Teacher in Charge: Mr Walid Attig

Academic Year 2019-2020

 Conditional Sentences: overview with examples
There are two kinds of Conditional: real and unreal. Real Conditional describes real-life situations.
Unreal Conditional describes unreal, imaginary situations. Although the various Conditional forms
might seem quite abstract at first, they are actually some of the most useful structures in English
and are commonly included in daily conversations.

Present Real Conditional Present Unreal Conditional

If I have time, I study English. If I had time, I would study English.

(Sometimes I have time.) (I don't have time.)

Past Real Conditional Past Unreal Conditional

If I had time, I studied English. If I had had time, I would have studied English.
(Sometimes I had time.) (I didn't have time.)

Future Real Conditional Future Unreal Conditional

If I have time, I will study English. If I had time, I would study English.
If I have time, I am going to study English. (I won't have time.)
(I don't know if I will have time or not.)

I. Present Real Conditional

FORM
[If / When ... SIMPLE PRESENT..., ... SIMPLE PRESENT ...]
or
[... SIMPLE PRESENT ... if / when ... SIMPLE PRESENT...]

USE
The Present Real Conditional (also called conditional Zero Conditional) is used to talk about what you
normally do in real-life situations.

EXAMPLES:

If I go to a friend's house for dinner, I usually take a bottle of wine or some flowers.

When I have a day off from work, I often go to the beach.

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If the weather is nice, she walks to work.

Jerry helps me with my homework when he has time.

I read if there is nothing on TV.

What do you do when it rains?

I stay at home.

Where do you stay if you go to Sydney?

I stay with my friends near the harbour.

IMPORTANT If / When
Both "if" and "when" are used in the Present Real Conditional. Using "if" suggests that something happens
less frequently. Using "when" suggests that something happens regularly.

EXAMPLES:

When I have a day off from work, I usually go to the beach.

(I regularly have days off from work.)

If I have a day off from work, I usually go to the beach.

(I rarely have days off from work.)

II. Present Unreal Conditional

FORM
[If ... SIMPLE PAST ..., ... would + VERB ...]
or
[... would + VERB ... if ... SIMPLE PAST ...]

USE
The Present Unreal Conditional is used to talk about what you would do in imaginary situations in general.

EXAMPLES:

If I had a car, I would drive to work. But I don't have a car.

She would travel around the world if she had more money. But she doesn't have much money.

I would read more if I didn't have a TV.

Mary would move to Japan if she spoke Japanese.

If they worked harder, they would earn more money.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I would travel.

Where would you live if you moved to the U.S.?

I would live in Seattle.

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EXCEPTION If I were ...
In the Present Unreal Conditional, the form "was" is not considered grammatically correct. In written English or
in testing situations, you should always use "were." However, in everyday conversation, "was" is often used.

EXAMPLES:

If he were French, he would live in Paris.

If she were rich, she would buy a yacht.

I would play basketball if I were taller.

I would buy that computer if it were cheaper.

I would buy that computer if it was cheaper. NOT CORRECT (But often said in conversation.)

EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs

There are some special Conditional forms for modal verbs in English:

would + can = could

would + shall = should
would + may = might

The words "can," "shall" and "may" must be used in these special forms; they cannot be used with "would."

EXAMPLES:

If I went to Egypt, I would can learn Arabic. NOT CORRECT

If I went to Egypt, I could learn Arabic. CORRECT

If she had time, she would may go to the party. NOT CORRECT
If she had time, she might go to the party. CORRECT

The words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include conditional, so you cannot combine them with
"would."

EXAMPLES:

If I had more time, I would could exercise after work. NOT CORRECT
If I had more time, I could exercise after work. CORRECT

If he invited you, you really would should go. NOT CORRECT

If he invited you, you really should go. CORRECT

IMPORTANT Only use "If"

Only the word "if" is used with the Present Unreal Conditional because you are discussing imaginary
situations. "When" cannot be used.

EXAMPLES:

I would buy that computer when it were cheaper. NOT CORRECT

I would buy that computer if it were cheaper. CORRECT

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 Mixed Conditionals
Sometimes Unreal Conditional sentences are "Mixed". This means that the time in the "If" Clause is
not the same as the time in the Result. Study the examples below to learn how to mix conditional
verb forms like a native speaker.

Verbs in green are in the Present Unreal Conditional.

Verbs in orange are in the Past Unreal Conditional.
Verbs in purple are in the Future Unreal Conditional.

Mixed Conditional Patterns

PAST PRESENT

EXAMPLES:

If I had won the lottery, I would be rich.

(But I didn't win the lottery in the past and I am not rich now.)

If I had taken French in high school, I would have more job opportunities.
(But I didn't take French in high school and I don't have many job opportunities.)

If she had been born in the United States, she wouldn't need a visa to work here.
(But she wasn't born in the United States and she does need a visa now to work here.)

PAST FUTURE
EXAMPLES:

If she had signed up for the ski trip last week, she would be joining us tomorrow.
(But she didn't sign up for the ski trip last week and she isn't going to join us tomorrow.)

If Mark had gotten the job instead of Joe, he would be moving to Shanghai.
(But Mark didn't get the job instead of Joe and Mark is not going to move to Shanghai.)

If Darren hadn't wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas, he would go to Mexico with us
next month.
(But Darren wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas, and he won't go to Mexico with us
next month.)

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 PRESENT PAST

EXAMPLES:

If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday.

(But I am not currently rich and that is why I didn't buy the Ferrari yesterday.)

If Sam spoke Russian, he would have translated the letter for you.
(But Sam doesn't speak Russian and that is why he didn't translate the letter.)

If I didn't have to work so much, I would have gone to the party last night.
(But I have to work a lot and that is why I didn't go to the party last night.)

PRESENT FUTURE

EXAMPLES:

If I didn't have so much vacation time, I wouldn't go with you on the cruise to Alaska next week.
(But I do have a lot of vacation time and I will go on the trip next week.)

If Cindy were more creative, the company would send her to New York to work on the new
advertising campaign.
(But Cindy is not creative, and the company won't send her to New York to work on the new
campaign.)

If Dan weren't so nice, he wouldn't be tutoring you in math tonight.

(But Dan is nice, and he is going to tutor you tonight.)

FUTURE PAST

EXAMPLES:

If I weren't going on my business trip next week, I would have accepted that new assignment at
work.
(But I am going to go on a business trip next week, and that is why I didn't accept that new
assignment at work.)

If my parents weren't coming this weekend, I would have planned a nice trip just for the two of us
to Napa Valley.
(But my parents are going to come this weekend, and that is why I didn't plan a trip for the two of
us to Napa Valley.)

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If Donna weren't making us a big dinner tonight, I would have suggested that we go to that nice
Italian restaurant.
(But she is going to make us a big dinner tonight, and that is why I didn't suggest that we go to that
nice Italian restaurant.)

FUTURE PRESENT

EXAMPLES:

If I were going to that concert tonight, I would be very excited.

(But I am not going to go to that concert tonight and that is why I am not excited.)

If Sandy were giving a speech tomorrow, she would be very nervous.

(But Sandy is not going to give a speech tomorrow and that is why she in not nervous.)

If John didn't come with us to the desert, everyone would be very disappointed.
(But John will come with us to the desert and that is why everyone is so happy.)

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Task One:

Finish the sentences by ticking the correct option (a-c).

Task Two:

Complete each sentence with a phrase containing the verb in brackets in an appropriate form.

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Task Three:

Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate verb form.

Task Four:

Decide whether each sentence is grammatically possible or not.

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