Conditionals
Conditionals
GENERAL POINTS
main clause:
if-clause:
PAST SIMPLE would +
infinitive
If I had a lot of
money,
I would buy a big
house.
SECOND CONDITIONAL
Susan wants to phone Paul but she can’t do this because
she doesn’t know his number.
If I knew his
number,
I would phone him.
SECOND CONDITIONAL: Other examples
FIRST vs. SECOND CONDITIONAL
Yesterday, Susan wanted to phone Paul but she couldn’t do that because
she didn’t know his number.
q They would have shot her if They would have shot her unless
she hadn't given them the she'd given them the money.
money.
SECOND vs. THIRD CONDITIONAL
will-future
I Simple Present
- ‘can’/‘may’/‘must’ + infinitive)
I If I study, I will not fail the exam. If I study, I won't fail the
exam.
- If I do not study, I will fail the exam. If I don't study, I'll
fail the exam.
If I studied, I'd pass the
+ If I studied, I would pass the exam. exam.
If I studied, I wouldn't
II
-
If I studied, I would not fail the exam. fail the exam.
If I did not study, I would fail the exam. If I didn't study, I'd
fail the exam.
+
If I had studied, I would have passed the If I'd studied, I'd have
exam. passed the exam.
III
If I had studied, I would not have failed the
If I'd studied, I wouldn't
exam. have failed the exam.
-
If I had not studied, I would have failed the If I hadn't studied, I'd
have failed the exam
ALL CONDITIONALS
3. If you had driven carefully, you would have avoided the accident
yesterday.