*ress criticism or re1ret2

E)am*le E)*lanation

If 0ou (ad dri-en morecarefull0" 0ou &ould not (a-e

(ad an accident=

Criticism3 ou had an accidentbecause you didn$t drive carefully

enough.

If &e (ad *la0ed a little better"&e could (a-e &on t(e 1ame=

Re1ret3 e didn$t play well, so welost the game.

If 0ou (ad sa-ed 0our mone0"0ou could (a-e bou1(t a

com*uter=

Criticism3 ou didn$t save yourmoney, so now you can$t afford a

computer.

If it (ad sno&ed" &e could(a-e 1one s?iin1=

Re1ret3 "t didn$t snow, so wecouldn$t go s&iing.

As we ha-e seen in the other two conditional sentence types, in type III theBIN$ERSION O/ ,AD%can also occr.

E)am*le2 If yo had sa-ed yor money, yo cold ha-e +oght a compter.

,AD !OU SA$ED yor money, yo cold ha-e +oght a

compter.

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BE CARE/U2 In Selecti-idad e=ams,estions are sometimes made sing this strctre.

E)am*le2 ad the writer met his friend, what wold he ha-e done3

ad Carol waited for 1ohn, wold she ha-e ta/en the +s3

Conditional sentences type III also offer a different tense strctre.

Condition refersto3


t(e *resent PastPerfect If I (ad?no&n"@ Sim*leConditional @I &ouldn%t be (ereno&=

So, if yo wold li/e more information on this topic, as/ yor teacher.

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