Lengua extranjera.

Inglés C1
E.U. DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA

Conditional sentences
Conditional sentences, aka if- sentences, are used to express that the action in the main clause
can only take place if a certain condition is fulfilled. There are two kinds of conditional
sentences encompassing at least 5 different types:

Real conditions Unreal conditions

Zero conditional Second conditional
First conditional Third conditional
Mixed conditionals

The difference between real and unreal may be a matter of speaker choice and context.

ZERO CONDITIONAL
Form
Conditional clause Main clause
If/when/whenever + present tense present tense

Use
We use the zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, either because it's
a scientific fact or just because according to our experience, the condition always has the same
result:

If you burn fossil fuels, carbon dioxide is produced.

If I don't have a coffee first thing in the morning I'm in a bad mood for the rest of the
day.

Past real conditional

When talking about a condition that always had the same result in the past, we will use
past tenses in both clauses:
Whenever I had time I read detective stories.

FIRST CONDITIONAL
Form
Conditional clause Main clause
future (will, be going to)
If + present tense can, could, may, might, should, ought to
imperative, have to
Uses
We use the first conditional to talk about real conditions in the present and their (likely) results
in the present or future:
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If you have a birthday party, you'll get a lot of presents.

If you give him a chance, you might find he's your other half.

We also use it to give conditional instructions:

If Gary calls, tell him I'll call him back later.

Alternatives to the present in the if- clause

Should + bare infinitive: This suggests the situation is possible, but unlikely to
happen.
If I should arrive late, don't wait for me.
Happen + infinitive: This suggests the condition is possible but unlikely to happen,
and if it happens, it could be quite by chance.
If I happen to see Mr. Smith, I'll ask him for you.
Will + bare infinitive:
o An emphasized will means "insist on", and won't could be replaced by "refuse
to":
If you will wear such thin clothes, of course you'll feel cold!
If you won't listen to common sense, there's no point my talking to you.
o It can also describe the possible result of an offer:
I'll talk to your teacher if that will stop you worrying so much.
o We can as well use will (or would) in the if-clause as a polite request form:
If you'll/'d take a seat for a moment, I'll tell Mr. Graydon you're here.

SECOND CONDITIONAL
Form
Conditional clause Main clause
If + past simple/continuous would /might / could

Uses
We use the second conditional to talk about hypothetical conditions in the present or future
and their hypothetical results in the present or future:

If the Earth didn't have a moon, there wouldn't be any tides.

If we all worked together, we could solve the problem faster.

If we want to make a condition seem less likely, we can use were to + infinitive instead of the
past simple in the if- clause:
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If the boss were to offer you more money, would you stay in the job?

We can also use the expression If I were you in a second conditional to give advice:

If I were you, I would think very carefully about my future.

THIRD CONDITIONAL
Form
Conditional clause Main clause
If + past perfect would have + past participle

Use
We use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical conditions in past and their
hypothetical results in the past:

A lot more people would have been trapped by the flood if there hadn't been a warning.

Other modals can be used instead of would in the result clause. These include could, might and
should:

If you hadn't been so lucky, you could have lost all your money.

MIXED CONDITIONALS
Form Example Use it when talking about...
If + past perfect, If you hadn't started Hypothetical conditions in
would/might + bare infinitive gambling, you might not be the past and their result in
in so much trouble. the present.
If + past simple/continuous, If you weren't such a big Present state influencing past
would have + past participle softie, you'd have made Paul events.
buy his own lottery ticket.

INVERTED CONDITIONALS
In order to build highly formal conditional sentences, we can omit if and invert the normal
order of the sentence by putting the auxiliary at the beginning of the clause.

Conditional Form Example

First Should + Subj. + bare inf., will Should the drought continue, many people will
have to leave their villages.
Second Were + Subj. + inf., would Were we to stop using fossil fuels tomorrow, it
would still take years for the planet to recover.
Third Had + Subj. + past participle, Had Darwin never visited the Galapagos, he might
would have + past participle have never developed his theory of evolution.
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OTHER IF- SENTENCES

If it wasn't/weren't/hadn't been for + noun
This describes how one event depends on another:

If it weren't for Helen, our team would be the worst in the area! (= If Helen wasn't a
really good player, our team would be the worst in the area!)

If so / If not
If we have enough context and want to avoid repetitions we can use if so (affirmative) or if not
(negative). These refer to a previous sentence and form a condition:

Context: Jill is ill and we don't know if she will be able to play or Mary will have to play instead.
Jill may be too ill to play. If so, Mary can play instead.
Jill may still be able to play. If not, Mary can play instead.

If + adjective
In informal instructions, we can leave out the verb to be if it is followed by an adjective.

If interested, phone this number. (= If you are interested, phone this number.)

If I might / can / could

If I could just have another look. (= Could I have another look?)

Emphasizing if
We can use two structures to emphasize if:

If only: If only you'd told me, I could have helped you.

Even if: Even if I had time, I wouldn't do it.

Leaving if out
In everyday speech, we can use an imperative phrase + and + a will- clause instead of an
if- conditional sentence:
Come over here and I'll show you what I mean.
(= If you come over here, I'll show you what I mean.)

OTHER CONDITIONAL STRUCTURES

Emphatic alternatives to if
There are more emphatic ways of saying (only) if. These include:

As long as: We'll go up to the mountains this weekend as long as the weather's okay.
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On (the) condition that: Applications for membership are accepted on condition that
applicants are over 8.
Provided/Providing that: You can have a pet provided that you promise to look after it
properly.

Imagine / Suppose / Supposing: Supposing the price of oil tripled tomorrow, what do
you think would happen?

But for
This structure can be used instead of If it wasn't/weren't/hadn't been for:
But for your help, I wouldn't have been able to quit drinking.

In case
This describes a possible situation we want to be prepared for.

Take a coat with you in case the weather gets worse.

In case of
This expression means "if there should happen to be":

In case of fire, leave the building by the nearest emergency exit.

Otherwise
This adverb is used to say that if something doesn't happen, something else will happen as a
result.
You should have your air conditioner serviced, otherwise you'll waste a lot of energy.
It can come at the end of a sentence:
Help me with this sofa, I won't be able to lift it otherwise.

Unless
This is another way of saying "if not":

Unless governments act now, the environment is really going to suffer.

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Let's practise!

1/ Match to make sentences.

1 If you stay with us for three days, A we might get served a bit more quickly.
2 If you decide not to vote in the election, B give us a call and we'll come to pick you up.
3 If you didn't eat your lunch so fast, C very few people would obey the law.
4 If there were a few more people working, D you wouldn't get hiccups, would you?
5 If you forget to take your passport, E they have to go through a complicated
procedure.
6 If the hire car isn't there when you arrive, F we'd happy to give you a good reference.
7 If the city continues to expand, G I'm pretty sure they won't let you check in.
8 If the police didn't fine people H more areas of natural beauty will be
destroyed.
9 If you did decide to leave the company, I we'll have enough time to see a few sights.
10 If MPs wish to resign, J you can't really complain about the
government.

2/ Rewrite using an appropriate conditional form, starting with the words given.
a. Sue didn't get me a birthday present, which is why I didn't get her one.

If Sue

b. We didn't pay them on time because they made a mistake with our order.

If they

c. The climate is undergoing such radical changes that scientists are worried.

If

d. Did California become an important area because they found gold there?

Would

e. It's the sunset that attracts tourists to that place.

If it

f. There was a traffic jam on the motorway so I was late for my interview.

If there

g. I suggest you use a sunblock, and then you won't go red.

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If I were

h. The accident happened as a result of the driver's not paying attention to the road.

If the driver

3/ Complete using the correct form of the verbs in bold. Add any other words you
need.
17th March
So, today marks one year since I became a Park Ranger. If I (1) _____________ (do) that then, I
never (2) _____________ (have) so many fantastic experiences. If you (3) _____________ (ask)
me now, I would say that I knew nothing when I started, but I've learnt a huge amount. In a
typical day, I'll deal with complaints, check on the running of the park and lead guided tours, if
any (4) _____________ (book). If it's low season, I (5) _____________ (have) time to check on
forest management and fire control measures. It can get stressful at times, especially if visitors
to the park (6) _____________ (get) lost or injured. We had a case last week, which wouldn't (7)
_____________ (happen) if the woman involved (8) _____________ (be) a bit more careful. You
see, if you (9) _____________ (wander) around a large National Park like this without a map,
you're bound to get lost. This particular case might (10) _____________ (be) so bad if it (11)
_____________ (start) raining. She was only wearing light clothes, so she was wet through and
freezing when we found her. I dread to think what might (12) _____________ (happen) if we
hadn't!

4/ Circle the correct word or phrase.

a. If we hadn't taken a wrong turning back there, we wouldn't be/ have been in this mess
now.

b. Should/ Would you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.

c. Had they not/ Hadn't they warned people in time, a lot more lives could have been lost.

d. If you worked/ had worked last weekend when the boss asked you, then you wouldn't
have to work this weekend.

e. Were all the members of staff to attend the conference, would the hotel have/ have had
enough rooms for everyone?

f. Had the government acted sooner, the general public wouldn't be worrying/ have
worried so much about the current situation.

g. Tom Cruise wouldn't be the star he is today had he not/ shouldn't he not have made a
good impression in his early films.
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h. Weren't we/ Were we not to build more roads, the traffic system would collapse by
2020.

i. It would be hard enough to pass the exam tomorrow even if you went/ had gone to all
the lectures this year.

j. You can contact the hotel manager on extension 142 should/ could you need to.

k. Shouldn't you/ Should you not receive confirmation of your flight by e-mail, please click
the link below.

l. I would have asked the person for ID before I let him in, if I were/ have been you.

5/ Complete using the words in the box.

case - condition - long - otherwise - provided - so - suppose - unless

a. Do you want a highly-paid career, and, if __________, are you prepared to retrain?
Contact us.

b. I'm quite happy to lend you money, as __________ as you make sure I get it back.

c. The village fair should be a great success, __________ we don't have the same problems
with the weather as last year.

d. It'd be great to see you on Saturday evening, __________ you've already got other
plans.

e. Could you go to the shop for me? I have to stay in in __________ the courier comes.

f. You idea sounds fine in theory, but just __________ something goes wrong. What then?

g. Write your name at the top of your essay, __________ I won't know which one's yours.

h. The judge allowed the accused to stay at home on __________ she reported to the
police every morning.

6/ Write one word in each gap.

a. I would never be able to afford a new house if __________ wasn't for all the overtime
I've been doing.

b. If it hadn't __________ for the fact that his uncle was a partner in the business, Angus
would never have got the job.

c. How do you think you'd feel if someone happened __________ damage your car like
that?

d. __________ for the kindness of a complete stranger, I would never have found the
hotel.
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e. I don't think I'd be surprised in the slightess __________ Paul were to suddenly
announce that he was moving abroad.

f. Don't forget to mention the new schedule to Veronica if you __________ happen to see
her this evening.

g. Football matches would be ideal family outings __________ it not for the danger of
violence.

h. If it hadn't been __________ the children, I'm sure Trisha would have left Tom a long
time ago.

i. I would have lost the game __________ it not been for some quick thinking.

j. If you __________ find the book I was asking you about, give me a call.

7/ Rewrite the sentences, starting with the words given.

a. The only reason we won the contract was Debbie's fantastic presentation.

We wouldn't have

b. The eventual arrival of the ferry prevented a fight from breaking out amongst the
passengers.

If it hadn't been for

c. None of the passengers was injured because of the driver's quick reaction.

But

d. We'll have to cancel the meeting if Wendy doesn't turn up soon.

Unless

e. Mr Jones would be quite lonely if he didn't have his daughter's visits.

Were it

f. Here's my phone number, because you might need it.

In case

g. Agree to be back by midnight and you can go.

Providing

h. Officer Hughes prevented the robbers from escaping.

Had it
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8/ Underline the correct form.

a. Small dogs can be carried on a passenger's knee if only/ provided they do not cause
inconvenience to passengers.

b. Even if/ Supposing you could visit any country in the world. Where would you go?

c. I would like to thank the many colleagues who have made invaluable contributions:
unless/ but for their help, this project would not have been possible.

d. You must register your copy of the CD-ROM online, otherwise/ unless it will not work.

e. If the government were to/ should balance the budget, it would be able to increase
spending.

f. You can easily get into trouble if you happen to be/ on condition that you are in the
wrong place at the wrong time.

g. We will give you a guaranteed price of €150 for your old computer, even if/ otherwise it
doesn't work.

h. According to the survey, most people are happy to welcome foreigners to their country,
as long as/ otherwise they don't start behaving like foreigners.

i. Please don't interrupt the lesson as long as/ unless you have an important point to
make.

j. If he should happen to have/ If it hadn't been for a leg injury, Adams would probably
have won the race.

9/ Choose the correct option, A, B or C, to complete each sentence about security

issues.
a. _____ leaving valuable property in parked cars, their cars wouldn't be broken into.

b. _____ a serious crime, what exactly should you do?

c. Please do not use the 999 emergency number _____ you are reporting a genuine
emergency.

d. _____ you were travelling abroad, what could you do to improve your personal safety?

e. _____the information provided by members of the public, the police would have a much
more difficult job.

f. Police often conduct security checks in this area so they may stop you, and _____ you
might be asked for your identity card or passport.

g. _____ any objectionable items on the website, let us know and we will have them
removed.

h. _____ CCTV cameras installed in the store, many shoplifters would escape detection.
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i. _____ people locked all their doors and windows, there would be fewer break-ins.

j. _____ your computer has a virus protection program, you might still fall victim to e-mail
scams or malicious software.

a. A Unless people stopped B Imagine C If only people stopped

b. A Unless you witness B If you were to witness C If only you witness

c. A if B provided C unless

d. A Supposing B If so C As long as

e. A Supposing B Provided that C If it were not for

f. A otherwise B if so C even if

g. A Unless you notice B If you happen to notice C If you were to notice

h. A If there were to be B If only there were C If it weren't for

i. A If only B Otherwise C Even if

j. A Unless B Even if C On condition that

10/ Write a new sentence with the same meaning, beginning as shown.
a. We will refund your booking fee, provided you cancel 48 hours in advance.

We will only

b. I wish you'd told me about the cheap flights to Italy.

If

c. Thanks to the skill of the surgeon, the child survived.

If it

d. Let us know if you have second thoughts.

If you should

e. If you hadn't helped me, I would have made a complete mess of this.

But

f. Please come this way, sir. Could I take your coat?

Please come this way, sir. If

g. You can offer me more money, but I still won't sell the house to you!

Even
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h. If you let me get a word in edgeways, I'll tell you what I discovered.

Let

i. If you changed your mind about the job, we'd be interested in hearing for you.

If you were

j. As long as there are no delays, we'll be there by six.

Unless