Conditional sentences are used to express possibilities or hypothetical situations that depend on certain conditions being met. They often contain modal verbs and connectives like "if", "unless", and "when". Conditional sentences can refer to real or imaginary scenarios, such as predicting outcomes or imagining alternatives, for example "I would help you if I could". Authors also use conditional sentences to explore characters' thoughts about events, as seen in the novel where the character considers whether his experience was real or a dream.

2. A Conditional sentence is one in which one
thing depends on another.
They are used to make predictions or explore
possibilities.
They are concerned with things that
• will
• might
• should
• or could happen.

3. If
Conditional sentences often contain the connective
–if
– or sometimes
–unless
–providing/provided
–as long as
–when

4. Conditional sentences can also refer to
imaginary situations - what might have been.
• I would help you if I could (but I can’t).
• What would you do if you were in my place?
• If the weather had been sunny we could have
gone to the beach.

5. Modal Verbs
Certain verbs are often used in conditional
sentences.
These verbs are called modal verbs.
They are usually used with other verbs, not on
their own.
must ought
can could
may might
will would
shall should

6. Complete these sentences which contain
modal verbs.
I can help you if…
You should have…
We might go…
I wouldn’t do…
You ought to eat…
She will be late...

7. Suggest endings for these
conditional sentences.
If I always do my homework I should…
If my mum wins the lottery we might…
If I were Madonna I would…
If I were David Beckham I could...

8. Sometimes we daydream about the way our lives
might turn out
If only...
Do you think this excuse would get you off
doing lines?
If my mum hadn’t crashed the car on her way
home from work and been so shaken up
that she forgot to feed the dog
then the dog wouldn’t have eaten my pencil
and I would have been able to do my
homework.

9. In Tom’s Midnight Garden Phillipa Pearce uses
conditional sentences to show how Tom tries to
make sense of what has happened.
Had it been a dream? Another possible
explanation occurred to him:ghosts.
That was what they could all have
been: ghosts… Indeed, if it were
haunted at all, the hall was
overhaunted.
Ghosts… Tom doubtfully put his hand up
out of the bedclothes to see if his hair
were standing on end. It was not.

10. In Tom’s Midnight Garden Phillipa Pearce uses
conditional sentences to show how Tom tries to
make sense of what has happened.
Had it been a dream? Another possible
explanation occurred to him:ghosts.
That was what they could all have
been: ghosts… Indeed, if it were
haunted at all, the hall was
overhaunted.
Ghosts… Tom doubtfully put his hand up
out of the bedclothes to see if his hair
were standing on end. It was not.