Condi

tional
s

WHATI
F..
.
?!

InEngli
shcondit
ionalsaresent
encesthatar
eformedwi th2parts
,usual
lyan‘i
f’clauseandamai n
claus
ewhichisrelat
edt othe‘i
f’cl
aus
e.Weus econdit
ional
stotal
kabouthypot heti
calsi
tuat
ions,
someofwhi chareli
kelyandotherswhichareimpossi
ble.(
Whatmi ghthappeni nacertai
nsituat
ion,
whatcould/
wouldhappenandwhatcoul d/wouldhavehappened.)

CONDI
TIONAL

USE
Thiscondit
ionali
susedtotal
kaboutgener
alfactsandthi
ngst
hatarerealandposs
ibl
enow or
always.I
nthesesent
ences,wecannormall
yreplacetheword‘
i
f’wi
th‘when’andthemeani
ngdoes
notchange.
STRUCTURE

I
f + Si
mpl
epr
esent + Si
mpl
epr
esent

EXAMPLES
-I
fyoubuyt wopairsofshoes,yougetat hi
rdpairfr
ee.
-I
fitsnowsalot,t
hemount nr
ai oadsar
ever ydangerous
.
-I
fthereisafir
e,allst
affmember shavetoevacuatethebui
ldi
ngi
mmedi
atel
y.

FI
RSTCONDI
TIONAL

USE
Thefir
stcondi
ti
onali
sus
edt
otal
kaboutpos
sibl
eandl
ikel
y/pr
obabl
esi
tuat
ionsandt
hei
rres
ult
.

STRUCTURE

I
f + Si
mpl
epr
esent + Si
mpl
efut
ure(
wil
l)

EXAMPLES
-I
fitr
ainstomorrow,wewi llst
ayathome.
fIhavet
-I i
met oni ,Iwi
ght l
lgot othes uper
mar
ket
.
fyoudon’
-I tst
udyal ot,youwi l
lfailt
hatexam.

SECOND CONDI
TIONAL

USE
Thes
econdcondi
ti
onali
sus
edt
otal
kaboutunl
ikel
y/i
mpr
obabl
eori
mpos
sibl
esi
tuat
ionsandt
hei
r

STRUCTURE

I
f + Si
mpl
epast + Woul
d+Ver
b

EXAMPLES
-I
fIwont helott
ery,Iwouldinvestt
hemoneyi nproper
ty.
-I
fshesmokedl ess,shewouldbeal otheal
thi
er.
-I
fyoudidn’tspeakEnglih,youwoul
s dn’
tbeabletoapplyfort
hisj
ob.
 Condi
tional
s

THI
RD CONDI
TIONAL

USE
Thethi
rdcondi
ti
onali
sus
edt
otal
kabouthypot
het
icals
ituat
ionsi
nthepas
tandt
hei
rpr
obabl
e
res
ulti
nthepast.

STRUCTURE

I
f + Pastper
fect + Woul
d+Have+Pastpar
tici
ple

EXAMPLES
-I
fIhadn’
tgonetothatpary,Iwoul
t dn’thavemetmyhusband.
-I
fshehadsleptbet
t ,shewoul
er dn’
thavebeensoexhaus
ted.
-I
fwehadknownyouwer ecomi ,wewoul
ngover dhavemadecooki
es!

MI
XED CONDI
TIONALS

I
ncer t
ains
ituat
ions
,iti
spos
sibl
etomi
xcondi
ti
onal
stot
alkaboutapas
teventandi
tsr
esul
tint
he
pres
ent
EXAMPLES
-I
fIhadstudi
edharderatuniver
sit
y,Iwoul
dhaveabett
erjobnow
-I
fIhadn’
thadthatacci
dent,Iwouldbeatt heOl
ympi
csri
ghtnow.

EXERCI
SE
Mat
chthetwohalvesofasent
encebelow t
omakecondi
ti
onalcl
aus
es.Thenunder
li
net
hever
bsi
n
t
hesent
encesandidenti
fywhichcondi
ti
onali
tis
.

I
fIwer
eabi
ll
ionai
re…. …youwoul
dhavebeenabl
etocal
lmewhenyougotl
ost(

I
fshehadn’
tmi
ssedherfli
ght
… )
…somebodywi
llbefir
ednextmont
h( )

I
fIfindyourbag… …wewoul
dseeourchi
ldr
enmor
eof
ten()

I
fhedi
dn’
teats
omuchj
unkf
ood… …Iwoul
dbuyahous
einever
ycont
inent(
2)

I
fyouhadchar
gedyourphonebef
oreyoul
eft
… …s
hewoul
dref
ormt
heheal
thcar
esys
tem ()

I
ftheyhadn’
tfoundt
hei
rkeys
… …s
hewoul
dbeher
ewi
thusr
ightnow ( )

I
fyouhadt
oldmeaboutt
hepar
ty… .
.
.Iwi
llbes
oups
et( )

I
fthet
eam’
sper
for
mancedoes
n’ti
mpr
ove …Iwi
lll
etyouknow ()

I
fwewor
kedf
ewerhour
s …hewoul
dlos
ewei
ghteas
ily( )

I
fhedoes
n’tt
extmebackt
oday… …Iwoul
dhavechangedmyappoi
ntment()

I
fshewer
ePr
esi
dent
… …t
heywoul
dhavebeens
tuckout
sidet
hehous
eal
lni
ght()
….I

I
fIhadknowns
hewass
ick… woul
dhavevi
sit
edheri
nhos
pit
al()