CHAPTER 20

Unreal Conditionals

Coral Reefs
If you enjoy scuba diving or snorkeling, the
Caribbean and the South Pacific Seas are
wonderful places to visit. If you visit these
places, you will find beautiful coral reefs full of
a variety of ocean life. Coral is a living creature
that can be hard or soft. Coral reefs are formed
by small creatures called coral polyps. When
the coral polyps take calcium from seawater,
they can turn the calcium into limestone
shelters. A coral reef is formed if several
colonies of coral polyps work together to create
a large home.
Real conditions talk about real situations, such as
facts and regularly occurring events.

Real in the present

If you enjoy scuba diving or snorkeling, these are
wonderful places to visit.

Real in the future

If you visit, you will find beautiful coral reefs full of a
variety of ocean life.
If there were no coral reefs, several species would not exist.
Even though coral reefs cover less than one percent of the
earth’s surface, they provide a home to about 25% of all
marine life. Without the protection and cover of coral reefs,
animals like oysters, clams, grouper and snapper would die.
These animals are important sources of food for other
animals. If the reefs died, other ecosystems would also die.
Unreal conditions talk about imaginary or impossible
situations.
Unreal in the present or future

If the reefs died, other ecosystems would also die.

If there were no coral reefs, several species would not exist.

Note: Were is used for both singular and plural subjects.

In fact, many coral reefs have been dying
in recent years. This process is known as
bleaching. Bleached coral reefs first turn
white and then become dead brown coral.
Sadly, some of the damage could have
been avoided if more people had been
aware of the negative effects of human
activity such as pollution and over-fishing.
Many experts agree that much of the
damage we see today would have been
prevented if there had been a greater
effort to educate the public about the
fragile reef ecosystem.
In unreal conditions in the past, would expresses a desired
or predictable result. Could expresses a possible option.

Much of the damage would have been prevented if there

had been better education.

Some of the damage could have been avoided if more

people had been aware of the negative effects of pollution.

7
Climate change is a major reason
for the deterioration of coral reefs. If
the ocean temperatures were not
steadily rising, the coral reefs
would be healthier. When water is
too warm, corals expel the algae
living in their tissues. This causes
the coral to turn completely white.
Corals can sometimes survive
bleaching, but they are weaker and
under more stress.
Progressive verb forms are used in progressive
situations.

Real situation:
The ocean temperatures are rising. Coral reefs are not
healthy.
Conditional Statement:

If the ocean temperatures were not rising, coral

reefs would be healthier.
Climate change is not the only problem. Trash often ends up in the sea. These
items can entangle and kill reef organisms and break or damage reefs. Plastics are
especially hard on ocean life. Had the effects of plastics on marine life been
better understood, we could have found alternatives to plastic sooner.
Conservationists are working hard to clean up our seas. Otherwise, the problem
would be much worse. However, in order to truly address the problem, we need to
reduce the amount of plastic we use and throw away.
With were and had (past perfect), and should ,
sometimes if is omitted, and the subject and verb are
inverted.

Had we known, we could have prevented the problem.

Had we known = If we had known

Were more people aware of the problem, there

would be greater progress.

Were more people aware = If more people were aware

Often the if-clause is implied, not stated. Conditional
verbs are frequently used following otherwise.

They are working to find a solution. Otherwise, the problem

would be much worse.

Implied condition:
If they weren’t working to find a solution
PRACTICE 1 – Ask Your Partner
1. What would happen if there were no coral reefs?

2. What would you do if you had a chance tosave the coral reefs?

3. If you were able to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
4. Think about a regret or a mistake you’ve made. What could you have done

differently?
PRACTICE 2
Complete the sentence with the verbs in parentheses.

would go
1. If I could travel anywhere in the world, I (go) _________________ to the
Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
would/could have gone
2. I (travel) ________________________ there last year if I had had enough
money.
weren’t
3. Jane would try scuba diving if she (be, not) ____________ afraid of
swimming.
would have tried
4. Had I known how fun diving is, I (try) ______________________ it sooner.
were
5. If the weather (be) _________ nicer, we would go out today.