conditional sentence

1. Conditional Sentences
Structure :
A conditional sentence is composed of 2
parts :
If-clause + Main Clause
Example :
If it rains tomorrow, we will not come.
If-clause Main Clause

2. Conditional Sentences
Types :
 There are 4 types of conditional sentences.
They are classified according to their
specific
implications.
 Each type of conditional sentences uses
different tenses to show the difference in
their implications.

3. Conditional Sentences
Type 0 :
Use
:
Talk about universal truth.
Tense
:
Present tense in both clauses
Example
:
If you heat water to 100°C, it boils.
Present Tense Present Tense
If you pour oil into water, it floats.

4. Conditional Sentences
Type 1
Use : Talk about a present or future probable case.
Tense : If-clause ~ Present Tense
Main Clause ~ Future Tense
Example :
If I feel sick, I will not go to school.
Present Tense Future Tense
If it rains tomorrow, the match will be cancelled.

5. Exercise One
1. If you ___________________ (not come),
You ________________ (miss ) the show.
do not come
will miss
2. John __________________ (buy)a car if he
_____________ (get)a job.
will buy
gets
3. Mary ________________(get) a toothache if
she_________________ (eat) too many sweets.
gets
eats

6. Conditional Sentences
Type 2 (Present Subjunctive)
Use : Talk about a present or future improbable
case. (A case that is unlikely to happen)
Tense : If-clause ~ Past Tense
Main Clause ~ would + an infinitive
Example :
If he were a bird, he would fly across the harbour.
Past Tense Would + infinitive
If I had $200,000 now, I would buy a car.

7. Conditional Sentences
Type 3 (Past Subjunctive)
Use
:
Talk about a past, impossible case
Tense : If-clause ~ Past Perfect Tense
Main Clause ~ Would + Present Perfect
FormExample :
If I had had enough money, I would have bought the
camera yesterday.
Past Perfect Tense Would + Present Perfect Form
If I had come home earlier, I would not have missed the
programme.

8. Exercise Two
1. If I ________________ (be) four years old, I
________________ (learn) to play the piano.
were
would learn
2. If I ________________ (not fail) in the
examination, my mother_______________
(buy)
me a new computer.
had not failed
would have bought
3. We ________________________ (finish) if we
________________ (have) better preparation.
would have finished
had had

9. Conditional Sentences
Variations:
Type
1 :If you see John, ask him to come and see me.
Should you see John, ask him to come and see
me.
SHOULD may
replace IF in type
1
Type 2 :
If I were an aeroplane, I could fly in the sky.
Were I an aeroplane, I could fly in the sky.
COULD or MIGHT may
replace WOULD
WERE may replace IF in an inversion

10. Conditional Sentences
Type 3 :
If I had come home earlier, I would not have
missed the programme.
Had I come home earlier, I would not have
missed the programme.
HAD may replace IF in an
inversion

11. Conditional Sentences
Type 2 & Type 3 :
If it were not for the rain, we would go to Shatin. (Type
2)
But for the rain, we would go to Shatin.
But for+ a noun may
replace `If it were not
for’
If it had not been for the traffic jam, we would have
arrived on time. (Type 3)
But for the traffic jam, we would have arrived on time.
But for + a noun may replace
`If it had not been for’

12. The Subjunctive Mood
Other sentences than the conditional may bear the
subjunctive mood.
a. Wish (v)
I wish I were a
king.
(But I am
not!)
I wish she had left last
night.
(But she didn’t!)
Type 2 Type 3
* Non-subjunctive use of wish
 I wish to travel to Europe next year
 We wish you a happy birthday.

13. The Subjunctive Mood
b. If only
If only I were you!
If only he were born in the
USA!
(He was not born
in USA)
If only she had left last night! (She did not leave
last night)
Type
2
Type
2
Type
3

14. The Subjunctive Mood
b. Would rather
I would rather you came earlier. (But you come
late.)
Type 2
I would rather he had told me the
secret.
(But he
didn’t.)
Type 3
* Non-subjunctive use of would rather
A : Do you want to go fishing today?
B : I would rather stay at home and take some
rest.(B prefers staying at home to going fishing)

15. The Subjunctive Mood
d. Lest
(Conjunction)
He put the money in the safe lest someone
should / might steal it.
e. It is (high) time
 It is (high) time you studied hard.
(You have not studied hard. Now the
examination is near, so you have to study very
hard.)
Past
Tense
 It is time for you to leave (non-subjunctive)

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