Conditional Sentences

Type O
We use conditional sentences (Type O) to describe facts or talk about the
definite result of a possible action in the present or future.

E.g. The room gets cooler if we turn on the air-conditioner.

E.g. If the toy is scratched, it is not in mint condition.
E.g. If water is heated to 100C, it boils.
E.g. If Dan goes to Pizza Palace, he always orders the Super Supreme.
E.g. We wear a mask if we have flu.
E.g. Our teeth decay quickly if we don’t clean them properly.
E.g. Some animals can perform tricks if they are trained.
E.g. If it rains heavily, the river often floods its bank.

If- clause: simple present main clause: simple present

Type 1
We use conditional sentences (Type 1) to describe possible situations or
talk about the possible result of a possible action in the present of future.

E.g. If I go to the restaurant, I will have the special meal.

E.g. If I collect the whole set, I will feel great.

If-clause: simple present main clause: simple future

Type 2
We use conditional sentences (Type 2) to talk about imaginary situations
in the present or future.

E.g. If she liked the toys, she would buy them.

E.g. If I were a millionaire, I would buy an island to live on.

Another function of Type 2 conditionals is to give advice.

E.g. If I were you, I would tell them to stop smoking in the lift.

If-clause: simple past main clause: would +bare infinitive

Type 3
We use conditional sentence (type 3) to describe past situations or talk
about situations that did not happen in the past. Besides, we use them to
show how the result would have been different if we had done something
in another way in the past when it is too late to reverse the situation now.
It is thus often used to express regret about some past events.

E.g. If I had not played TV games till 3 am last night, you wouldn’t have
been late for school this morning! (The fact is you played till 3am
and you were late for school this morning!)

If-clause: past perfect main clause: would have+ past participle

Exercise 1

Jane and Sally are arranging a camping trip. Use conditional

sentences with the words given in the following conversations.

be x 3 invite get rain offer arrive

buy go

J : Jane S : Sally

J : Let’s go camping on the fourth of August .

S : That is a good idea. Helen, Mary , you and I are eager to go camping
to Cheung Chau.

J : Where are we going to meet on the fourth of August ?

S : We are going to meet at Central MTR station. I know that you live in
Mongkok. You can take either MTR or buses to Central MTR station.
If you take a bus to Central, it 1. ________ cheaper.

J : Thanks for advice .What are we going to buy for this camping trip ?

S : How about soft drinks ? If we buy two dozens of Coke at M&M

 Supermarket, it 2. _________twenty percent discount of the original
price of Coke.

J : That is fine. Are we going to buy barbecue food and charcoal?

S : Yes. The price of barbecue food and charcoal is much cheaper if we

3. ________ them at Sham Shui Po market. I am responsible for buying
these kinds of things.

J : It is very nice of you to do so. I am responsible for bringing a lantern,

a tent and a cassette player. Helen is going to bring a camera and
sleeping bags. Mary is going to bring a torch, barbecue forks and a
first aid box.

S : We need to bring swimming suits with us . If the weather is fine, we

4. ___________ swimming in the beach. Do you remember what
happened last year ? The sky was cloudy but we still went swimming.
When it started raining , we all got wet.

J : Last time, I did not go camping with you in Tai O. If I 5. _______ you
, I did not go swimming in a cloudy day. Where are we going to set up
our camp ? How about right next to the beach ? We can go swimming
right away .

S : Oh, no. Last year , we set up a camp near the beach in Tai O. If we
6._______________ one day earlier , we would not have gone to Tai O.
Typhoon signal number 8 was hoisted one day after we had arrived
there. We were almost carried out of the sea by the waves. How about
camping near a village? If we get into trouble, we 7. ___________
help easily from the villagers nearby.

J : You bet . How long will we go camping in Tai O ?

S : Three days.

J : Why don’t we stay longer ?

S : I don’t think so. August is a rainy month. If we stay longer than three
 days, it 8._________ at any time. However, I will watch the weather
report in the TV several days before we go to Tai O.

J : This is a good idea. When did we meet at Central MTR station?

S : At 8:30 a.m. Last year, Helen was late for an hour and we missed the
ferry .

J : If I were you, I 9._____________ Helen to go with us this time. We

are not sure if she 10.__________ late again.

S : I will remind her one day before the camping trip. It won’t be a
problem.

J : This is a good idea.

Exercise 2

Tristin is talking about his traveling experiences with Iris about

Guangzhou Xiangjiang Safari Park in Panyu. Use Conditional
Sentences in the following conversations.

T : Tristin I : Iris

I : You went to Guangzhou Xiangjiang Safari Park in July. How much

does it cost ?

T : If an adult 1._______ ( go ) to the Park, it 2. ________ ( cost) $150

yuan. I love traveling in the Park.

I : Why ?

T : This is the largest animal park in Asia with 20,000 animals. We

arrived there in the afternoon and there were lots of people in the
Park.

I : If I 3. ______ (be) you, 4.I ____________ (arrive) there in the

morning so that there would be less tourists there.
T : This Park is characterized by grazing animals in natural settings.
There are lions, tigers, elephants, black bears, cheetahs , pandas etc.

I : This is horrible. If anyone 5._______ (enter) the Park, he 6.

__________ (eat) by the wild animals.

T : This is impossible. We rode on the zoo trains and traveled around the
Park and got close to the wild animals in their natural environments.
Is that wonderful? However, I don’t like the hot weather in summer. I
always get sun-burnt easily.

I : If I 7.________ ( go) to an amusement park, I always 8. __________

(bring) with me a hat so that I won’t get sun-burnt easily. Was there
any exciting experience in the Park?

T : When the zoo trains were traveling in the Park, a giraffe stood in front
of the zoo trains. If the driver 9. _____________ (not stop) the zoo
train in time, the giraffe 10. __________ (knock) down.

I : What an experienced driver ! Were you afraid of seeing the wild

animals in such a close distance?

T : A little bit. Some tourists were brave. They even drove their own cars
traveling in the Park. If I 11. _______ ( be) the tourists, I 12. _______ (
buy) insurance beforehand. I was afraid of being eaten by the wild
animals.

I : Are there other tame animals beside the wild animals ?

T :There is a panda house with ten pandas in it. The temperature is not
cold enough when compared with the one in Ocean Park. If the
pandas 13. _______ (live) there, they 14. ___________ (not live)
comfortably in this poor environment. I had an embarrassing moment
too.

I : About what ?
T: I had ridden the zoo train twice. After the second ride, we were late for
the tour gathering outside the Park. If I (15) ___________ (be)
punctual enough, I 16. __________________ (not ride) the zoo train.

I : Don’t do that again. It seems that your trip was a good one. It is too
bad that I could not go with you to the Park this July. If my school term
17.________( not finish ), I 18._____________ ( go) with you to the
Park.

T : Don’t worry. If I 19. _______ (go) to the Park again, I 20. ________
(tell) you right away so as to make sure that we will go together.

I : Thanks.
Answers

Exercise 1

1. is 2. offers 3. buy 4. will go

5. were 6. had not arrived 7. will get 8. will rain

9. would not invite10 will be

Exercise 2
1. goes 2. costs 3. were 4. would arrive 5. enters

6. will be eaten 7. go 8. bring

9. did not stop 10. would be knocked 11. were

12. would buy 13. live 14. do not live 15.had been

16. would not ride 17. had not finished

18. would have gone 19. go 20. tell