EXPRESSING CONDITION 21

1.3. Expressing condition

CONDITION
Conjunctions Tense Relationship
Conditional Clause Main Clause
Type-1 (REAL)
if, iff (if and only if) U-(e)s/am-is-are U-ing/
if not/unless Simple (Present) Continuous will + U; can/may/must + U
providing that have-has U-ed /W (don’t) U
provided (that) Simple Present
on condition (that) Present Perfect
(just) in case (that) Type-2 (HYPOTHETICAL)
in the event (that) U-ed /V would + U
Simple Past should/might/could/ought to + U
Type-3 (NON-REAL)
had + Ued/W would have + U-ed /W
Past Perfect should/could/might have + U-ed/W
ought to have + U-ed/W

Prepositions
in the event of NP
in case of U-ing

EXAMPLES
a) type-1
 [If most of the heat pumps are in the cooling mode], the temperature of the
loop water rises.
 [If the current is limited to some safe value], the voltage across the diode is
constant, independent of the current through the diode.
 [If light is allowed to fall on the junction of a reverse-biased PN diode], the
current will be proportional to the amount of light.
 [If the ends of the revolving coil are connected to a pair of contact rings, on
each of which presses a brush], the machine will deliver alternate currents.
 [If studs are used], take care not to damage them.
 [If this looks too simple], let us develop a more complex procedure.
 [If we trace out the instructions of an algorithm], then for all cases the
algorithm will terminate after a finite number of sets.
 Thus fron=rearn [if and only if there are no elements in the queue].
 Conversely, [if service conditions alter a material’s structure], the engineer
must anticipate that changes will occur in properties and performance.
 [If this precaution is not taken], the n+-type contact region may touch the p-
type base and result in a low collector-base breakdown voltage.
 [If the compression in the diffuser is carried to a high enough pressure], an
22 EST: NOTIONAL DESCRIPTION AND WRITING PRACTICE

efficient engine can be obtained without a compressor.

 [If only few specimens are to be tested], the empty places in the freezer
should be filled with dummies, [unless it has been shown that the correct
temperature cycle is achieved without this precaution].
 [If specified]2, the zinc coating is in accordance with ISO standard.
 The principle of transmissibility states that the conditions of equilibrium or
motion of a rigid body will remain unchanged if a force F acting at a given point
of the rigid body is replaced by a force F’ of the same magnitude and the same
direction, but acting at a different point, [provided that the two forces have the
same line of action].
 It will retain these properties indefinitely, [provided there is no change in the
internal structure of the material].
 It may not always be necessary to understand the precise definition itself,
[provided one can understand the significance of the term or figure in relation to the
diagram, chart or calculation involved].
 [Unless excited by external means]3, the one electron of a hydrogen atom will
occupy the lowest orbital.
 [In the event of an LNG tanker running aground or becoming stranded in
some other way], that type of operation is necessary.
 It is important to remember that a variable stands for the same object
[wherever it occurs in a rule].
 [If in doubt] add a bit more, and don’t use additives [unless you are
confident of what they can do and are sure that only the right amount will be
used].
 [If a cylinder head is too tight], do not drive a chisel or screwdriver between
the cylinder block and head to remove it.

b) type-2
 [If the base collector junction were4 fabricated like the pn junction in a
conventional diode], only a tiny reverse current would flow.
 [If the bar in tension were absolutely rigid], it would increase in length
slightly.
 [If a thermometer were inserted into each block and the blocks were placed
in direct sunlight], the temperature of the black block would rise at a much faster rate
than that of the silver one.
 Copper and aluminium are both fairly weak, [but if they were mixed together],
the result would be an alloy called aluminium bronze, which is much stronger than
either pure copper or pure aluminium.

2
Note the omission of the pronoun and the verb to be in if it is specified  if specified.
3
See footnote 2: unless it is excited  unless excited.
4
In type-2, were is used instead of was in the if-clause. If I were you, ...
EXPRESSING CONDITION 23

 In fact, it would actually cause the truck to move downward [if it were not for
the presence of the ground].
 [Were it not for the improvements made in steel production]5, the railroad
system could not have developed.

c) type-3
 [If the bearings had shown fine scratches], they would have been re-used.
 [If scientists had not invented the atom bomb], disasters such as Hiroshima
would not have occurred.
 This computing time is a little disturbing since we know that [in case the
matrices had been represented as two dimensional arrays], we could have obtained
the transpose of an n*m matrix in time O(nm).
 [Had the heating unit been located near the ceiling], the warm air would have
remained there, and very little convection current would have been generated to
distribute the energy.

PRACTICE

1. Translate into English

1. Si estos nudos no estuviesen conectados directamente por ninguna rama,
entonces el valor correspondiente de gsk sería cero.
2. No puede haber ninguna corriente o tensión en una red constituida de
resistencias, de no existir una o más fuentes de energía.
3. Si todas las tensiones y corrientes hubieran sido establecidas mediante fuentes
aplicadas, no habría habido ningún problema que resolver.
4. El momento de una fuerza no variaría si se trasladase el punto de aplicación
de ésta a lo largo de su línea de acción.
5. La acción de un par de fuerzas no variará si cambia el valor de las fuerzas y
del brazo a condición de que la magnitud absoluta del momento y el sentido
de la rotación se mantengan.
6. Efectivamente, si el momento principal respecto a un punto O1 fuera distinto
de cero, entonces el sistema de fuerzas equilibrado resultaría equivalente al
par resultante del momento mo1.
7. Si cortásemos estas ramas, el gráfico de la red original quedaría cortado en
dos subgráficos.
8. Siempre que existan relaciones simples, el principio de dualidad ayuda a
clasificarlas.
9. A menos que la suma algebraica de las corrientes correspondientes a un grupo
de ramas confluyentes en un mismo nudo sea cero, en dicho nudo se creará o
destruirá carga eléctrica.
10. Un modelo alternativo surge si asumimos que las salidas del circuito
5
Note the ‘subject + verb’ inversion to mark the elision of the conditional subordinator. This can occur
in type-2 (only if the verbs were or should are used in the if-clause), and in type-3.
24 EST: NOTIONAL DESCRIPTION AND WRITING PRACTICE

secuencial son funciones sólo del estado de la máquina.

11. Si surge una situación inestable, ocurrirá una de estas dos cosas.
12. A menos que cambie una entrada, permaneceremos en este estado
indefinididamente, y la salida será Z = 1.

2. Write the verbs in the appropriate tense.

1. If the current ___________ (be limited) to some safe value, the voltage across
the diode is constant, independent of the current through the diode.
2. If you ___________ (use) a hard-to-guess password that contains a mix of
numbers and letters, hackers would find your system more difficult to crack.
3. If it ___________ (be) not for the improvements made in steel production, the
railroad system could not have developed.
4. If Stephenson ______________ (not, invent) the steam locomotive, some other
engineer would have invented something similar.
5. In case the adequate measures had been taken, the accident ____________ (can
be avoided).
6. If heat loss in power stations _________ (can be used) more efficiently,
cogeneration power plants would play an even bigger role in energy production.
7. A BSc in physics provides an ideal preparation for most engineering masters
programs, provided that the BSc curriculum __________ (be supplemented) by
four additional courses.
8. Customers would be pleasantly surprised if automobile manufacturers
__________ (try) to solve driving problems with a change in car design.
9. In the event of a tanker ___________ (sink) near the coast, measures should be
taken to prevent oil from reaching the coast.

3. Rewrite the conditional sentences using inversion.

1. If engineers had planned on tunneling the highway through most of its route,
maybe public opposition to the project would not have been as fierce.
2. If it were not so potentially dangerous, nuclear energy would not be so polemic.
3. If vaccines had not been invented, many people would still die from common
illnesses.
4. If the Hindenburg airship had used helium instead of hydrogen, it wouldn’t
have exploded in New Jersey.
5. If you should require minimum weight with high tensile resiliency, carbon fibre
would be the right material for you.