Conditionals. There are four kinds:

Transcription

1 Conditionals What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if clauses'. They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past). They are made using different English verb tenses. There are four kinds: The Zero Conditional: (if + present simple,... present simple) If you heat water to 100%, it boils. The First Conditional: (if + present simple,... will + infinitive) If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema. The Second Conditional: (if + past simple,... would + infinitive) If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world. The Third Conditional (if + past perfect,... would + have + past participle) If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train. (Notice we can put the 'if' at the beginning, or in the middle. It doesn't matter at all.)

2 The Zero Conditional We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'): If + present simple,... present simple. This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main cluase. The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning. For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts) Here are some more examples: If people eat too much, they get fat. If you touch a fire, you get burned. People die if they don't eat. You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen. Snakes bite if they are scared If babies are hungry, they cry

3 The First Conditional The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause: if + present simple,... will + infinitive It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true. If it rains, I won't go to the park. If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight. If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes. She'll be late if the train is delayed. She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon. If I see her, I'll tell her. First vs. Zero Conditional The first describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general. For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the sitting) But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about what will happen today, another day might be different)

4 The Second Conditional The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive: if + past simple,...would + infinitive (We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'we'. It's strange, but correct!) It has two uses. First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example. If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(i probably won't win the lottery) If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello. She would travel all over the world if she were rich. She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(she never studies, so this won't happen) Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples: If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him). If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man. How is this different from the first conditional? This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more unlikely. For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much money, it's just a dream, not very real) But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much more likely that'll have enough money to buy some shoes)

5 The Third Conditional We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence: if + past perfect,...would + have + past participle It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation. If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass) If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick). If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

6 The Zero Conditional Make zero conditionals: For example: (not / rain / the flowers / die) If it doesn t rain, the flowers die 1. (I / wake up late / I / be late for work) 2. (my husband / cook / he / burn the food) 3. (Julie / not wear a hat / she / get sunstroke) 4. (children / not eat well / they / not be healthy) 5. (you / mix water and electricity / you / get a shock) 6.(people / eat / too many sweets / they / get fat) 7. (you / smoke / you / get yellow fingers) 8. (children / play outside / they / not get overweight) 9. (you / heat ice / it / melt) 10. (I / speak to John / he / get annoyed)

7 First Conditional Exercise Put the verb into the correct first conditional form: 1. If I (go) out tonight, I (go) to the cinema. 2. If you (get) back late, I (be) angry. 3. If we (not / see) each other tomorrow, we (see) each other next week. 4. If he (come), I (be) surprised. 5. If we (wait) here, we (be) late. 6. If we (go) on holiday this summer, we (go) to Spain. 7. If the weather (not / improve), we (not / have) a picnic. 8. If I (not / go) to bed early, I (be) tired tomorrow. 9. If we (eat) all this cake, we (feel) sick. 10. If you (not / want) to go out, I (cook) dinner at home.

8 Second Conditional Exercise Second Conditionals - put the verb into the correct tense: 1. If I (be) you, I (get) a new job. 2. If he (be) younger, he (travel) more. 3. If we (not / be) friends, I (be) angry with you. 4. If I (have) enough money, I (buy) a big house. 5. If she (not / be) always so late, she (be) promoted. 6. If we (win) the lottery, we (travel) the world. 7. If you (have) a better job, we (be) able to buy a new car 8. If I (speak) perfect English, I (have) a good job. 9. If we (live) in Mexico, I (speak) Spanish. 10. If she (pass) the exam, she (be) able to enter university.

9 Third Conditionals Put in the correct third conditional verb form: 1. If you (not / be) late, we (not / miss) the bus. 2. If she (study), she (pass) the exam. 3. If we (arrive) earlier, we (see) John. 4. If they (go) to bed early, they (not / wake) up late. 5. If he (become) a musician, he (record) a CD. 6. If she (go) to art school, she (become) a painter. 7. If I (be) born in a different country, I (learn) to speak a different language. 8. If she (go) to university, she (study) French. 9. If we (not / go) to the party, we (not / meet) them. 10. If he (take) the job, he (not / go) travelling.

10 Perfect-English-Grammar Conditionals Finish the sentences with a clause in the correct conditional: 1: If it is sunny tomorrow 2: If you sit in the sun too long 3: If I were you 4: If I were the Prime Minister 5: If she had studied harder 6: If I won the lottery 7: If I hadn t gone to bed so late 8: If I hadn t come to London 9: If you mix water and electricity 10: If she hadn t stayed at home 11: If I go out tonight 12: If I were on holiday today 13: If I had listened to my mother 14: If I hadn t eaten so much 15: If it rains later 16: If I were British 17: If I were the opposite sex 18: If I have enough money 19: If you don t wear a coat in the winter