Grammar: Conditionals

By:
Yeneneh W.

January, 2020
Haramaya University
 Diagnostic Exercise
Directions: Fill in each blank with the correct tense form of the
verb in the parentheses in the dialogue below.
Bela: Have you heard that Ghion Business Group wants to recruit a
cashier and a software developer?
Hiko: No! If I had heard about the new jobs, I _____(apply) for the
position of ‘Software Developer’ yesterday. Do you know when the
deadline is?
Bela: It’s after two days.
Hiko: That’s good! If I get a CV format, I ____ (prepare) and ____ (submit)
my resume to the company. Would you like to be a cashier at the
company?
Bela: No! I can’t serve as a cashier. I could apply for this position if I
______ (graduate) in Accounting. I think your sister fits the position.
Hiko: I don’t think so. She won’t be a cashier unless she _____(complete)
her study. By the way, what did you study at Rift Valley University?
Bela: Information System. I hope you ____(inform) me if you come across
a job announcement in my field of study.
Hiko: Certainly! Would you join me? I’m going to have egg for my
breakfast.
Bela: No, thanks! I always _____ (feel) sick if I eat egg.
 1. Introduction
 Conditions deal with imagined situations: some are
possible, some are unlikely, some are impossible.
 Conditional sentences connect two things: a
condition and a result.
 The condition and the result can be real or
imagined, and can refer to past, present or
future time.
 The speaker/writer imagines that something can or
cannot happen or have happened, and then
compares that situation with possible
consequences or outcomes, or offers further
logical conclusions about the situation.
 The condition part of the sentence is called the
if clause or the conditional clause. The
result part of the sentence is known as the
result clause, or sometimes the main clause.
 The conditional clause and the main clause can
be in any order. If the ‘if clause’ is first, there
is a comma between the clauses. There is no
comma if ‘the result clause’ is first.

Examples: Condition (if

clause)
Result (main)
clause
1. If ice is heated, it melts.
2. Ice melts if it is heated.
 There are different structures for conditionals,
including four types known as zero, first, second and
third conditionals. Here are some examples:

1. If you heat water enough, it boils. Zero

conditional
2. If I go to the shops, I'll get some milk. First
conditional
3. If I won the lottery, I'd still carry on working. Second
conditional
4. If his software had been effective, Dawud would have
won the prize. Third conditional
 In the conditional clause, tense choices express
different types of potential event; in the main clause,
modal verbs are used to indicate the unfulfilled
outcome of those events.
 Conditional clauses can be formed with
conjunctions such as if, unless, so long as, as
long as, provided/providing that.

Examples:
1. You won’t study at a foreign university unless you
pass an international language test.
2. If Megersa gets a degree in Computer Science, he
will be a software developer.
3. You can take my bike as long as you ride it
carefully.
4. The new project would have been feasible
providing that more donors had been reached.
5. It’s raining, but Abebe can go out so long as he
carries an umbrella.
 2. Zero Conditional
A. Structure: Present simple tense is used in the result
and if clauses. In the conditional clause, either if or
when can be used - they have the same meaning.

B. Function: We use the Type Zero (Type-0) to talk

about our habits, explanations, guidelines, advice,
orders and instructions, general truths, everyday
occurrences and scientific facts.

Examples:
1. The ground gets wet if/when it rains.
2. If/When I listen to loud music, I always have a
headache.
3. If/When you press the button, the television turns on.
4. If it rains, do not open the windows.
 3. The first conditional
A. Form
If clause (condition) Main clause Examples
(result)
Jemal will not do the exam well unless
will/shall he works hard.
(certainty, I shall pay the tuition for you if you
promise, are broke.
present simple threatening) If you divulge the secrete, I will
behead you.
Simple present/present can, may, could If you are exhausted, you can take
progressive (permission) rest.
may, might , can,
could , be going to If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we may go
Present simple (possibility) on a picnic.
Present Continuous must, have to You must stay at home if it’s raining.
Tense/Present simple (obligation)
should, had
Present simple/Present better, ought to If you feel sick, you had better see a
progressive (advice) doctor.
If the software can clean all the junks,
Can Imperative (order) please email it to me.
 B. Function
 Unlike the zero conditional, the first conditional is not about
a general truth or scientific fact. It's talking about a specific
time and event, and not something that's always true. It's
talking about a time in the future and something that might
happen then.
 We can employ this conditional to express certainty,
possibility and permission, to make promise, to threaten
someone, to offer advice and to order someone. Here are
examples:
1. We won’t have enough time if we want to do som e
shopping too.
2. If Dawit moves to Dire Dawa, he will have to sell his house
in Harer.
3. If the director calls you, you should go.
4. If you lend him some money, he may not give it back to
you.
 4. The Second Conditional

A. Structure:
Form Examples:
Conditional Result clause
cause
Past simple Present conditional If I were you, I would work
tense (If I (advice) much harder.
were you...)
Past simple/ Present If it were raining, I would
past conditional/progressiv carry an umbrella.
progressive e We could have class if our
teacher were not attending a
(unlikely or less meeting.
probable situations I could buy this jacket if you
and present had money.
wishes) I would do a computer
course if I h ad the time.
Could (lack of Present If I could speak English very
ability) conditional/progressiv well, I would look for a job in
Could not e foreign companies.
(presence of
ability)
 B. Function
 Unreal conditions in the present or future express
situations that are untrue, not possible or imaginary
in the present and that probably will not happen in the
future. Although it is possible that the situation could
change and become true in the future, it probably will
not.
 The second conditional is used to express dreams
(present wishes), unreal/less probable situations
and advice.
 In the second conditional, a speaker or writer responds
to a possible or hypothetical situation by indicating a
possible outcome. The speaker or writer states that the
condition must be fulfilled for the present or future to be
different as the following sentence shows.
If I knew what you wanted, maybe I could help you.
 5. The third conditional
 Unreal conditions in the past express situations
that did not happen. Consequently, it is
impossible for the results of the situations to
happen. Unreal conditions in the past are often
used to express regret about the situation. Look at
the form in the following table. Examples
Form
Conditional Result clause
cause
Past perfect Conditional Had I worked hard, I would have
perfect passed the exam.
(regret,
If Lapiso had talked to me,
criticism,
I would have listened to him.
unfulfilled
situations) If Lelise had saved enough
money, she could have
bought a new bicycle.
 Exercise
Directions: Complete each of the following sentences with
the correct tense form of the verb given in parentheses to
form the correct conditional.

1. I could have helped you if you had _____ (tell) me the truth.
2. If we meet at 9:30, we ______ ( have) plenty of time.
3. If a student comes late, our mathematics teacher always
_______(get) angry.
4. I am going to go to California next week on business. If I have
enough time, I ___________(visit) my friends in Los Angeles.
5. I am afraid I won't be able to come to your wedding next week
because my company is sending me to Bahir Dar to attend a
trade show. I (miss, never) _____ your wedding if I (have)____ a
choice in the matter.
6. Even if they managed to convince Kule to run for president in
the next election, he (elect, never) _____. His ideas are too
dramatic and unconventional to be accepted by the
mainstream.
 6. Inverted conditionals
 It is possible to make unreal conditional statements
about the present, future, or past without using if.
These conditional statements, used only with to be,
should, and past perfect tense, are called inverted
conditionals because the subject and verb are
inverted. Notice that “if” is omitted in these inverted
conditionals.

A. Inverted Conditionals – First Conditional

(“Should”)
To invert a first conditional clause,
1. Replace “if” with “should.”
2. Replace the verb with the bare infinitive. (e.g.
“goes” →” go,” “has” → “have,” am/is/are → “be”)
Example:
If Alemayehu remembers his own name, we’ll be able
to help him.
Should Alemayehu remember his own name, we’ll be
able to help him.

B. Inverted Conditionals – Second Conditional

 We can use the second conditional to talk about
something in the future that probably isn’t going to
happen.

Example: If Jami pushed the button, we’d all have

problems.

 To invert this conditional, follow these simple steps:

1. Replace “if” with “were.”
2. Change the verb to the infinitive form (with “to”).
Were Jami to push the button, we’d all have problems.

More examples:
1. Were Trump to get elected, he might be more
democratic.
2. Were we to have time, we could visit the dam.

C. Inverted Conditionals – Third Conditional

(“Had”)

 To invert this type of conditional:

1. Delete “if.”
2. Invert the subject and the auxiliary. (“we had”
→ “had we”)
 Examples:

1. If Kemal hadn’t had a car accident last week, he

would be with us today.
Had Kemal not had a car accident last week, he’d
be with us today.

2. If you had told me the truth, I would have helped

you.
Had you told me the truth, I would have helped you.

3. If I had scored good grades in all courses, I could

have won the scholarship.
Had I scored good grades in all courses, I could
have won the scholarship.
 Exercise
Directions: Invert the following conditional
sentences.

1. If Teso doesn’t come, we will be in trouble.

2. If you had started developing software five years
ago, you would be a millionaire today.
3. I would apply for the position if I were a graduate
in Software Engineering.
4. Marko might not have had a car accident if he had
driven carefully.
5. If I were you, I would be working much harder.
 7. Mixed conditionals
 Mixed conditionals are those unreal conditional
sentences whose time in the if-clause is different than
the time in the main-clause.
 Let’s have a look at the following combinations:

A. Past and Present

Examples:
1. If I had finished developing the software, I could
apply for the grant now. (I did not finish, and then I
cannot apply…)
2. The soldiers would take any measure today if they
had been informed of the enemies’ new plan of attack.
(The soldiers do not take any measure against the
enemies; they did not get any new information…)
B. Past and Future
Examples:
1. Had I gotten a visa yesterday, I would be attending
the international conference in Addis Ababa next week. (I
did not get the visa, and I won’t be attending…)
2. If Zemzem Bank had completed all the necessary
procedures, it could open a branch in Awaday in the
coming two months.
C. Present and Past
Examples:
3. If I installed an antivirus, my laptop couldn’t have been
slow yesterday. (My laptop doesn’t have any antivirus, so
it was slow yesterday.)
4. If you were an industrious student, you would have
graduated from Haramaya University in 2017. (you are
not industrious, so you were not successful in your study)
 8. Modal Verbs in Conditional Clauses
 Modal verbs (most typically will or would) may occur in
conditional clauses if.
 They have a meaning of willingness or prediction, or
where it is important to mark politeness:

Examples:
1. If you’ll wait a minute, I ’ll fetch the porter to help you.
2. If you would all follow me, I ’ll show you to your rooms.
3. If you would have allowed them more time, I still think
they would have done better.

• if you had been willing to allow them more time:

I ’ll take care o f the tea and coffee, if it’ll help to get
things done quicker.
• if the assumption is true/valid that things will get
done quicker:
I ’ll do it for you, if you could just wait a minute.

 Should can be used in a conditional clause where

it has the meaning of ‘happen to’/‘chance to’.
Should suggests that the speaker thinks the
possibility is remote:

If you should run into Peter, tell him to call me.