Conditional Sentences
Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could
happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In English,
most sentences using the conditional contain the word if. Many conditional forms in English are used in sentences
that include verbs in one of the past tenses. This usage is referred to as "the unreal past" because we
use a past tense but we are not actually referring to something that happened
in the past. There are five main ways of constructing conditional sentences in
English. In all cases, these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main clause. In many
negative conditional sentences, there is an equivalent sentence construction using "unless" instead of
"if".
What Are the Different Types of Conditional
Sentences? There are four different types of conditional sentences in English.
Each expresses a different degree of probability that a situation will occur or
would have occurred under certain circumstances.
Zero conditional
"Zero conditional" refers
to conditional sentences that express a simple implication (see above section),
particularly when both clauses are in the present tense:
·
If you don't eat for a long time,
you become hungry.
This form of the conditional expresses the idea that a
universally known fact is being described:
·
If you touch a flame, you burn
yourself.
The act of burning oneself only
happens on the condition of the first clause being completed. However such
sentences can be formulated with a variety of tenses (and moods), as
appropriate to the situation.
First conditional
"First conditional" refers
to predictive conditional sentences (see above section); here, normally, the
condition is expressed using the present tense and the consequence using the
future:
·
If you make a mistake, someone will
let you know.
if + present tense + will + 1st form
of verb
Second conditional
"Second conditional"
refers to the pattern where the condition clause is in the past tense, and the
consequence in conditional mood (using would or,
in the first person and rarely, should).
This is used for hypothetical, counterfactual situations in a present or future
time frame (where the condition expressed is known to be false or is presented
as unlikely).
·
If I liked parties, I would attend
more of them.
·
If it were to rain tomorrow, I would
dance in the street.
·
if + past tense + would + 1st form
of verb
The past tense used in the condition
clause is historically the past subjunctive; however in modern English
this is identical to the past indicative except
in certain dialects in the case of the verb be (first and
third person singular), where the indicative is was and the
subjunctive were. In this case either form may be used (was is
more colloquial, and were more formal, although the phrase if
I were you is common in colloquial language too):
·
If I (he, she, it) was/were rich,
there would be plenty of money available for this project.
Third conditional
"Third conditional" is the
pattern where the condition clause is in the past perfect,
and the consequence is expressed using the conditional perfect. This is used to refer to
hypothetical, counterfactual (or believed likely to be counterfactual)
situations in the past
·
If you had called me, I would have
come
·
if + had + would have + 3rd form of
verb
Question !
1. We would get the tickets, ______
A. Weren’t there so much rush at the cinema
B. Because there were so much rush at the cinema
C. There were not so much rush at the cinema
D. Although there were so much rush at the cinema
A. Weren’t there so much rush at the cinema
B. Because there were so much rush at the cinema
C. There were not so much rush at the cinema
D. Although there were so much rush at the cinema
2. Fortunately you assisted to push the car. If you
hadn’t helped him, he ______ with you.
A. will get angry
B. would have gotten angry
C. should angry
D. would get angry
A. will get angry
B. would have gotten angry
C. should angry
D. would get angry
3. If we don’t hurry, the meeting ______ by the time
we get there.
A. would have started
B. will have started
C. will be started
D. will start
A. would have started
B. will have started
C. will be started
D. will start
4. If
you try again, you _____ it well.
A.
Will
do
B. Could
do
C. Has
done
D. Would
do
5. If
the man _____ carelessly, he would get an accident
A. Drives
B. Didn’t
drive
C. Doesn’t
drive
D.
Drove
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