CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
are usually used when we want to express a situation which has a condition or requirement.
So, the requirements parts of the sentence become the CONDITIONAL SENTENCE.
Later on the conditional sentence part is commonly called if clause.

There are three main patterns of CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

TYPE PATTERNS DESCRIPTION

Main Clause uses will/shall,
shall is used for I and we only.
S + will/shall + verb1 + if + S + verb1(+s/es) If Clause is in the form of
Simple Present Tense.
I
I will go with you if you wait in the park.
Main Clause uses would +
verb1.
S + would + verb1 + if + S + verb2 If Clause is in the form of
Simple Past Tense.
II
If my parents lived here, I would be very happy.
Main Clause uses would have +
verb3.
S + would have + verb3 + if + S + had verb3 If Clause is in the form of Past
Perfect Tense.
III
You would have got an accident if you had been careless.

*NOTES:
 The position of Main Clause and If Clause is interchangeable. When the If Clause is in the
beginning, use comma (,) to connect with the Main Clause.
 The word UNLESS can replace the “if … not”.
e.g. If you do not have enough time, …..
 Unless you have enough time, …..
 When the If Clause contains were or had, they can be inverted. It means that were or had are
put in the beginning of the sentence and the word if is omitted.
e.g. If I had the money, …..
 Had I the money, …..
 VARIOUS VARIATIONS:
 MAIN CLAUSE variation, for If Clause which is in question.
can / may / must / should / ought to / needn’t / let’s / had
TYPE I better / would rather
A Simple Present Tense / verb 1 / don’t
TYPE II could / might
could / might / should
TYPE III
IF CLAUSE variation, for Main Clause which is in question.
Present Continuous Tense / Present Perfect Tense
TYPE I
B can / may / must
TYPE II Past Continuous Tense
could
USAGE OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES AND THEIR MEANINGS
TYPES DESCRIPTION
REAL PRESENT present tense in main
clause and present tense in
the dependent clause
(beginning with If, when or
whenever)
REAL FUTURE future (will, may or can +
base verb or be going to +
base verb) in the main
clause and present tense in
the dependent clause
(beginning with if or when)
You can also use “unless” to
mean “if not.”
PRESENT UNREAL would + base verb in the
main clause and past tense
in the if clause
(You can also use might or
could) in the main clause
for an even less certain
outcome.)
PAST UNREAL Would (or might or could) +
present perfect in the main
clause and past perfect in
the if clause
MIXED TIME IN 1. Past perfect in the if
UNREAL clause and would + base
CONDITIONAL verb in the main clause
NTENCES
2. Past tense in the if clause
and would, could, or might
+ present perfect in the
main clause
+ verb 1
+ verb 1
+ verb 1
have + verb 3
-
+ verb 1
-
+ verb 1
FUNCTION EXAMPLES
A situation that is If I eat raw onions, I get sick.
always true whenever I get sad whenever I hear that song.
the condition exists.
A situation that will be If the DJ plays that song, I am going to cry.
true in the future if the
condition exists in the You’ll pass the test if you study. I expect
future you to pass because I expect you will study.
• Use future only in the main clause, not in
both clauses.
(If you will study, you will pass.)
A situation that is not If I were you, I would apologize. ( I am not
true because the you.)
condition is not
expected to be met I would give money to charity if I won the
lottery. I don’t have much chance of
winning the lottery.
If you studied, you would pass the test.
You are not studying, so I don’t expect you
to pass.
• WERE is used for all persons in the unreal
conditional
I call this the “too late” If you had studied, you would have passed
conditional. It is untrue the test.
because it is no longer
possible. The condition You didn’t study, so you didn’t pass, but
was not met. don’t you wish you could turn the clock
back and have another chance?
1. An untrue condition Example
in the past affects the #1: If he had passed, he wouldn’t be in
present time. summer school now.
(He didn’t pass. That’s why he’s in summer
2. A condition that still school.)
does not exist in the
present time has #2: If I were rich, I could have bought you a
affected the past. car for your birthday.
(I’m not rich. That’s why I wasn’t able to
buy you a car.)
CHANGING THE FACT INTO CONDITIONAL SENTENCE

1. The part of the sentence that states the cause becomes the If Clause,
the part of the sentence that states the effect becomes the Main Clause.
2. Present fact becomes Conditional type II.
Past fact becomes Conditional type III.
A combination of present and past fact becomes Mixed Type.
3. REMEMBER! Conditional is always the opposite of the fact.
When fact sentence is positive, conditional is negative.
When fact sentence is negative, conditional is positive.
4. Conjunction (because, therefore, etc.) is not used anymore.

1. Tom Cruise is a handsome guy, therefore thousands of women fall in love with him.
 If Tom Cruise were not a handsome guy, thousands of women wouldn’t fall in love with him.
2. I couldn’t lend your book to him because I didn’t know him.
 I could have lent your book to him if I had known him.
3. I don’t like city life. I was not accustomed to the noisy vehicles.
 I would like city life if I had been accustomed to the noisy vehicles.