CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

NOTE:

Conditional sentences are statements discussing known factors or hypothetical situations

and their consequences. Complete conditional sentences contain a conditional clause(often
referred to as the if-clause) and the consequence.

There are 4 TYPES of conditional sentences.

They express varying meanings.

Pay attention to verb tense.

Use a comma after the if clause when it precedes the main clause.

Listed below are examples, uses and formation of Conditionals

Examples Usage

Conditional 0
Situations that are always true if something happens.
If you heat ice, it melts.
Habits.
If I am late, my father takes me
to school.
NOTE This use is similar to, and can usually be replaced by, a
time clause using 'when' (example: When I am late, my father
She doesn't worry if Julian stays
takes me to school.) See note below
out after school.

Often called the "real" conditional because it is used for real - or

Conditional 1 possible - situations.

If it rains, we will stay at home. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.

He will arrive late unless he NOTE :In the conditional 1 we often use unless which means 'if ...
hurries up. not'. In other words, '...unless he hurries up.' could also be
written, '...if he doesn't hurry up.'.

Simon will buy a new car if he

gets his raise. “Provided” and “as long as” can also introduce a condition: E.g.
“Provided you leave now, you’ll catch the train”
Conditional 2
Often called the "unreal" conditional because it is used for
If he studied more, he would unreal - improbable (hypothetical) – situations, (contrary
pass the exam. to the present situation).
It is also used to give advice and express hopes and
ambitions.
I would lower taxes if I were the This conditional provides an imaginary result for a given situation.
Prime Minister.
NOTE The verb 'to be', when used in the 2nd conditional, is
always conjugated as 'were'.
They would buy a new house if
they won the lottery.
Conditional 3
Often referred to as the "past" conditional because it concerns
If he had known that, he would
only past situations with hypothetical impossible results.
have decided differently.
Used to express a hypothetical result to a past given
situation. They always refer to unfulfilled conditions in the
past (contrary to what really happened).
Joanna would have found a new
job if she had stayed in Gorzów.

Notes:

 Temporal clauses: In addition to if and unless, there are other words that are
not followed by the future tense. These words include: before, after, when,
whenever, until, till, by the time, once, the moment that, as soon as, as long as.
These words are followed by the Present Simple even when we talk about the
future

When you are ready, we will leave.

Until you are ready, we won't leave.
Before you leave, could you tidy your room?
Whenever I go on holiday, I buy a souvenir.

Mixed Conditions

For past events which have a result continuing in the present it is possible to
use the form of a 3rd conditional in the if clause and the form of a 2nd conditional
in the result clause.

E.g. “If you had saved some money, you wouldn’t be so hard up”.....You didn't
If she had been sick, she would be at home in bed (She is not in bed.)
If I had used sunscreen,I wouldn’t be as red as a lobster.(I am red.)

General Condition If I were taller, I would score score more points when I play basketball.
(I don’t score many points.) If I were taller, I would have played basketball in high school.
(I didn’t play basketball in high school.) If he were Russian, he would speak Russian. (He
doesn’t speak Russian) If he were Russian, he would have gone to school in Russia. (He is
not Russian and he did not go to school in Russia.)
 Conditional Clause Variations Scheme:

If you heat ice, it

THE ZERO If+Present Present melts.
Ifitrainsattheweeke
nd, I don't go out.
CONDITIONAL

Conditionals: Time and Probability Table

Probability Conditional Example Time

If/When it rains, my father takes me home

zero
Certain If you heat water to 100 degrees celsius, it any time
conditional
boils. (Universal Truths)

Likely first conditional If it rains, I will stay in. future

second
Unlikely If I won the lottery, I would retire. future
conditional

second
Impossible If I had the money, I would lend it to you present
conditional

Impossible third If I had seen him, I would have given him the past
 conditional message.

OTHER CONDITIONAL CONJUNCTIONS

On condition (that), provided (that), providing (that), so/as long as

I will let you drive on condition(that)/provided(that)/providing(that)/so/as long as you
have a valid licence.

Imagine/suppose/supposing

Imagine/suppose and supposing may be used with a conditional meaning. It can be used
in first, second or third conditional sentences. The speaker invites the listener to imagine a
situation:
Imagine/Suppose/Supposing I don’t arrive till after midnight, will the guest-
house still be open? (Imagine if I don’t arrive till after midnight …)
Supposing you lost your passport, you’d have to go to the embassy, wouldn’t
you?
Supposing he hadn’t recognised us – he might never have spoken to us.

Inverted Conditionals
1. First Conditional (“Should”)
Let’s take a simple first conditional sentence:
If he remembers his own name, we’ll be able to help him.
To invert this:
1.Replace “if” with “should.”
2.Replace the verb with the bare infinitive. (e.g. “goes” →” go,” “has” → “have,”
am/is/are → “be”)

Should he remember his own name, we’ll be able to help him.

2.Second Conditional (“Were”)

There are actually two uses of the inverted second conditional:

1.With verbs, to describe an unlikely future
2.With “be,” to describe an unreal present state
Let’s look at them one by one.

Inverted Second Conditional for Unlikely Future Events

We can use the second conditional to talk about something in the future that probably
isn’t going to happen.

If he pushed the button, we’d all have problems.

To invert this:
1.Replace “if” with “were.”
2.Change the verb to the infinitive form (with “to”).

Were he to push the button, we’d all have problems.

Inverted Second Conditional for Unreal Present States

But we can also use this inversion with the verb “be.”

If I was ridiculously rich, I think I’d still work.

To invert this:
1.Remove “if.”
2.Invert subject and verb. (“I was” → “was I”)
3.If necessary, change “was” to “were.”

Were I ridiculously rich, I think I’d still work.

3. Third Conditional (“Had”)

If we’d arrived sooner, we wouldn’t have missed the beginning.

To invert this:
1.Delete “if.”
2.Invert the subject and the auxiliary. (“we had” → “had we”)

Had we arrived sooner, we wouldn’t have missed the beginning.

. Inverted Conditionals – Negative

Finally, let’s take a look at negative inverted conditionals.
There’s one simple rule here:
Add “not” after the subject.
First conditional:
Should Batman come, we’ll escape!
Should Batman not come, we’re in big trouble. But don’t worry, he always comes.

Second conditional:
Were Tom a smart person, he’d invest all his money in Cobra Industries.
Were Anna not a smart person, she’d give all her money to Shady Nick.
Third conditional:
Had they told us about the dolphin, we wouldn’t have come.
Had Anna not voted, the dolphin would have won.