Conditional Sentences

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Conditional Sentences
Structure
A conditional sentence is composed of 2 parts
If-clause

Main Clause
Example
If it rains tomorrow, we will not come.
If-clause
Main Clause
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Conditional Sentences
Types

• There are 4 types of conditional sentences.
• They are classified according to their
  specific
• implications.

• Each type of conditional sentences uses
• different tenses to show the difference in
• their implications.

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Conditional Sentences
Type 0
Talk about universal truth.
Use
Tense
Present tense in both clauses
Example
Present Tense
Present Tense
If you heat water to 100C, it boils.
If you pour oil into water, it floats.
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Conditional Sentences
Type 1
Use
Talk about a present or future probable case.
If-clause Present Tense Main Clause Future
Tense
Tense
Example
Present Tense
Future Tense
If I feel sick, I will not go to school.
If it rains tomorrow, the match will be
cancelled.
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Exercise One
do not come

• If you ___________________ (not come),
• You ________________ (miss ) the show.

will miss
will buy

• John __________________ (buy)a car if he
• _____________ (get)a job.

gets
gets

• Mary ________________(get) a toothache if
• she_________________ (eat) too many sweets.

eats
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Conditional Sentences
Type 2 (Present Subjunctive)
Use
Talk about a present or future improbable case.
(A case that is unlikely to happen)
Tense
If-clause Past Tense Main Clause would an
infinitive
Example
Past Tense
Would infinitive
If he were a bird, he would fly across the
harbour.
If I had 200,000 now, I would buy a car.
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Conditional Sentences
Type 3 (Past Subjunctive)
Talk about a past, impossible case
Use
Tense
If-clause Past Perfect Tense Main Clause
Would Present Perfect Form
Example
Past Perfect Tense
Would Present Perfect Form
If I had had enough money, I would have bought
the camera yesterday.
If I had come home earlier, I would not have
missed the programme.
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Exercise Two
were

• If I ________________ (be) four years old, I
• ________________ (learn) to play the piano.

would learn
had not failed

• If I ________________ (not fail) in the
• examination, my mother_______________
  (buy)
• me a new computer.

would have bought
would have finished
3. We ________________________ (finish) if we
________________ (have) better
preparation.
had had
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Conditional Sentences
SHOULD may replace IF in type 1
Variations
Type 1
If you see John, ask him to come and see me.
Should you see John, ask him to come and see me.
COULD or MIGHT may replace WOULD
Type 2
If I were an aeroplane, I could fly in the sky.
Were I an aeroplane, I could fly in the sky.
WERE may replace IF in an inversion
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Conditional Sentences
Type 3
If I had come home earlier, I would not have
missed the programme.
Had I come home earlier, I would not have missed
the programme.
HAD may replace IF in an inversion
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Conditional Sentences
But for a noun may replace If it were not for
Type 2 Type 3
If it were not for the rain, we would go to
Shatin. (Type 2)
But for the rain, we would go to Shatin.
If it had not been for the traffic jam, we would
have arrived on time. (Type 3)
But for the traffic jam, we would have arrived
on time.
But for a noun may replace If it had not been
for
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The Subjunctive Mood
Other sentences than the conditional may bear the
subjunctive mood.
Type 2
Type 3
a. Wish (v)
I wish I were a king.
(But I am not!)
I wish she had left last night.
(But she didnt!)
Non-subjunctive use of wish

• I wish to travel to Europe next year

• We wish you a happy birthday.

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The Subjunctive Mood
b. If only
Type 2
Type 2
If only I were you!
If only he were born in the USA!
(He was not born in USA)
If only she had left last night!
(She did not leave last night)
Type 3
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The Subjunctive Mood
Type 2
b. Would rather
I would rather you came earlier.
(But you come late.)
Type 3
(But he didnt.)
I would rather he had told me the secret.
Non-subjunctive use of would rather
A Do you want to go fishing today?
B I would rather stay at home and take some
rest.
(B prefers staying at home to going fishing)
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The Subjunctive Mood
d. Lest (Conjunction)
He put the money in the safe lest someone should
/ might steal it.
Past Tense
e. It is (high) time

• It is (high) time you studied hard.

(You have not studied hard. Now the examination
is near, so you have to study very hard.)
(non-subjunctive)

• It is time for you to leave

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END