Mood

Տրամադրություն

Three terms have traditionally been used to describe the different ways verbs can
express an idea:
Երեք տերմիններ ավանդաբար օգտագործվում են նկարագրելու
այն տարբեր ուղիները, որոնք բայերը կարող են արտահայտել
գաղափար.
the indicative – makes a statement
Ցուցիչ - հայտարարություն է անում
the imperative – gives a command
հրամայական – հրաման է տալիս
the subjunctive – shows a condition contrary to fact, such as an unreal statement after
if, a command, a request, or necessity
ստորոգյալը - ցույց է տալիս փաստին հակասող պայման, օրինակ՝
եթե, հրամանից, խնդրանքից կամ անհրաժեշտությունից
հետո անիրական հայտարարություն
Some grammars use mode instead of mood to show the differences in the way the verb idea is
expressed. Many languages make changes in the verb form to show the ideas such as
obligation, permission, and necessity that English can show by using modal and auxiliary
verbs before the main verb.
Որոշ քերականներ տրամադրության փոխարեն օգտագործում են
ռեժիմ՝ ցույց տալու բայի գաղափարի արտահայտման ձևի
տարբերությունները: Շատ լեզուներ փոփոխություններ են կատարում
բայի ձևում՝ արտահայտելու այնպիսի գաղափարներ, ինչպիսիք են
պարտավորությունը, թույլտվությունը և անհրաժեշտությունը, որոնք
անգլերենը կարող է արտահայտել՝ օգտագործելով մոդալ և օժանդակ
բայեր հիմնական բայից առաջ:
Be used in different moods - Օգտագործեք տարբեր
տրամադրություններով
indicative (a statement)
ցուցիչ (հայտարարություն)
Frances is a good student. - Ֆրենսիսը լավ ուսանող է։
imperative (a command)
հրամայական (հրաման)
 Be a good student - Եղեք լավ ուսանող
subjunctive (a statement after if that is not real)
ենթակայական (հայտարարություն հետո, եթե դա իրական չէ)
e.g. If Frances were not a good student, she would leave school. (She is a good
student.)
Եթե Ֆրենսիսը լավ աշակերտ չլիներ, նա կթողներ դպրոցը։
Were is usually used in written nonreal statements after if for all persons.
Սովորաբար օգտագործվում են գրավոր ոչ իրատեսական
հայտարարություններում, եթե բոլոր անձանց համար:

Conditionals: zero, first, second

Before You Read

Discuss these questions.

Do you ever make wishes? What do you wish for? Discuss your wishes and decide whether it
is possible to achieve them.
Read
 After You Read

Match each reading selection on the left with its main idea on the right.
___ 1. Chinese proverb a. The writer doesn’t like people very much.
___ 2. If I Had My Life to Live Over b. It is important to be satisfied with the kind of
life you lead.
___ 3. Quotation by Jane Seymour c. There is a logical connection between the
individual and the rest of the world.

Zero conditional
Use Form Example

If people eat too much, they

General or scientific facts if + present simple, present simple
often get fat.

First conditional
Use Form Example

Real or likely situations in

the present or future and
their results in the present
and future
We can also use a form of
the first conditional to
give instructions about
real or likely situations in
the present or future.
If you take these pills,
if + present simple, will + bare
you’ll start to feel better
infinitive
very soon.
If you decide to have a
if + a present tense, imperative
birthday party, tell me!

Second conditional
Use Form Example

If my legs were longer, I

would be a much faster
Impossible, unlikely or runner!
hypothetical conditions in If you had a beard, you
if + past simple, would + bare
the present or future and would look just like Charles
infinitive
their results in the present Dickens!
and future If you were flying to Rio,
would you get there much
quicker.

vs Grammar
 In British English, we can use both was and were after if with first and third person
singular. Were is more common in a formal style. In American English, it is usual to use
were.
UK: If I was / were a gambler, I’d put money on Jim being late.
US: If I were a gambler, I’d put money on Jim being late.
 In both British and American English, were is usually used in the phrase if I were you,
....

Activities

I. Look through the sentences on the left. Then match them with the sentences on the
right. Join them with if:
1. You lose your credit card. I can’t sleep.
2. You get promoted. You get a warning letter.
3. I drink coffee late at night. You have to ring the bank.
4. You don’t pay the bill. Your salary goes up.
5. I try to run fast. The alarm goes off.
6. Someone enters the building. I get out of breath.

1. 3 If You lose your credit card You have to ring the bank
2. 4
3. 1 If I drink coffee late at night I can’t sleep
4. 2
5. 6
 6. 5

II. Read the text and then complete the sentences using the prompts.
Global warming: what are the consequences?
What are the consequences of global warming? These are some predictions.

A rise of only a degree or two in the temperature of the planet will cause floods in many
parts of the world. This is because the melting of the ice caps will cause a big rise in sea
level. We will lose a lot of important farmland, and people will have to leave some of the
world’s biggest cities.

Some deserts are growing so fast that we can see and measure the changes. Some
scientists believe this is because of human activity (mainly cutting down trees), but others
think that it is an effect of global warming. Good agricultural land is being changed into
desert.

Animals adapt to survive in the climate of the area where they live. If the climate changes,
it will become too hot for some animals and too cold for others. Insects like mosquitoes
will move to new areas and take malaria with them. Some crops won’t grow and many
people will starve.

Some scientists believe that nature will absorb the effects of greenhouse gases. For
example, carbon dioxide dissolves easily in sea water. Shellfish use it to produce their
shells. One theory is the shellfish will be able to absorb the extra carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.

Plants also absorb carbon dioxide. We know that the rainforests use carbon dioxide to
photosynthesize and produce oxygen. This is why the rainforests are so important. If we
don’t protect them, the level of carbon dioxide will increase.

a. If temperatures go up by a degree, the sea will flood many parts of the world.
b. If the polar ice caps melt, thel evel will rise, we will lose a lot of important
farmland, and people will have to leave some of the world’s biggest cities.
c. We will lose a lot of farmland if the level rise
d. If mosquitoes move to new areas, they take malaria with them
e. Many people will starve if Some crops won't grow
f. If there is extra carbon dioxide in sea water, shellfish use it to produce their shells.
g. The level of carbon dioxide will increase unless If we don’t protect rainforests

III. Use the words to complete an if-sentence about solutions to environmental

 problems.

Solution A - recycle paper, metal and glass

a. everyone / recycle paper / companies / not cut down so many trees
If everyone recycled paper, companies won’t cut down so many trees.
b. everyone / recycle metal and glass / we not waste valuable resources
if everyone recycle metal and glass, we not waste valuable resources
c. everyone / recycle paper, metal and glass / we not produce so much rubbish
if everyone recycle paper, metal and glass, we not produce so much rubbish

Solution B - turn off lights, don’t drive so much, insulate your house
d. everyone / turn off unwanted lights / save a lot of electricity
if everyone turn off unwanted lights we will save a lot of electricity
e. everyone / walk or cycle / not waste so much oil and petrol
if everyone walk or cycle we not waste so much oil and petrol
f. everyone / insulate their houses / not waste so much energy for heating
if everyone insulate their houses we not waste so much energy for heating

Solution C - use renewable energy

g. countries use more wind and water power, not depend so much on power stations
if countries use more wind and water power, we will not be depend so much on
power stations
h. countries use power stations less, cause less air pollution
if countries use power stations less, cause be less air pollution

IV. Write answers for questions 1-4 below, and write suitable questions for
answers 5-8.
Example: How would your friend feel if you always wore the same clothes as him/her?
He’d probably get quite annoyed with me.
1. What would you do if you found £500 in the street?
I would take it and spend it
2. What would you say if your mother asked what you thought of a new dress and
you hated it?

3. What would you tell your teacher if you hadn’t done your homework?
I would tell her the reason why I didn't do it
4. Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
 I would live in Armenia
Example: How would you feel if you come top in all your exams?
I’d be really happy, but I’d probably feel a bit sorry for my friends who didn’t do as
well as me.
5.
that. I’d probably scream and run away, although actually I don’t believe in things
like
6.
I wouldn’t touch it. I’d call for help and move away from it.
7.
I’d walk up to them and ask him/her what he/she was doing, and then tell him/her
our relationship was over.
8.
First I’d buy a big house with a swimming pool and then I’d invest the rest of it.

V. Read the dialogue and put in the correct form of the verb. You may need to use will
or would.
Matthew I haven’t forgotten your birthday, you know. If you like, (1) I would book (I/
: book) a table for Thursday at our favourite restaurant.
My birthday is on Wednesday, Matthew. You’re playing basketball then, aren’t
Emma: you? If you cared for me, (2) you would not play (you / not / play)
basketball on my birthday.
What’s the difference? If (3) we go (we / go) out on
Matthew: Thursday, it’ll be just the same. If (4) I will not play (I / not /
play), I’d be letting the team down.
Yes, I suppose (5) it will be (it / be) a disaster if you missed
Emma: one game. Well, if (6) you think (you / think) more
of your friends than you do of me, you can forget the whole thing.
I just don’t understand you sometimes, Emma.
Matthew: If (7) you think (you / think) about it, you’d understand. And I
Emma: think (8) it will be (it / be) better if we forgot all
about my birthday.
Don’t be silly, Emma. If you get into one of your bad moods,
Matthew (9) it would not do (it / not / do) any good.
: If you were interested in my feelings, (10) I will not get (I / not /
 get) into a bad mood.
Emma:

VI. Read situations 1-8 below, which conditionals are possible? Tick () a), b), or
both if they are both possible.
1. The farmer wants to sell the field behind our house to property developers.
a. If they build houses there, it ruins the area. .........
b. If they build houses there, it’ll ruin the area. .........
2. That politician Steven Brown has been offered some money by a businessman.
a. What will you do in his situation? .........
b. What would you do in his situation? .........
3. The interview went well, actually. I think they liked me.
a. If they offer me the job, I’m going to accept it. .........
b. If they offered me the job, I’d accept it. .........
4. It’s a simple law of physics.
a. Water boils if you heat it to 100 °C. .........
b. Water would boil if you heated it to 100 °C. .........
5. I can’t believe more people are getting on this bus.
a. If any more get on, it’ll never be able to move. .........
b. If any more got on, it would never be able to move. .........

VII. Match to make sentences.

1. If you stay with us for three days,
2. If you decide not to vote in the election,
3. If you didn’t eat your lunch so fast,
4. If there were a few more people working,
5. If you forget to take your passport,
6. If the hire car isn’t there when you arrive,
7. If the city continues to expand,
8. If the police didn’t fine people,
9. If you did decide to leave the company,
10. If MPs wish to resign,
................. a we might get served a bit more quickly.
................. b give us a call and we’ll come to pick you up.
................. c very few people would obey the law.
................. d you wouldn’t get hiccups, would you?
................. e they have to go through a complicated procedure.
................. f we’d be happy to give you a good reference.
................. g I’m pretty sure they won’t let you check in.
................. h more areas of natural beauty will be destroyed.
................. i we’ll have enough time to see a few sights.
................. j you can’t really complain about the government.

VIII. Use the prompts to complete the question.

Then choose the most likely answer.

a. what / happen if you / travel through the

 Earth to the other side?

b. what / happen if the Earth suddenly stop / going round?

c. what / happen if we not / have a Moon?

d. what / happen if all the ice at the poles / melt?

e. what / happen if there be / no more electricity?

f. what / happen if aliens receive / messages from Earth and decide / to visit us?

a. A You would fly out the
other side into space.
b. A We would enjoy
longer and warmer days
c. A There would not be
any ocean tides.
d. A Sea levels would fall.
e. A The universe would
no longer exist.
f. A People would use
candles for light and
fires for heat.
B This would be impossible
because the Earth’s core is
hot.
B It would start moving in
the opposite direction
B The Earth would spin more
slowly
B Sea levels would stay the
same.
B People would use candles
for light and fires for heat.
B They wouldn’t arrive for
millions of years, as they
would be so far away.
C You would fall to the centre
and then stop.
C Even if the Earth stopped,
we would keep moving!
C The Sun would grow
stronger.
C Sea levels would rise.
C People would use candles
for light and fires for heat.
C They wouldn’t understand
our messages anyway.

IX. Two language students are talking about their plans for the future. Decide if
their use of conditionals in 1-10 is right or wrong, and put a tick (), or
correct those that are wrong.
Pietro: I’m thinking of moving to Oxford next month.
Suzi: Really? Why do you want to do that?
Pietro: Because I think if I will stay here, 1 I might get bored. 1.
 Suzi: But you might not like Oxford. What 2 will you do 2.
then? 3.
Pietro: Oh, I know I’ll like it because I’ve been there before. Suzi:
Have you? You seem to have been everywhere. I’ve
hardly been anywhere since I arrived.
Pietro: Where 3 would you like to go? 4.
Suzi: Oh, lots of places - 4 I like to go to Scotland, and I’d 5.

love to see Oxford and Cambridge, of course.

Pietro: Well, if 5 I will decide to move to Oxford, 6 come 6.

and visit. 7.
8.
Suzi: Thanks. When 7 do you know for sure if you’re
moving?
9.
Pietro: Well, if 8 I didn’t pay for the course by next week,
10.
9 I’ll have to wait until next month. 10 I’d let you
11.
know what happens if you like.

X. Rewrite sentences using conditionals (0, 1, 2).

1. I don’t want to buy that CD so I’m not going to.

2. I don’t live alone so I don’t get lonely.

3. Don’s got such a lot of homework that he’s not going to play football tonight.

4. I can’t swim so I’m not going scuba diving with Terry.

5. We’re not going to order a pizza because we don’t have enough money.

6. We’re not staying in the same hotel, so we can’t share a room.

7. I’m not you, but I think you should call Antony right now!

8. I can’t come because I have to help my dad with something.

9. I don’t go to bed as late as you so I’m able to get up early in the morning.

10. Don’t run fast, or you’ll feel tired.

 11. In the snowy weather, we don’t go to school.

12. You press this button to stop the machine.

13. Make me some coffee, and I’ll give you one of my biscuits.

XI. In the conversation below, two friends are putting a new piece of furniture
together. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

A: So where do you think this bit goes?

B: Well, if we (put) it here, this piece (fit) onto it perfectly.
A: Yes, but if you 1 (do) that, how 2 you
(get) the doors on?
B: Good point. Perhaps we should do the doors first. Yes, if we 3
(attach) the doors now, we 4 (be able to) stand it upright.
A: But how 5 we (get) the top on if we
6 (do) that? It 7 (be) too tall to reach.
B: Hmm. OK. Let’s put the top on first then.
A: Yes. Good. Now, if we 8 (stand) it upright, we 9 (be
able to) fix the doors and put the shelf in, and it 10 (be)
finished.
B: Not quite. What’s this bit?
A: Ah, that’s easy. If you 11 (read) the instructions, you
12 (see) that it’s a spare shelf - we don’t need it.

What is the piece of furniture? Choose from pictures a) – e) below....

 a) b) c) d) e)

XII. Read the news and match extracts 1, 2 and 3 to the correct headlines, a), b) or
c).
a) What a winner! b) Jupiter, saviour of the world c) Baby talk
1. Headline: .....

If a large comet hit the Earth, humans would very soon die out. If it hit the
land it would cause earthquakes worldwide, knocking down almost every
building. If it landed in the deepest ocean, it would send waves thousands of
feet high over surrounding continents. A minimum of a billion people might
die. But Jupiter helps to stop such disasters.
 2. Headline: .....

MARGARET JONES, 56, can’t seem to stop winning. She has won two out of
the three competitions she’s entered this year, and now she’s won the lottery
too! OK, so she didn’t win the top prize, but she’s not unhappy with her
£50,000. ‘Margaret’s amazing. If she enters a competition, she wins!’ says
husband Mike.

3. Headline: .....

Rosanna Delia Corte was 62 when she gave birth to a son in 1994 Now
she’s trying for another child. If Rosanna gives birth soon, she’ll be nearly 80
when all the teenage problems start!

Find the sentences with if and number them 1 – 5. Write the numbers of the
sentences which match a), b) and c) below.

First clause Second clause

a) If + present tense will/can + verb ............................
b) If + past tense would + verb ............................
c) If + present tense present tense ............................

Which of the if sentences describe real, possible situations? ........................

Which describe unreal or imaginary situations? ........................
Do any refer to the past? ........................

XIII. Work in pairs.

a) Complete these sentences with your own ideas. Use an appropriate verb
form in the if clause or the main clause.
1. If I missed the bus, I’d have to walk to work.
2. If I’m late for an appointment,
3. If I were sick,
4. I’m embarrassed if
5. I’d quit my job if
6. I’ll buy a new computer if

b) Now write two real and two unreal if clauses or main clauses on a separate
sheet of paper. Give them to a classmate to complete.
XIV. Make a circle. Your teacher gives Player 1 one of the conditional sentences.
Player 2 (on Player 1’s right) has to use something from Player 1’s result clause
to make a new sentence. Continue round the circle.
Example:
Player 1: If the weather’s good tomorrow, we could go to the beach.
Player 2: If we go to the beach, I’ll try windsurfing.
Player 3: If you go windsurfing, you’ll fall in the sea a lot.
Player 4: If you fall in the sea ...

You’re out if:

you can’t think of a new sentence
or you repeat an idea
or the class agree you’ve made a conditional mistake.

Start again with a new sentence each time someone loses. The winner is the last
person left.

XV. On a separate sheet of paper, write two paragraphs about how you could
change two things about your life. Use real and unreal conditionals when
possible.
1. In the first paragraph, list things in your life you would change. Would you stop
procrastinating? Watch less TV? Live in a bigger house?
2. In the second paragraph, describe your choices with examples and illustrations.

If I could change two things in my life, what would they

be? Well, first, I would have a nice car. Right now I have to rely
on friends for rides and use the buses and subway. . . . .
For my car, I would get a red Volkswagen. It would have a
convertible top. . . . .
Conditionals: third (3)

Before You Read

Discuss these questions.
Think of a decision that you regret. What should you have done differently? Think of a
decision that you have never regretted. Why not?

Read

The Ifs of History

The ifs of history are numberless.
For everything that has happened we
can, of course, line up infinite
alternatives. But not much is gained
5 from this, except for the obvious
observation that human history is very
iffy.
The ifs I am talking about here are
last-minute ifs – that is, I am not going
10 to lose myself and my readers by
 guessing what would have happened if
there had been no Bering Strait or
English Channel or no Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. A last-minute if is: What
15 would have happened if, in February
1933, Giuseppe Zangara’s hand had
not been pushed aside in Miami, and
his bullet had killed Franklin
Roosevelt rather than the mayor of
20 Chicago?
The ifs I am talking about here are
last-minute ifs – that is, I am not going
to lose myself and my readers by
guessing what would have happened if
25 there had been no Bering Strait or
English Channel or no Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. A last-minute if is: What
would have happened if, in February
1933, Giuseppe Zangara’s hand had
30 not been pushed aside in Miami, and
his bullet had killed Franklin
Roosevelt rather than the mayor of
Chicago?
This example gets right to the
35 point. Most of my ifs are life-or-death
ifs. And that raises the well-known
dilemma: Are certain individuals of
greater importance to the flow of
history? I find it hard to accept that the
40 chance life or death of one person could
decide the lives and deaths of millions.
But I suspect that the truth lies
somewhere in between.
A few individuals have influenced
45 destiny, but in the long run, history
exhibits its own logic.
If that German officer in Hitler’s
headquarters who moved a briefcase had
minded his own business, then the bomb
50 in the briefcase would have killed Hitler. A
different government would have taken
over in Berlin and World War II would
have ended. The Allies would have
occupied Germany ten months sooner. As
55 many as a million prisoners’ lives
would have been saved.
If Cleopatra had been less attractive,
Marc Antony would have kept his mind
on the affairs of state and not been
60 eliminated from the race for Roman
emperor. He would have continued
sharing power with his brother-in-law
 Octavian, whom he hated, and he
would have worked to oppose
65 Octavian’s unjust use of force. If Marc
Antony had done that, it would have
hastened the rise of Christianity and
the fall of the Roman Empire by a
hundred years. Everything thereafter
70 would have happened one hundred
years sooner.
If Joseph Ginoux, a cafe owner in
Aries, had allowed Vincent van Gogh
to pay for his lodging in paintings
75 instead of evicting him, then Vincent
would have had some peace and
security. His nervous breakdown
might have happened later and been
less severe. He would have painted for
80 five, perhaps ten years more.
The people of Aries wouldn’t have
drawn up their petition to have him put
in an asylum. In a less hostile and
threatening world, his later work would
85 have reached an unimaginable
perfection. Gauguin and Picasso would
have been influenced differently;
twentieth-century painting would
have been different. (And Ginoux’s
90 heirs would have been the richest
people in France.)

asylum: a psychiatric hospital hasten: to cause to happen sooner

destiny: fate, the influence of uncontrollable iffy: full of uncertainty, doubtful
forces last-minute: at the final moment before an
dilemma: a difficult choice between important event
alternatives
evict: to force a renter out of his or her
apartment

Atfer you Read

Check () the events that actually happened or are true, according to the article.
1. A man tried to kill Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Miami.
2. Hitler was killed by a bomb in a briefcase.
3. Marc Antony was attracted to Cleopatra.
4. Van Gogh was evicted from where he was living.
5. Joseph Ginoux received paintings from van Gogh.

Third conditional
Use Form Example

If you had worn a fake beard, no one

would have known who you were!
Hypothetical conditions if + past perfect (simple (=You didn’t wear a fake beard so people
knew who you were)
in the past and their or continuous), would
If she’d been wearing her new glasses, I
result in the past +have + past participle would have noticed them. (=She wasn’t
wearing her new glasses so I didn’t
notice them.)

Mixed conditionals
Use
Form Example

Hypothetical conditions If + past perfect (simple

You might not be in so much trouble if
in the past and their or continuous), you hadn’t started gambling.
results in the present would/might + bare
infinitive
Hypothetical conditions if + past simple or past
If I were you, I would have made Paula
in the present and their continuous, would +
buy her own lottery ticket.
results in the past have + past participle

Inverted conditionals
Use Form Example

Should the situation worsen, the United

More formal form of the Should I/you/he/etc...
Nations is prepared to send in a
first conditional (with instead of If I/you/he/etc
peacekeeping force. (= If the situation
should) should.
should worsen...)
More formal form of the Were I/you/he/etc... Were the situation to worsen, the United
second conditional instead of If I/you/he/etc Nations would be prepared to send in a
were... peacekeeping force. (= If the situation were
 to worsen...)
Had the situation worsened, the United
Had I/you/he/etc...
More formal form of the Nations would have been prepared to send in
instead of If I/you/he/etc
third conditional a peacekeeping force. (= If the situation had
had...
worsened...)

Watch out!
 We can also use might, could or should instead of would, depending on the meaning.
 If I had done some revision, I might / could / should have passed the exam.
 For all conditional sentences (first, second, third, mixed, inverted), when the condition
comes before the result it is usually followed by a comma. When the result comes first, no
comma is necessary.
 If I had a mobile, I would have called you last night.
 I would have called you last night if I had a mobile.
 In conditional sentences, modals (will, would, could, etc) are sometimes followed by a
continuous infinitive.
 We’d still be waiting if you hadn’t turned up.
 When the verb to be inverted is negative, we put not after the subject.
 Had we not attended the meeting, we would have had no idea of the council’s
plans.

vs Grammar
 With second and third conditionals in informal conversation, speakers of American
English sometimes use would or would have in the if clause. This is very unusual in
British English.
US: How would you feel if this happened / would happen to you?
UK: How would you feel if this happened to you?
US: I would have felt awful if that had happened / would have happened to me.
UK: I would have felt awful if that had happened to me.
 Other conditional structures

Word of Phrase Meaning Example

can also be used in

Even if you begged him to take the money, he
even if conditional sentences to
wouldn’t accept.
emphasize if.
I’ll be there at six unless I get delayed.
unless ‘except if’ or ‘if ... not’
(= except if I get delayed / if I don’t get delayed)
‘because he/she/it/etc Let’s take our willies in case it’s muddy.
in case
might’ (= because it might be muddy)
As long as I’m happy, my parents don’t care what
job I do.
So long as I’m happy, my parents don’t care what
as/so long as,
‘if’ or ‘only if’ job I do.
provided (that)
Provided (that) I’m happy, my parents don’t care
what job I do.

Applications for membership are accepted on

on condition (that) ‘only if’
condition that applicants are over 18.
If it wasn’t/weren’t I think I’d be quite lonely if it wasn’t/weren’t for my
when we describe how
for + noun, dog, Buster.
one event depends on
If it hadn’t been for If it hadn’t been for your help, I wouldn’t have been
another.
+ noun able to quite gambling.
when we mean if it But for your help, I wouldn’t have been able to quite
But for + noun
were not for gambling.
If + should emphasizes
that an event is not very
likely, or to make a
request seem more
indirect or polite. If you should see Davina, ask her whether she would
If ... should, if ... If+ happen to has a look after the cats this weekend.
(should) similar effect, and can
happen(ed) to be used with should to If you (should) happen to see Davina, ask her
emphasis unlikelihood whether she would look after the cats this weekend
or distance. Phrases
such as by any chance
are also used in the
same way
This is often used in
writing which speculates
Do you think it would reduce pollution if the
If ... were to about the future and
government were to introduce a new tax on petrol?
make and event seem
less likely.
You should have your air conditioner serviced,
when we mean another otherwise you’ll waste a lot of energy.
Otherwise
way if saying ‘if not’ She helped me with this, otherwise I wouldn’t be
able to lift it.
 Activities

I. Look at the pictures and match the sentences. Use the correct form of the verbs in
the box. You may have to use some negative forms.

1 2 3

break ● fall over ● look ● pick up ● reply ● see ● stood

1. If Kevin hadn’t just got a text message, he ____________________ at his mobile phone.
2. If he hadn’t looked at his mobile, he ____________________ the banana skin.
3. If someone ____________________ the banana skin earlier, it wouldn’t have been there.
4. If Kevin had seen the banana skin, he ____________________ on it.
5. If he hadn’t stood on it, he ____________________.
6. If he hadn’t fallen over, he ____________________ his mobile.
7. If he hadn’t broken his mobile, he ____________________ to the text message.

II. Read the text and complete the sentences using the third conditional.
Some scientists, such as Stephen Hawking, believe it’s possible that there are billions and
billions of universes. Each universe has a different possible consequence for every action. In the
universe we live in, for example, George Bush became President of the USA in January 2001,
and Greece won the European Cup in July 2004. But in other universes different things
happened. Imagine if that’s true! In some universes, your parents didn’t meet, so you weren’t
born. In another universe, a meteor didn’t strike the Earth, so the dinosaurs didn’t become
extinct. In a different universe, your best friend won the lottery last summer and moved to a
bigger house. In another parallel universe, you started learning English a year earlier, so you
did this book last year! Somewhere else, Madonna wasn’t discovered, and so didn’t make any
records. In another universe, Van Gogh was recognised as a great painter during his lifetime,
and so didn’t die in poverty. And perhaps in several universes, there were enough lifeboats on
the Titanic and so everyone on board survived. It makes you think, doesn’t it?

1. If I’d started learning English a year earlier, ____________________________________

2. If a meteor hadn’t struck the Earth, __________________________________________
 3. If my best friend had won the lottery last summer, ________________________________
4. If my parents __________________________________________________________
5. Everyone on board the Titanic________________________________________________
6. Van Gogh ____________________________________________________________
7. Madonna _________________________________________________________________
8. If George Bush _________________________________________________________
9. If Greece _____________________________________________________________

III. Read these situations. Then use the cues to write two or three sentences about
each situation. Use past unreal conditionals with would, could, and might. More
than one answer is possible.
1. Jake didn’t want to go to the party, but his friend Lee persuaded him to go. At the
party, Diane, a beautiful woman from Texas, asked him to dance. Jake later married
Diane. They are now living in Texas.
1) Jake (go) to the party/he (meet) Diane

2) Lee (persuade) Jake to go/he (dance) with Diane

3) Jake (meet) Diane/he (move to) Texas

2. A truck crashed into a bridge and spilled chemicals into the river. The chemicals
polluted the river. As a result, the children didn’t have a place to swim.
1) truck (spill) chemicals/chemicals (pollute) the river

2) truck (crash) into the bridge/the children (have) somewhere to swim

3. My parents left Honduras because of the war. My father had a cousin in Mexico, so
they went there. His cousin worked in a hotel, and he found my father a job. My
father bought the hotel after ten years. Now our family runs it.
1) there (be) war/my parents (leave) Honduras

2) my father (have) a cousin in Mexico/they (go) there

 3) cousin (find) my father a job in a hotel/my dad (bought) the hotel

IV. Write sentences using past unreal conditionals to answer the questions or respond
to the statements below. Use the phrases in the box.
1. Why didn’t you come to class? I was expecting to see you there.

2. Why didn’t you give Bob any money when he needed help?

3. I couldn’t believe I was so busy this semester! I never had time to have fun, did I?

4. Someone robbed my house this weekend. Do you think my neighbors saw the robber?

5. Why didn’t Rosa tell us she was having a problem with her workload.

6. I really wanted to go to the game, but it didn’t work out. I guess it’s for the best, right?

V. Complete the conversation. Put in the correct form of the verb. Use the Past Perfect or
would have.
Nick: United didn’t play very well today.
Tom: We were awful. But if Hacker (1) (take) that easy chance,
(2) (we / win).
Nick: We didn’t deserve to win. It (3) ____________________ (be) pretty unfair if
Rangers (4) _____________________________ (lose).
Tom: Hacker was dreadful. My grandmother (5) _________________________ (score)
if (6) ______________________________________________ (she / be) in that position.
Nick: And if Burley (7) __________________________________________ (not / be)
asleep, he (6) __________________________________ (not / give) a goal away.
Tom: If Johnson (8) __________________________________ (not / be) injured when
we needed him most, (9) _______________________________(it / be) different.
Nick: Yes, (10) ________________________________________ (we / beat) them if
(11) ________________________________ (he / be) fit.
VI. Choose the correct answer.
1. If you saw another student cheating in an exam, _________________ somebody?
A did you tell B do you tell C would you tell D have you told
2. Make sure you mix the ingredients well, __________________ you might get lumps
in your cake.
A unless B otherwise C provided D supposing
3. Were ________________ my dad, I would never have started playing tennis in the
first place.
A it for C it to be for
B it hadn’t been for D it not for
4. If I ________________ hear from Nigel, I’ll tell him you were asking after him.
A happened C should to
B should happen to D will happen to
5. The book would have been perfect ______________ the ending.
A had it not been for C it hadn’t been for
B it had not been for D hadn’t it been for
6. If you hadn’t taken the money, you ___________________ in prison now.
A wouldn’t have been C haven’t been
B hadn’t been D wouldn’t
7. Do you think that if we _____________ earlier we might not have missed the coach?
A have been leaving C had left
B left D have left
8. Unless Ray _____________ here soon, I’m going to leave because I’m getting bored.
A doesn’t get B gets C won’t get D will get
9. What if I _________________ you that there’s a good chance I can get tickets for the
concert?
A were to tell B were telling C have told D would to tell
10. If there ______________ happen to be any reason for late delivery, please inform our
Accounts Department.
A might B could C would D should

VII. Complete using the words in the box.

case ● condition ● long ● otherwise ● provided ● so ● suppose ● unless

1. Do you want a highly-paid career, and, if ____________, are you prepared to

retrain? Contact us.
2. I’m quite happy to lend you money, as ____________ as you make sure I get it
back.
 3. The village fair should be a great success, ____________ we don’t have the same
problems with the weather as last year.
4. It’d be great to see you on Saturday evening, ____________ you’ve already got
other plans.
5. Could you go to the shop for me? I have to stay in in ____________ the courier
comes.
6. Your idea sounds fine in theory, but just ____________ something goes wrong.
What then?
7. Write your name at the top of your essay, ____________ I won’t know which
one’s yours.
8. The judge allowed the accused to stay at home on ____________ she reported to
the police every morning.

VIII. Work with a partner. List the two facts that each conditional sentence implies.
Then paraphrase the conditional sentence using would have followed by a true
sentence with but.
1. If Robert Kennedy had become president of the United States, he would have
ended the Vietnam War in 1969.
Facts: 1. Robert Kennedy didn’t become president of the United States.
2. The Vietnam War didn’t end in 1969.
Paraphrase: Robert Kennedy would have ended the Vietnam War in1969, but he
didn’t become president
2. If Napoleon’s armies had had proper nails for horseshoes, they would have
conquered Russia.
Facts: 1.
2.
Paraphrase:

3. If Apollo 13 hadn’t had an explosion during its flight, it would have landed on the
moon as planned.
Facts: 1.
2.
Paraphrase:

4. If Mozart hadn’t died young, he would have finished his famous piece Requiem.
Facts: 1.
2.
Paraphrase:
 5. If I hadn’t been worried about the "Y2K" problem, I would have enjoyed my
friend’s party on December 31, 1999.
Facts: 1.
2.
Paraphrase:

IX. Correct the text with one word in each gap.

Environmental issues
Everyone agrees that unless the world’s tiger population
is protected, tigers will eventually become extinct. If it
were not for the efforts made by international campaigns
over past decades, the extinction would already have
become local a fact. Tigers could coexist with human beings,
provided people are involved in conservation. However,
even if tiger habitats were redeveloped there is no
guarantee of success. Government agencies must be
involved, and there must be adequate finance: even
conservation projects are neglected. An organized
programme with safeguards must be introduced. If not the illegal hunters quickly
move back in. Supposing there were no tigers left in the world: how will we all
feel? According to some environmentalists, that day may be coming sooner rather
than later.

X. Use the information to make an impossible past conditional sentence which has a
result in the present.
a) Columbus 1492: ‘Don’t worry men, I’ve brought a map with me, so I know
exactly where we are. If I hadn’t brought a map , we lost!’
b) Galileo 1640: ‘I’ve explained my new ideas to the Church, but now I’m in
trouble! If I ______________________, I ______________________!’
c) Marco Polo 1300: ‘It’s true, I have exaggerated and made up some of the
descriptions in the book about my travels. I suppose that’s why people don’t
believe the true things. ‘If I _________________________________________,
perhaps more people ______________________.
d) Mrs Abraham Lincoln, April 1865: ‘We went to the theatre last night, and now
my poor husband the President is dead, shot by a political opponent. If we
________________________________________________________________
he __________________________________________ alive today!’
e) Leonardo da Vinci, 1518: ‘I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but perhaps I
 haven’t spent enough time on my paintings. I didn’t always manage to finish
them, I’m afraid. If I ________________________________________, more of
them ______________________’
f) Napoleon, 1820, in exile on the island of St Helena: ‘Looking back, I can see that
invading Russia was a mistake. Without that, perhaps I wouldn’t have lost the
war. If I __________________________________________________________
Russia, perhaps I _________________________ Emperor of France!’

XI. Jake lives next door to Melanie. Complete their conversation. Put in if, when
(x2), unless or in case.
Jake: A man is delivering a washing-machine this morning, but I have to go to
work. I won’t be (1) ________ he calls. Could you let him in for me,
please, (2) _________ you’re terribly busy?
Melanie: Oh, that’s no problem.
Jake: Oh, thanks. (3) __________ you could do that, I’d be really grateful. I’ll
leave a message on his answerphone. And (4) ___________ he doesn’t get
the message, I’ll put a note on the door, just to make sure. He’ll see it
(5) ___________ he comes.

XII. Read the articles about lucky rescues and choose the correct sentence, a) or b), to
finish each article.
a) ‘I don’t know what would have happened to me if he hadn’t heard me.’
b) If rescuers had delayed another 24 hours, he would have used up his supply of
oxygen.

ALIVE - after four days under a boat

IT WAS, he said, like heaven. Four days after his yacht capsized in the icy
Southern Ocean, Tony Bullimore was finally rescued yesterday. He had spent four
days under his yacht in one of the world’s most dangerous seas. Waiting in
complete darkness, he survived through determination and bits of chocolate. Two
days ago he ran out of water. ....

Talking parrot saves trapped van driver by crying out ‘help’

A parrot rescued a man who was trapped under the wheels of a van by
copying his calls for help. ‘I thought I was going to be stuck under the van all
night long,’ Mr Stone, 58, said. ‘Although I cried and shouted for help, no
one seemed to be able to hear me.’ But 100 metres away, at the Broadway
Caravan Park, Sonny, the parrot, heard him and repeated his shouts which
alerted two men who work at the park. ‘Sonny is a real life-saver,’ said Mr
Stone. ....
XIII. Work in pairs. Take turns giving indirect advice to your partner by telling what
you would have done. The if clauses may be omitted.
1. A: I didn’t understand last week’s homework, but I didn’t do anything about it.
B:
2. A: My best friend asked to borrow a lot of money. I gave it to him without asking
any questions.
B:
3. A: A salesperson was rude to me yesterday when I was buying a gift.
B:
4. A: My doctor didn’t answer all my questions.
B:
5. A: My boss didn’t offer me the raise that I wanted. I was disappointed.
B:
6. A: The airline refused to change my ticket, even though it was an emergency.
B:

XIV. Extension Activity

a) Make a list of instructions a teacher might give to a class, including:
unless otherwise provided / as long as / on condition
B Make true examples which include:
even if if you should if it hadn’t been for supposing if so imperative + and +
will clause

XV. On a separate sheet of paper, write two paragraphs about an important event
in your past or a decision you made and its effect on you. Describe what your life
might have been like if circumstances had been different. Use past unreal
conditionals and past wish sentences in your second paragraph when possible.
1. In the first paragraph, write briefly about the event or decision:

 What was it?

 Who was involved?
 When was it?
 How old were you at the time?
 How did it affect your life?

2. In the second paragraph, write about what might have happened:

 If it hadn’t happened or you had made a different decision, what do you think
 would have been the result?
 How do you think your life would have changed?

When I was ten years old, my parents decided to move to

California. We moved to Los Angeles in 1995, and my father
went to work for . . . .

If we hadn’t come here, my life would have been very different.

If we had stayed in our country, I wouldn’t have learned English
and . . . .