Refer to: Present & future If-clause Main clause. ZERO Present + Present. If you can meet me at the car, that s easiest for me.

Transcription

1 1 CONDITIONALS

2 Refer to: Present & future If-clause Main clause ZERO Present + Present If you press this button, the engine stops. If you can meet me at the car, that s easiest for me. Present + If you go away, Imperative write to me. FIRST Present + will future If she rings this evening, I ll let you know. Main clause If-clause SECOND Would + Simple Past What would you do if you became President? Refer to: past If-clause Main clause THIRD Past Perfect + would have + past participle If I hadn t seen her, she d have drowned. FALSE CONDITIONALS / ALTERNATIVES TO IF IN CONDITIONALS False the speaker knows that the condition If you don t like the opera, why are you here? has already been fulfilled. So, as long as, provided/providing (that), suppose/supposing, assuming, even if, if only, on condition that, unless 2 So/as long as you promise not to tell, you can come too. If only we d got there sooner, the accident would never have happened. Unless Peter changes his attitude, he s going to find himself in trouble.

3 1. REAL CONDITION (likely conditionals) IN THE PRESENT, FUTURE and: (present tenses or modals) If he comes into the room, don t mention the party this evening. Can I leave early today? If you must. (also going to future) Even if we are not going to go swimming, we d still better take a towel. Assuming you can leave work early, we ll be able to make the 6.30 performance. PAST (Present Perfect) If he s read that report, he ll know what all the fuss is about. (Present Perfect Continuous) If you ve been telling the truth, we need to act quickly. (Simple Past / Past Continuous) Provided that she caught her flight, she ll be landing any moment now. WATCH OUT: WILL/WON T in The IF-Clause has the 3 meaning: Refusal Polite requests Strong disapproval at someone s insistence on doing something. If he won t go, there s nothing you can do about it. If you ll hold this end, I ll take the other one. If you will drive so fast, you must expect to have accidents.

4 2. UNLIKELY CONDITIONALS (improbable condition) IN THE PRESENT (past subjunctive, were in all persons, or Simple Past) If I didn t know you so well, I d say you were lying. (but I do know you well.) If he weren t (wasn t) so stubborn, he d agree with us. (but he is stubborn.) IN THE FUTURE (we re talking hypothetically Simple Past) If you told him, he d never believe you. (I don t think you will tell him.) Suppose your car broke down, what would you do? WOULD in if clauses: Only for polite requests and strong wishes that someone would do something: If you would be kind enough to lend me a hand, we could finish this very quickly. 4

5 3. PAST CONDITIONALS (impossible condition) (We know what happened but are speculating about what would have happened if the opposite had been true.) If she d known my number, she would have phoned. (but she didn t know it) (omit if) Had I believed her for one moment, I wouldn t have refused to help. Something that is generally true, although we wish it wasn t, can have results in the past. If I wasn t such an idiot, I wouldn t have done that. 5

6 MIXED CONDITIONALS If I had gone to the party last night, (I am not tired now present) I would be tired now. BUT: If I had gone to the party last night, I would have met lots of people. (I didn t meet lots of people past) WOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE, MIGHT HAVE: If the weather hadn t been so bad, 6 we would have gone out. we could have gone out. (we would have been able to go out) we might have gone out. (perhaps we would have gone out)

7 I WISH (wishing for the virtually impossible) PRESENT meaning (we regret something in the present) (we complain about something) I wish I weren t (wasn t) having the injection. (but I am) I wish I won a million pounds. I wish I didn t have to work tomorrow, but unfortunately I do. Do you wish you lived by the sea? (you don t live by the sea) I m sorry I have to go. I wish I could stay longer. (but I can t) The phone has been ringing for five minutes. I wish somebody would answer it. PAST meaning (we regret something in the past) 7 I wish I had known that John was ill. I would have gone to see him. (but I didn t know) I feel sick. I wish I hadn t eaten so much. I hear the party was great. I wish I could have gone. (but I didn t)

8 SUMMARY OF TENSES IN CONDITIONAL SENTENCES Referring to the present & future Present Simple Present Simple Present Simple Referring to the past Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous Simple Past / Past continuous Present Simple Imperative Will-future Present Simple / Future / Future Continuous 1. REAL CONDITION (likely conditionals) Referring to the present Subjunctive / Simple Past Subjunctive/ Simple Past Simple Past Would + infinitive 2. UNLIKELY CONDITIONALS (improbable condition) Referring to the future Simple Past Simple Past Simple Past Would + infinitive Referring to the past Past Perfect 8 Would have + past participle of the main verb 3. PAST CONDITIONALS (impossible condition)

9 MIXED CONDITIONALS Referring to the present Past Perfect Would + infinitive of the main verb I WISH Referring to the present I wish Referring to the past I wish Subjunctive / Past tense Past Perfect 9