Conditional Sentences

E. Linkevičiūtė
 IF and MAIN Clauses
Conditional sentences have at least two clauses: IF
clauses and MAIN clauses.
Examples:
If I go into town tomorrow, I will see a movie.
If he spoke Chinese, he would work as a guide in China.
If they had been faster, they would have won the race.

The condition The result

 IF Clauses (the condition)
The four words that NEVER (well, almost
never) appear in the IF clause are:

will, won’t, would, wouldn’t

Example:
If we will see it, we will be angry.
 1st Conditional
(present/future – possible)
• Use:
When something is possible now or in the future

• Form:
If +present verb tense, will+V1.
must/ should/ may/ might+V1.
• Examples:
If she studies, she will pass the geography test.
I am sure that it is possible.

If she studies, she may pass the geography test.

It’s a 50/50 possibility.
 Other linkers used instead of IF in
1st Conditional
As long as/ provided that = only if
Example:
You will get a refund only if you have a receipt.
You will get a refund as long as/ provided that you have
a receipt.

Unless = if not
Example:
If we don’t finish soon, we will miss the train.
Unless we finish soon, we will miss the train.
Task 1: 1st Conditional. Fill in IF or UNLESS

• I’ll take them to court ______ they pay me what they owe.

• We’ll let him out of prison ______ he reports to the police

station every day.

• I’ll complain to the manager ______ you give me a different

room.

• You’ll be alright ______ you take some traveller’s checques.

• ______ they keep to the agreement, I’ll give them the money.

• We’ll lose the contract ______ we lower the price.

 2nd Conditional
(present/future – impossible)
• Use:
When something is NOT possible now, or in the future.

• Form:
If +past verb tense, would+V1.
might/ could+V1.
• Examples:
If he spoke Chinese, he would work as a guide in China.
It would definitely happen were it possible.
If he spoke Chinese, he might/ could work as a guide in China.
It’s a 50/50 possibility that it would happen were it possible.

Fact: He doesn’t speak Chinese, so it’s impossible.

 Special Rules for 2nd Conditional

1. “To be” is always “were” in the if clause

Example:
If he were here, he would do it.
(Fact: He’s not here, so it’s impossible.)

2. You can drop the “if” by moving the “were”

to the front.
Example:
Were he here, he would do it.
Task 2: 1st or 2nd Conditional? Fill in the correct form of the verbs
in brackets.

• The bank will not lend you money unless they __________ (be)
sure you can pay it back.

• The offices are expensive here, but if they were cheaper, I

__________ (start) my business in the city centre.

• If it __________ (not be) such hard work, I would open a

restaurant.

• If the boss __________ (get) you a bigger budget, can you

promise us we’ll be ready on schedule?

• He knew he _______________ (never get) rich unless he started

his own business.

• If we take on another project, we __________ (need) more staff.

 3rd Conditional
(past – impossible)
• Use:
Imagining a situation in the past, different from what it really
was; regreting or criticising one’s past actions.

• Form:
If +past perfect, would have +V3.
could/ might + have+V3.
• Examples:
If we had studied, we would have passed the exam.
It would have definitely happened in the past had it been possible.
If we had studied, we could/ might have passed the exam.
It’s a 50/50 possibility that would have happened in the past had it been possible.

(Fact: We didn’t study and we didn’t pass the exam.)

 Where does the “not” go?

• If the girl had not looked both ways when

she crossed the street, a car would have hit
her.
(Fact: She did look both ways, so a car did not hit her.)

• If the boys had practiced more, they would

not have lost the game.
(Fact: They did not practice enough, so they lost the game.)
Special Rule for 3rd Conditional

You can drop the “if” by moving the “had” to

the front.
Example:
If he had been there, we would have done it.
Had he been there, we would have done it.

Note: Although you are starting with an

auxiliary verb, this is not a question!
Task 3: 3rd Conditional. Fill in the correct form of the verbs in
brackets.

• If you _______________ (tell) me about it sooner, I

_______________ (be) able to do something. Now it’s too late.

• If we _______________ (not invest) so heavilly in dotcoms, we

_______________ (save) ourselves a fortune!

• You _______________ (get) an interview with that company if you

_______________ (take) my advice.

• ______ our lawyers _______________ (not spot) that mistake in

the contract, we _______________ (be) in a real mess!
 Final comment

Just remember to ask yourself:

1) Is the situation
possible or
impossible?
2) Is the situation in the
past or in the
present/future?
Task 4: 1st, 2nd or 3rd Conditional? Fill in the correct form of the verbs
in brackets to complete these English jokes. (1)

A: Why do doctors wear masks when they operate?

B: So that nobody will recognize them if anything _______________ (go)
wrong!
  
C: Pauline, what is a “cannibal”?
D: I don’t know, sir.
C: Well, if you ate your mother and father, what ____________(you/ be)?
D: An orphan, sir?
  
E: When we arrived at the airport this morning, there was a man
running up and down shouting, “Take a bus, take a train, but don’t
take a plane. It’s wrong to fly. If God had meant people to fly, he
________________ (give) them wings.”
F: Who was that man?
E: Our pilot!
Task 4: 1st, 2nd or 3rd Conditional? Fill in the correct form of the verbs
in brackets to complete these English jokes. (2)

A: If you had a pound and you _______________ (ask) your

grandmother for 30p and your grandfather for 40p, how much
_______________ (you/ have)?
B: One pound, sir.
A: You don’t know the arithmetic, do you?
B: And you don’t know my grandparents, sir!
  

C: Men, I’m sorry to tell you that Corporal Wright was killed by a tiger
on a jungle path last night because he didn’t think quickly enough.
Private Smith, if you had been in the Corporal’s shoes, what steps
___________________ (you/ take)?
D: Great big ones, sir!
  

E: The diamond necklace looks wonderful on you, madam.

F: Yes, it does, doesn’t it? But if my husband _______________ (not/
like) it, will you refuse to take it back?
The End