Conditional sentences

 is a sentence containing two clauses, a clause of condition (independent clause) beginning with
‘if’ and a main clause or answer to the if clause.
 Commonly, the if-clause is in the present simple (1st ), the past simple(2nd ), and the past
perfect(3rd ).
 The main clause is future simple (1st), would + bare infinitive (2nd) and would + perfect
infinitive (3rd).

Basic Types
1. ZERO: always true.
If + present simple If + present simple
If you heat the water to 100 degrees It boils.
2. FIRST: realistic in the present or future.

If + present simple Future simple, can, may

If I see him I will tell him
If you have finished your dinner (present perfect), you can ask for the bill.
If you are feeling tired (present continuous), take a rest.
If he is good skier, he might make it.
If you want to be slim, you should eat less.
If you meet her, could you let me know?

3. SECOND: unrealistic in present or future.

If +past simple Would, could, might

If I saw him I would tell him
If I knew his address, I might go and see him
If we were on holiday, we would be lying on the beach now.
Why are we watching this film? If we were watching (past continuous) the news, it would be
more interesting.
4. THIRD: unrealistic in the past.

If+ past perfect Would, could, might have, +past participle

If he had met her He would have told her
perfect infinitive-(have+ past participle)
If I had won a million, I would have started a business of my own. (But I didn’t win anything)

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 I we hadn’t practiced, we wouldn’t have won the match. (but we practiced and won)
A. First conditional (real/probable/likely)- PRESENT or FUTURE
We use 1st conditionals to describe what will or will not (probably) happen in the present or
future. If you don’t work hard, you will be fired
 We can use all present tenses after if, not just the simple present (i.e. present continuous/present
perfect).

E.g. -If I get (simple present) any news, I will tell (simple future) you.
- If we are expecting (present continuous) visitors, the flat will need a good clean.
-If you have finished (present perfect) with computer, I will put it away.
 The main clause usually has a verb in the future simple but the imperative, “be going to”
future, future continuous and future perfect can also be employed.
-If you see john, please give him my message.
-If everything goes wright, in two weeks I’ll be moving to Adama.
-If I pass the English test, I’ll have passed all the exams of this semester.
 In addition to will, in the main clause it is possible to use can, could, should/ought to, may,
might, must and semi-modals such as be going to and have to.
-If you need any help, you should ask.
-If you can program a computer, you can have the job.
-If you send me your CV, they might call you for an interview
-If she gets this job, she is going to take us all out to dinner
-If you want to apply for the job, you have to send them a full CV
 Can be used in offers and suggestions.
E.g. -If you need a ticket, I can get you one. (Offer)
-If you feel like seeing the sights, we can take a bus tour. (Suggestion)
 We can also use it in warnings and threats.
E.g. -If you go on like this, you will make yourself ill. (Threats)
-If you don’t apologize, I will never speak to you again. (Warning)

 Would instead will renders requests more polite. It is also possible to use would, with present
reference, in both the main and the if-clause:
If you would just wait a moment, I’ll be right back.
We would appreciate it if you would take care of this matter as soon as possible.
 Will after If can also express the idea of insistence:

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 If you will treat her like that, she will leave you soon.
 In the if-clause should is used to express a tentative conditional, to suggest that something is
unlikely or not very likely to happen.
If they should cancel the meeting, we’ll have to rearrange our plans.

B. Other forms of 1st conditional

A. Zero conditional: We use if + two present tenses in zero conditional.
 It is used to express automatic/habitual, or something which is always true (permanent
truth/scientific fact)
E.g. -If you heat ice, it turns to water. – If you heat water, it boils.
B: Imperative with first conditional:
E.g. -Stop borrowing money, or you will be in trouble.
-Take a taxi, otherwise you will miss your train.
C. Unless: Unless is used in conditional sentence with the meaning if …not.
Unless + affirmative verb. E.g. Unless you belong to the union, you can’t work here.
(=If you don’t belong to the union, you can’t work here.)
-Unless it rains, I will pick you up at 6:00. (= If it doesn’t rain, I will pick you at 6:00.)
 Note: We don’t use unless with another negative verb.
E.g. Unless you don’t start at once, you will be late. (Wrong)

C. Second conditional (UNREAL/impossible): both PRESENT and FUTURE

reference
 Simple past is used in the ‘if’ clause, and would, should, could or might is used in the main
clause.
If I were rich I would donate large sums of money to NGO
 The if-clause is normally in the past simple, yet it is also possible to use the past continuous.
If they were trying harder, nobody would complain
 It is to talk about imaginary situations in the ‘if’ clause and speculate about their imaginary
consequences in the main clause.
 Note: There is no difference in time between the 1st and 2nd conditional sentences. The past tense
in the ‘if’ clause is not a true past but a subjunctive, which indicates unreality.
E.g. -If I knew the answer, I would tell you.
(=In truth, I don’t know the answer, so I can’t tell you.)

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 3.3.1. Uses:
1. When the supposition is contrary to known facts
E.g. -If I were you, I would plant some trees. (But, I am not you)
2. When we don’t expect the action in the if-clause to take place:
E.g. If I dyed my hair blue, everyone would laugh at me. (= but I don’t intend to dye it).
3. When we describe what is totally ‘impossible’
E.g. -If you had longer legs, you would be able to run fast.
(= But you don’t have longer legs/ it is impossible to have)
Note: We can use were in place of was after if in all persons. (Where is formal.)

4. Can be used in offers, suggestions, warnings and threats, making them less direct/more polite
than they would be if type 1 conditional were used:
If you needed some help, I would be glad to give it to you
If you felt like visiting the villa, we could make an appointment with the custodian
If you misbehaved, I would take you back

D. Third/past unreal conditional- UNFULFILED CONDITIONS IN THE

PAST
 In this conditional sentence, the past perfect tense is used in the if clause, and would, should,
could, might (have + past participle)
 The past perfect continuous(could + perfect infinitives) forms are possible in the ‘if’ clause
and/or main clause
E.g. -If it had been raining this morning, we would have stayed at home.
-If I had not got married, I would still have been living abroad.

3.4.1. USES
A. Is used to talk about past situations which didn’t happen and therefore are impossible.
E.g. If I had had enough money, I would have gone with you.
(=In truth, I didn’t have enough money, I didn’t go with you)
-If she had studied, she would/could/might have passed the test.
(In truth, she didn’t study, so she failed the test)
C. To refer to a completely impossible situation.

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 E.g. -If I had lived in the Stone Age, I would have been a hunter.
(Completely impossible to live then)

3.5. Verb forms following wish

1. A wish about the present
Wish (that) + subject + a past tense are used to express regret about a present situation.
E.g. I wish I knew French. (Meaning= I am sorry I don’t know French)
2. A wish about the past
We use wish (that) + subject + a past perfect tense to express regret about a past situation.
E.g. I wish I had had a lot of money. (Meaning= I didn’t have a lot of money.)
3. A wish about the future
E.g. I wish she would come here. (Meaning= she will not come here)
 Note: If only and I wish are the same although if only is more emphatic.
E.g. If only I had done my homework last night.
I wish I had done my homework last night.

Words other than if

 Unless is the equivalent of if…not. Thus, unless is followed by a verb in the affirmative:
I won’t accept their offer unless they increase my salary.
 Other conditional subordinators are: as long as, on condition (that), assuming (that),
suppose/supposing (that), provided/providing (that), imagine, in case:
You can use my car as long as you drive very carefully
Imagine we didn’t have a credit card, what would we do now?
I’ll let you in on my secret provided that you don’t tell anyone
Assuming that your suggestion is accepted, what step will you take next?
 In case must be distinguished from if. Actually, in case is mainly used to talk about precautions
one takes in view of something that may happen in the future. Consider the following example:
I insured my jewellery in case it is stolen