COLEGIUL “MIHAI VITEAZUL” BUMBESTI-JIU

IANOSI GIORGIANA
ENGLISH TEACHER

CONDITIONALS AND WISHES

There are several structures in English that are called conditionals.
"Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is true, then a particular result
happens.
If y = 10 then 2y = 20
If y = 3 then 2y = 6

ZERO CONDITIONAL: CERTAINTY

It is used to show what always happens in a given situation, to express the laws of nature or a general
truth:
If you heat ice, it melts.
Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the
condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present.
We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the present simple tense to talk about the condition. We
also use the present simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional
is that the condition always has the same result.
This use is similar to, and can usually be replaced by, a time clause using 'when' (When I am
late, my father takes me to school.)
If I am late, my father takes me to school.
She doesn't worry if Jack stays out after school.
Conditional 0 is formed by the use of the present simple in the if- clause followed by the
present simple in the result clause. The two clauses are separated by a comma. We can also put the
result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.
If he comes to town, we have dinner.
We have dinner if he comes to town.
In this kind of conditional, if can be replaced by when.
When you put salt on ice, it melts.

FIRST CONDITIONAL: REAL POSSIBILITY

Type 1 conditionals are used to express a real or very probable situation in the present or
future. The tense used in the result clause is future simple.
It is formed by the use of the present simple in the if-clause to refer to a probable or possible
present or future result:
If we hurry, we will get there in time. (It is quite possible that we will get there in
time.)
To indicate a present action or future arrangement we use present continuous in if-clause:
If you are looking for Mary, you will find her downstairs.
To indicate the completion of an action we use present perfect in if-clause:
If he has lost his keys, he will be angry.
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 To express permission, possibility, command, advice we use, in the result clause,
can/may/might/must/should + bare infinitive.
If he is in trouble, you must help him.
In Type 1 conditionals we often use unless which means 'if ... not'. In other words, '...unless
he hurries up.' could also be written, '...if he doesn't hurry up.’
If it rains, we will stay at home. – Unless it doesn’t rain, we will stay at home.
He will arrive late if he doesn’t hurry up. – He will arrive late unless he hurries up.
Peter will buy a new car if he gets his raise. – Peter won’t buy a new car unless he gets
his raise.

SECOND CONDITIONAL: UNREAL POSSIBILITY OR DREAM

The Second Conditional can be used to talk about imaginary present situations, where we
are imagining something different from what is really the case. We can also use it to talk about things
in the future that are unlikely to happen, as the condition is unlikely to be met. We use the past tense
in the condition part and would for the result.
IF Condition Time Result Possibility

  past simple present WOULD + base verb impossible

I had the I don't have the time, so I'm not going to learn
If   I would learn Italian.
time, Italian.

  past simple future WOULD + base verb unlikely

I won the I would travel around There's a very small chance of winning the
If  
lottery the world. lottery, so the trip is unlikely

We can use other modal verbs in the past tense in the result part of the sentence:
IF Condition Result Certainty

WOULD + base
  past simple  
verb

I had the Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is sure that they
If I would learn Italian.
time, would do it given the opportunity.

I had more I might learn Although unlikely to happen, it is only a possibility

If
time, Spanish. anyway. (uncertainty)

I had more I should learn some Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is saying that it
If
time, more about IT. would be a good idea, but is not committed to it.

I had more Although unlikely to happen, it is only a possibility

If I could learn Hindi.
time anyway. (ability)

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 With the verb to be, there are two forms that can be used with I, he, she & it:
IF Condition Result

I, he, she, it Were  

If I were you, I'd marry her.

I, he, she, it Was  

If I was you, I'd marry her.

THIRD CONDITIONAL: NO POSSIBILITY

Type 3 conditional is used to refer to an imaginary situation in the past, a condition in the
past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is
also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.
If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam. (I didn’t study much, so I didn’t pass the
exam.)
Condition Result What actually happened

  Past Perfect WOULD HAVE + Past Participle  

If I had known, I would have helped. I didn't know and didn't help.
 
IF Condition Result Certainty

WOULD HAVE+ past

  past perfect  
participle

Although this didn't happen, the speaker is sure

If I had known, I would have helped.
about the result.

Although this didn't happen, the result is only a

If I had known, I could have helped.
possibility.

Although this didn't happen, the result is only a

If I had known, I might have helped.
possibility.

Although this didn't happen, it is only a good

If you had known, you should have helped.
suggestion or piece of advice.

MIXED CONDITIONALS

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 We can form mixed conditionals, if the context permits it, by combining an if-clause from one
type with a main clause from another.
If clause Result clause
Type 2 Type 1
If the plane landed late last night, he won’t be on time for work today.
Type 2 Type 3
If you were less impulsive, you wouldn’t have spoken to your supervisor like
that.
Type 3 Type 2
If I hadn’t drunk the bad milk, I would be fine now.

WISHES
We can use wish/if only to express a wish.
Verb Tense Example
+ past simple/past continuous I wish I was/were 10 years old.
(but I’m not)
If only I were travelling with
you and not alone! It would be
much more fun. (but I’m not)
+ past perfect I wish I had saved more money
during my twenties. (but I
didn’t)
If only I hadn’t been so harsh
to her! We could still be friends.
(but I was)
+ subject + would + bare I wish you would stop spreading
infinitive rumours.
If only it would be sunny on my
birthday.
Use
- to say that we would like
something to be different about a
present situation
- to express regret about
something which happened or
didn’t happen in the past
- to express: - a polite imperative
- a desire for a
situation or person’s behaviour
to change

- If only is used in exactly the same way as wish but is more emphatic or more dramatic.
- We can use were instead of was after wish and if only: I wish I were/was a famous writer!
- After the subject pronouns I and we, we can use could instead of would: I wish I could study
art history.

Bibliography

Joseph Parsalis, Nicholas Stephens, Access to FCE, New Editions, 2002

Bob Obee, Virginia Evans, Upstream Advanced, Student’s book, Express Publishing, 2003
Bob Obee, Virginia Evans, Upstream Upper intermediate, Student’s book, Express Publishing,
2003

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www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-clauses
www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-conditional.htm
http://esl.about.com/od/gramma1/a/conditional.htm