Grammar: Conditionals

By:
Yeneneh W.

January, 2020
Haramaya University
 Diagnostic Exercise
Directions: Fill in each blank with the correct tense form of the verb in
the parentheses in the dialogue below.
Bela: Have you heard that Ghion Business Group wants to recruit a cashier and a
software developer?
Hiko: No! If had heard about the new jobs, I _____(apply) for the position of
‘Software Developer’ yesterday. Do you know the deadline?
Bela: It’s after two days.
Hiko: That’s good! If I get a CV format, I ____ (prepare) and ____ (submit) my
resume to the company. Would you like to be a cashier at the company?
Bela: I can’t serve as a cashier. I could apply for this position if ______ (graduate)
in Accounting. I think your sister fits the position.
Hiko: I don’t think so. She won’t be a cashier unless she _____(complete) her
study. By the way, what did you study at Rift Valley University?
Bela: Information System. I hope you ____(inform) me if you come across a job
announcement in my field of study.
Hiko: Certainly! Would you join me? I’m going to have egg for my breakfast.
Bela: No, thanks! I always _____ (feel) sick if I eat egg.
 1. Introduction
 Conditions deal with imagined situations: some are
possible, some are unlikely, some are impossible.

 Conditional sentences connect two things: a condition

and a result.
 The condition and the result can be real or imagined,
and can refer to past, present or future time.

 The speaker/writer imagines that something can or

cannot happen or have happened, and then compares
that situation with possible consequences or outcomes,
or offers further logical conclusions about the situation.
 The condition part of the sentence is called the if
clause or the conditional clause. The result part of the
sentence is known as the result clause, or sometimes
the main clause.
 The conditional clause and the main clause can be in
any order. If the if clause is first, there is a comma
between the clauses. There is no comma if the result
clause is first.

Examples: Condition (if clause)

Result (main) clause

1. If ice is heated, it melts.

2. Ice melts if it is heated.
 There are different structures for conditionals, including
four types known as zero, first, second and third
conditionals. Here are some examples:

1. If you heat water enough, it boils. Zero conditional

2. If I go to the shops, I'll get some milk. First conditional
3. If I won the lottery, I'd still carry on working. Second
conditional
4. If his software had been effective, Dawud would have
won the prize. Third conditional

 In the conditional clause, tense choices express different

types of potential event; in the main clause, modal verbs
are used to indicate the unfulfilled outcome of those
events.
 Conditional clauses can be formed with conjunctions
such as if, unless, so long as, as long as,
provided/providing that.

Examples:
1. You won’t study at a foreign university unless you pass
an international language test.
2. If Megersa gets a degree in Computer Science, he will be
a software developer.
3. You can take my bike as long as you ride it carefully.
4. The new project would have been feasible providing that
more donors had been reached.
5. It’s raining, but Abebe can go out so long as he carries an
umbrella.
 2. Zero Conditional
A. Structure: Present simple tense is used in the result and if
clauses. In the conditional clause, either if or when can be
used - they have the same meaning.

B. Function: We use the Type Zero (Type-0) to talk about

our habits, explanations, guidelines, advice, orders and
instructions, general truths, everyday occurrences and
scientific facts.

Examples:
1. The ground gets wet if/when it rains.
2. If/When I listen to loud music, I always have a headache.
3. If/When you press the button, the television turns on.
4. If it rains, do not open the windows.

A. Form
 If clause (condition)      Main clause (result)
present simple
 
Simple present/present
progressive
Present simple
Present Continuous
Tense/Present simple
Present simple/Present
progressive
Can
Present progressive
3. The first conditional
Examples
   
Jemal will not do the exam well unless he
works hard.
I shall pay the tuition for you if you are
will/shall (certainty, broke.
promise, threatening) If you divulge the secrete, I will behead
  you.
can, may, could
(permission) If you are exhausted, you can take rest.
may, might , can, could , If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we may go on
be going to (possibility) a picnic.
must, have to You must stay at home if it’s raining.
(obligation)  
should, had better, If you feel sick, you had better see a
ought to (advice) doctor.
If the software can clean all the junks,
Imperative (order) please email it to me.
  Never open the window if it is raining.
 B. Function
 Unlike the zero conditional, the first conditional is not about a
general truth or scientific fact. It's talking about a specific time
and event, and not something that's always true. It's talking
about a time in the future and something that might happen
then.
 We can employ this conditional to express certainty, possibility
and permission, to make promise, to threaten someone, to
offer advice and to order someone. Here are examples:
1. We won’t have enough time if we want to do som e
shopping too.
2. If Dawit moves to Dire Dawa, he will have to sell his house in
Harer.
3. If the director calls you, you should go.
4. If you lend him some money, he may not give it back to you.
 4. The Second Conditional

A. Structure:
Form Examples:
Conditional Result clause
cause
Past simple tense Present conditional If I were you, I would work much
(If I were you...) (advice) harder.
Past simple/ past Present If it were raining, I would carry
progressive conditional/progressive an umbrella.
  We could have class if our teacher
(unlikely or less were not attending a meeting.
probable situations and I could buy this jacket if you had
present wishes) money.
I would do a computer course if
I h ad the time.
Could (lack of Present  If I could speak English very
ability) conditional/progressive well, I would look for a job in
Could not foreign companies.
(presence of
ability)
 B. Function

 Unreal conditions in the present or future express situations

that are untrue, not possible or imaginary in the present
and that probably will not happen in the future. Although
it is possible that the situation could change and become
true in the future, it probably will not.
 The second conditional is used to express dreams (present
wishes), unreal/less probable situations and advice.
 In the second conditional, a speaker or writer responds to a
possible or hypothetical situation by indicating a possible
outcome. The speaker or writer states that the condition
must be fulfilled for the present or future to be different as
the following sentence shows.
If I knew what you wanted, maybe I could help you.
 5. The third conditional
 Unreal conditions in the past express situations that did
not happen. Consequently, it is impossible for the results
of the situations to happen. Unreal conditions in the past
are often used to express regret about the situation. Look
at the form in the following table.
Form Examples
Conditional Result clause
cause
Past perfect Conditional Had I worked hard, I would have
perfect passed the exam.
(regret, criticism,
If Lapiso had talked to me, I would
unfulfilled
have listened to him.
situations)  

If Lelise had saved enough money,

she could have bought a new bicycle.
 Exercise
Directions: Complete each of the following sentences with the correct
tense form of the verb given in parentheses to form the correct
conditional.

1. I could have helped you if you had _____ (tell) me the truth.
2. If we meet at 9:30, we ______  ( have) plenty of time.
3. If a student comes late, our mathematics teacher always _______(get)
angry.
4. I am going to go to California next week on business. If I have enough
time, I (visit)  my friends in Los Angeles.
5. I am afraid I won't be able to come to your wedding next week because
my company is sending me to Bahir Dar to attend a trade show. I (miss,
never) _____ your wedding if I (have)____  a choice in the matter.
6. Even if they managed to convince Kule to run for president in the next
election, he (elect, never) _____. His ideas are too dramatic and
unconventional to be accepted by the mainstream.
 6. Inverted conditionals
 It is possible to make unreal conditional statements about
the present, future, or past without using if. These
conditional statements, used only with to be, should, and
past perfect tense, are called inverted conditionals
because the subject and verb are inverted. Notice that if is
omitted in these inverted conditionals.

A. Inverted Conditionals – First Conditional (“Should”)

To invert a first conditional clause,
1. Replace “if” with “should.”
2. Replace the verb with the bare infinitive. (e.g. “goes”
→” go,” “has” → “have,” am/is/are → “be”)
Example:
If Alemayehu remembers his own name, we’ll be able to
help him.
Should Alemayehu remember his own name, we’ll be able
to help him.

B. Inverted Conditionals – Second Conditional

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

Example: If Jami pushed the button, we’d all have problems.

 To invert this conditional, follow these simple steps:

1. Replace “if” with “were.”
2. Change the verb to the infinitive form (with “to”).
Were Jami to push the button, we’d all have problems.

More examples:
1. Were Trump to get elected, he might be more
democratic.
2. Were we to have time, we could visit the dam.

C. Inverted Conditionals – Third Conditional (“Had”)

 To invert this type of conditional:

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

1. If Kemal hadn’t had a car accident last week, he

would be with us today.
Had Kemal not had a car accident last week, he’d be with us
today.
2. If had told me the truth, I would have helped you.
Had you told me the truth, I would have helped you.
3. If I had scored good grades in all courses, I could have
won the scholarship.
Had I scored good grades in all courses, I could have won the
scholarship.
 Exercise
Directions: Invert the following conditional sentences.

1. If Teso doesn’t come, we will be in trouble.

2. If you had started developing software five years ago,
you would be a millionaire today.
3. I would apply for the position if I were a graduate in
Software Engineering.
4. Marko might not have had a car accident if he had driven
carefully.
5. If I were you, I would be working much harder.
 7. Mixed conditionals
 Mixed conditionals are those unreal conditional sentences
whose time in the if-clause is different than the time in the
main-clause.
 Let’s have a look at the following combinations:

A. Past and Present

Examples:
1. If I had finished developing the software, I could apply for
the grant now. (I did not finish, and then I cannot apply…)
2. The soldiers would take any measure today if they had
been informed of the enemies’ new plan of attack.
(The soldiers do not take any measure against the enemies;
they did not get any new information…)
B. Past and Future
Examples:
1. Had I gotten a visa yesterday, I would be attending the
international conference in Addis Ababa next week. (I did not
get the visa, and I won’t be attending…)
2. If Zemzem Bank had completed all the necessary procedures,
it could open a branch in Awaday in the coming two months.
C. Present and Past
Examples:
3. If I installed an antivirus, my laptop couldn’t have been slow
yesterday. (My laptop doesn’t have any antivirus, so it was
slow yesterday.)
4. If you were an industrious student, you would have
graduated from Haramaya University in 2017. (you are not
industrious, so you were not successful in your study)
 8. Modal Verbs in Conditional Clauses
 Modal verbs (most typically will or would) may occur in
conditional clauses if.
 They have a meaning of willingness or prediction, or where it is
important to mark politeness:

Examples:
1. If you’ll wait a minute, I ’ll fetch the porter to help you.
2. If you would all follow me, I ’ll show you to your rooms.
3. If you would have allowed them more time, I still think they would
have done better.

• if you had been willing to allow them more time:

I ’ll take care o f the tea and coffee, if it’ll help to get things done quicker.
• if the assumption is true/valid that things will get done
quicker:
I ’ll do it for you, if you could just wait a minute.

 Should can be used in a conditional clause where it has

the meaning of ‘happen to’/‘chance to’. Should suggests
that the speaker thinks the possibility is remote:

If you should run into Peter, tell him to call me.