Grammar III Cristina Castro Conditionals
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Conditionals 1. Present Real Conditional Statements Result Clause If clause I save time if I shop online. I can shop online if the mail is closed
Statements If clause Result Clause If I shop online, I save time. If the mall is closed, I can shop online
Yes / No Questions Result clause If Clause Do you save time if you shop online? Can you shop online if the mail is closed?
Short Answers Affirmative Negative Yes, I do No, I don´t. I can I can´t.
Wh Questions Result Clause If clause What happens if I don´t like it?
Grammar Rules: 1. Use present real conditionals sentences for general truths. The if clause talks about the condition, and the result clause talks about what happens if the condition occurs. If it´s holiday, the store is closed. If you use a credit card, it´s faster. Use the simple present in both clauses. We often use even if when the result is surprising.
Even if it´s holiday, this store stays open.
2. You can also use real conditional sentences for habits and things that happen again and again. If I shop online, I use a credit card. Use the simple present or present progressive in the if clause. Use the simple present in the result clause.
If I´m surfing on the web, I use Google.
You can also often use when instead of if. This is especially true when you talk about general truths, habits, and things that happen again and again. When Bill shops online, he uses a credit card. When I´m surfing the Web, I use Google. 3. You can use modals (can, should, might, must…) in the result clause. If you don´t like the product, you can return it. If you have children, you shouldn’t let them shop online. 2
4. Use the imperative in the result clause to give instructions, commands, and invitations that depend on a certain condition. If you change your mind, call the company. If a site isn´t secure, don´t enter your credit card information. We sometimes use then to emphasize the result in real conditional sentences with imperatives or modals.
If you change your mind, then call the company. If a site isn´t secure, then don´t enter your credit card information.
5. You can begin conditional sentences with the if clause or the result clause. The meaning is the same. Use a comma between the two clauses only when the if clause come first. If I shop online, I save time. I save time if I shop online. 2. Future Real conditionals. Statements If clause: Present If she studies
Result clause: Future she won´t fail the test. she is going to pass the test. if she doesn´t study she will fail the test. she isn´t going to pass the test.
Yes / No Questions Result clause: Future If clause: Present Will she pass the test if she studies? Is she going to pass the test
Short Answers Affirmative Negative Yes she will. No, she won´t. she is. she isn’t.
Grammar Rules: 1. Use future real conditional sentences to talk about what will happen under certain conditions. The if clauses gives the condition. The result clause gives the probable or certain result. If I use this pen, I will pass the test. If you feel lucky, you will expect good things. If you feel unlucky, you will expect the worst. 3
Use the simple present in the if clause. Use the future with will or be going to in the result clause.
2. You can use modals (can, should, might, must…) in the result clause. If she studies hard, she might get an A on her test. Even though the if clauses refers to the future, use the simple present.
If she gets an A on her test, she will stop worrying.
3. You can begin conditional sentences with the if clause or the result clause. The meaning is the same. If she uses that pen, she will feel lucky. She will feel lucky is she uses that pen.. 4. You can use if and unless in conditional sentences, but their meanings are very different. Use unless to state a negative condition. Unless he studies, he will fail the test. Unless often has the same meaning as if…not.
Unless you are superstitious, you won´t be afraid of black cats. If you aren´t superstitious, you won´t be afraid of black cats.
3. Present and future unreal conditionals. Statements If clause: Simple Past If Mia had money, If she were rich, If Mia didn´t have money, If she weren´t rich,
Result clause: would (not) + Base Form she would live in a palace. she wouldn´t live in a cottage. she wouldn´t live in a palace. she would live in a cottage.
Yes / No Questions Result clause If clause Would she live here if she had money? if she were rich?
Short Answers Affirmative Negative Yes, she would. No, she wouldn’t.
Wh- Questions Result Clause If Clause What would she do if she had money? if she were rich?
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Grammar Rules: 1. Use the present and future unreal conditional sentences to talk about unreal conditions and their results. A condition and its results may be untrue, imagined, or impossible. If I had more time, I would read fairy tales to my children. The sentence can be about: a. The future: If I lived in a palace now, I would give parties all the time, b. The future: If I moved next month, I would buy new furniture. The if clauses gives the unreal condition, and the result clause gives the unreal result of that condition. 2. Use the simple past in the if clause. If they had a nice house, they wouldn´t want to move. Use would, might or could + base form of the verb in the result clause. a. The if clause uses the simple past, but the meaning is not past. If I had more money now, I would take a trip around the world. b. Don´t use would in the if clause. If she knew the answer, she would tell you. NOT: If she would know the answer… c. Use were for all subjects when the verb in the if clause is a form of be. If I were a king, I would make you Prime Minister. NOT: If I was a King… Some people use was with I, he, she and it. However, many people think is incorrect. 3. Use would in the result clause if the result is certain. Do not use will in unreal conditional sentences. They love to travel. If they had time, they would take a trip next summer. Use might or could in the result clause if the result is not certain. Do not use may and can.
They have never been to Asia, If they took a trip, they might go to Japan.
You can also use could in the result clause to express ability.
You don´t know Japanese. If you knew Japanese, you could translate this article for them.
4. You can begin conditional sentences with the if clause or the result clause. The meaning is the same. If I had more money, I would move. I would move if I had more money. 5. Use If I were you . . . to give advice. If I were you I wouldn´t ask the fish for anything else. He could get angry. 5
6. Use wish + simple past to talk about things that you want to be true now, but that are not true. I wish I lived in a castle. I wish we had a yacht. Use were instead of was after wish.
I wish I were a child again.
Use could or would after wish. Don´t use can or will.
I wish I could buy a car. I wish she would call tomorrow.
4. Past Unreal Conditionals Statements If clause: Past Perfect If George had had money,
Result Clause: Would (not) have + Past Participle he would have moved away. he wouldn´t have stayed home. If he had not stayed home, his father´s business would have failed. he wouldn´t have married Mary.
Yes / No Questions Result Clause If Clause Would he have left if he had had money?
Short Answers Affirmative Negative Yes, he would have. No, he wouldn´t have.
Wh- Questions Result Clause If clause What would he have done if he had money?
Grammar Rules: 1. Use past unreal conditionals sentences to talk about past unreal conditionals and their results. A condition and its result may be untrue, imagined, or impossible. If he had died young, he wouldn´t have had children. The if clause gives the unreal condition, and the result clause gives the unreal result of that condition.
If George hadn´t been born, many people´s lives would have been worse. 6
2. Use the past perfect in the if clause. Use would, have, might, or could have + past participle in the result clause. If the film had won an Academy Award, it would have become famous right away. Sometimes speakers use would have in the if clause. However, many people think is not correct.
If I had owned a DVD player, I would have watched the movie. NOT: If I would have owned . . .
3. Use would have in the result clause if the result is certain. Do not use will in unreal conditional sentences. If George had gone to college, he would have studied hard. Use might have or could have in the result clause if the result is not certain. Do not use may or can.
If George had gone to college, he might have become an architect. If George had gone to college, he could have become an architect.
You can also use could have in the result clause to express ability.
If George had become an architect, he could have designed a bridge.
4. Past unreal conditionals are often used to express regret about what really happened in the past. If I had known Mary lived alone, I would have invited her to my holiday dinner. 5. Use wish + past perfect to express regret or sadness about things in the past that you wanted to happen but didn´t. George wishes he had studied architecture. Practices: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/type-1/exercises http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/type-2/exercises http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/type-2/exercises?02 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/type-3/exercises http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/type-3/exercises?02 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exercises http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exercises?02 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exercises?03 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exercises?04 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exercises?05 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exercises?06 7
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/cat-and-mouse http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/usa/tour/new-orleans http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exceptions/exercises http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exceptions/exercises?02 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exceptions/exercises?02 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/exceptions/exercises?03 http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/if_clauses/type_1_statements.htm http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/conditional-sentences-1 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/conditional-sentences-2 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/conditional-sentences-3
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