conditionals: true, real and unreal

always true (zero conditional)

il X happens, Y happens
These sentences describe what always happens in certain circumstances eg scientific facts.

present simple present simple

When / Jf you press the switch, the light comes on.

real conditions (conditional 1)

if X happens, Y will happen
These sentencesdescribe what the speaker thinks will possibly happen as a consequence of a real situatior

present simple will future

Jf we do not deal with the global warming problem, temperatures will rise.

If we leave now, we'lI catch the bus. If we don't leave now, we won't catch it.

In informal speech, we often use going to instead of will.

If you don't take an umbrella, you're going to get wet.
We also use might or can / could in place of will. See Unit 25
We can also use imperatives in real conditions.
If you don 't knowa word, look it up in the dictionary

exceptie Sentences beginning

Daca insisti sa stai treaz)If you
Jf you will ... are only used when will means insist, or is used as a polite form.
will stay up 50 late, then of course you'll feel tired. (insist)
If you'lI wait here, I'/Isee if the manager is ready (polite)
(daca binevoiti sa asteptati)
unfess= daca nu
Unless means only if not. We use it when we say that if something does not happen,
something else will happen.
Unless we deal with the global warming problem, average temperatures will rise.
If we do not deal with....
provided, as fong as + present simple
Provided and as long as mean only if.
Provided / as long as we reduce energy consumption, we can slow down global warming.

in case + present simple

This describes a possible situation we want to be prepared for.
Take an umbrel/a in case it rains.

SECOND CONDITIONAL
unreal conditions (conditional 2)
if X happened, Y would happen = daca s-ar intampla ceva, si altceva s-ar intampla.
These sentences describe what the speaker thinks would happen in an imaginary situation.

past simple , would + verb

If you were on Venus, you would see the Sun rise in the west.
·1·

What would happen if the Earth stopped turning?

If the Earth didn't have a Moon, there wouldn't be any tides.
The past simple tense we use in an if-sentence does not describe past time, but unreal time.
We also use might or could in place of would. See Unit 25.

= daca as fi in locul tau, pt.a da sfaturi

if f were you

fi We give advice with If I were you.

I wouldn't do that, if I were you. ar If I were you, I wouldn't do that.
-eal or unreal?
;'is depends on the situation of the speaker, or what the speaker is thinking.
For example, we're in the classroom. There are some heavy tables. I think a friend is going to lift
them. I give a warning.
situatie posibila
'Ii you try to lift those tables on your own, you'lI hurt yourself '

Same situation. Nobody is thinking of lifting the tables. I make a comment.

Those tables look heavy' li you tried to lift them, you'd hurt yourself'
situatie imaginara

Complete the answers using the word or words in capitals.

a What happens when you heat water to 100°C? BOIL

If you ..h~alLAJale.rlDIOO°c, ..ilboiIS
b What does water tum into when you boil it? STEAM
If you boil water, it turns into steam.
c What happens when you cool the steam? TURNSBACK
If you cool the steam, it turns back into water.
d What happens when you heat a piece of metal? EXPANDS
Ifyou heat
.. a piece of metal, it expands.
e What happens when you freeze a piece of metal? CONTRACTS
Ifyou freeze a piece of metal, it contracts.
f What happens when you freeze water? EXPANDS
If you .freeze water,
. . it..expands.

2 Use the words to complete an if-sentence about solutions to environmental problems.

Solution A - recycle paper, metal and glass

a everyone / recycle paper / companies / not cut down so many trees
l'+.~V~rtjovt~..r~ct:Jd~S ..pap~r, ..coMpt1\'J.i~S..LAJD\'J.)l
..cul ..dOLAJvt
SD..Ma\'J.'1
..lr~e5, .
b everyone / recycle metal and glass / we not waste valuable resources
If everyone recycles metal and glass, we won't waste valuable resources.
c everyone / recycle paper, metal and glass / we not produce so much rubbish
re
If everyone recycles....., we won't produce so much... a;
l-
C
Solution B - tum oft lights, don 't drive 50 much, insulate your house :::::s

"'O
d everyone / tum off unwanted lights / save a lot of electricity C
If everyone turns off lights, we will save a lot ….. re

e everyone / walk or cycle / not waste so much oil and petrol re

a;
If everyone walks and cycles, we won't waste so much.... l-
a;"
f everyone / insulate their houses / not waste so much energy for heating :::::s
l-
+-'
V'l

Solution C - use renewable energy re

C
g countries use more wind and wat er power, not depend so much on power stations centrala electrica O
+-'
"'O
h countries use power stations less, cause less air pollution C
O
u
G
 3 Use the prompts to complete the question.
Then choose the most likely answer.
Check the factual answers on page 208.

a what / happen if you / travel through the

Earth to the other side?
...tl}hal. ...wQuld..harp~Yl ..if.'1ou ..l.raveAI~d ....
..l.hrQuqh ..l.he, ..~arl.h ..l.o.l.he, ..Ql.he,c....
sidd ..
b what / happen if the Earth suddenly stop
/ going round?
What would happen if the Earth suddenly
stopped going round?

past simple
c what / happen if we not / have a Moon?
What would happen if we didn't have a Moon?
d what / happen if a11the ice at the poles / melt?
What would happen if all the ice at the poles melted?
e what / happen if there be / no more electricity?
What would happen if there was no more electricity?
t what / happen if aliens receive / messages from Earth and decide / to visit us?
What would happen if aliens received messages...and decided to visit us?

A Yau
a A Therewauld
They wauldf/ynat
wouldn't autbetheany
know because
C
light
The
slawly
B Sea
and
It
The
Yau
place.
millians
appasite
our
wauld
B
CThey
and Even
Sea
People
They
This levels
the
Earth
wauldEmth's
fires
wauld
Sun
world
messages
wauldn
o(years,
directian
keep
levels
then wauld
wouldn't
i( would
the would
wauld
(or
wauld
stmt core
would
(all
heat.
maving!
stap.wauld
'tanyway.
Earth
be
arrive
asuse rise.
is
maving
spin
ta
graw
be hat.
the
mare
athe
impassible
they
understand
stay stranger.
centre
stapped,
candles
(or sa(er
insame.
the
(or
we
r away.
would (all. ~

if ...not on condition that

4A Rewrite each sentence so that it contains unfess or as fong as and begins as shown.

a Ii you don't tra in hard, you won't succeed in sport.

You wonll. ..suc,ce,e,d..iY\ .. spQcl !,J,YlI~SS
..t:lQulcaj!'\ ..hard .
b Ii you train regularly, you can improve YOllI performance.
performance if you train...
You can improve ..
c Ii you enjoy YOllI sport, it doesn't rea11ymatter whether you succeed or not.
It doesn't rea11ymatter whether
.. you succeed or not if you enjoy
d Ii you don't eat and sleep properly you won't develop as an athlete.
G You won't ..develop as an athlete if you don't eat and sleep
 if (by any chance)
B Rewrite each sentence 50 that it contains in case.

e Take a spare pair of running shoes, because it's possible that you will need them.
in case you need them.
Take a spare pair of running shoes .
f Take a waterproof coat with you because it's possible that it will rain.
in case it rains
Take a waterproof coat with you ..
g take a warm jumper because it's possible that you will get cold when you stop.
Take a warm jumper ..
h Take a first-aid kit because it's possible that someone will get injmed.
Take a first-aid kit

5 Use the words to complete the conditional if-sentence. Use an always true, real or unreal
conditional to suit the meaning.

a Scientists are planning a way of writing extremely smallletters, using xenon (Xe) atoms. If
you (use)4S.e-,L this system, you (be able) would be ableto write ten copies of the
BibIe on the area of a postage stamp.
were
b Humans are among the few animals to have colom vision. If you (be) a horse,
for example, you (see)
would see everything in black and white.
c The brain works in two parts, the left side and the right side. Scientists can put one side of
the brain to sleep, and see what happens. For example, if they (tum off)
turned off the
wouldn't
right side of the patient's brain, the patient (not be able) ....
be able
....to sing, because
musical ability comes from the right side of the brain.
d Beetles are one of the most numerous species on the planet. In fact, if other insects and
didn't eat
animals (not eat) .. ... beetles, in about a year and a half the beetle population
would weigh
(weigh) .. . as much as the whole Earth!
e Parts of the body send messages to other parts of the body when they have to do things.
don't have
For example, if you (not have) .... enough water in yom body the brain (let)
lets
..you know that you need more, by making you feel thirsty.
looked would be
f If you (look) .. . inside yom own eye at the images there, they (be) ..
would be
upside down, and they (be) ... ..moving.
smoke
g If you (smoke) .. .., chemical changes (take place)
take place in yom cells,
which do not receive enough oxygen and die.
removed co
OJ
h The world's oceans contain huge amounts of salt. In fact, if you (remove) ... . all the l....

would be able C
salt from the oceans, you (be able) to use it to build a wall about 300 km wide and ::::l

a kilometre tall all around the Earth! "'O

C
CO

CO
= . ·EXTE~Slcg'N·tAf]?I\i!.j~~t=~h~tl.;D~"_
......·c OJ
l....
1 Write five sentences about your life which begin Un/ess I ...
OJ~
2 Write a list of eight interesting scientific facts ::::l
l....
youfound in this unit, which begin If ... +-'
V\
Need more practice? Go to the Review on page 792.
CO
C
O
+-'
"'O
C
O
u
fa
 conditionals: impossible past, wishes
THIRD CONDITIONAL
impossible or past conditions (conditional 3)
if X had happened, Y would have happened
These sentences describe what the speaker thinks would have happened as a consequence of a
situation which is in the past, so is impossible to change.

On 18 June 1815 the Coalition Army under Wellington and Blucher defeated Napoleon
would have + verb past perfect
and the French army But what would have happened if Napoleon had won the battle?
would have + verb
The history of Europe would certainly have been different.

I'm sorry l didn't talk to you yesterday,but l simply didn't seeyou!

If I'd seen you, l would have said hello.Daca te-as fi vazut, as fi spus "buna ziua".
We also use might have ar could have in place of would have. SeeUnit 25.

past condition with a result in the present

if X had happened, Y would be different
We often think about past events, and their effects on the present.
If Chrishadn't gone to the hospital, he wouldn't be alive today

wishes
• about the present
When we use wish to make a wish about the present, we use the unreal past simple, as in an unreal
conditional sentence. We can also use could / was able to.
I wish I knew more about Europeanhistory Mi-as dori sa stiu….
(= If I knew more about it now, I would be happier.)
I wish I could swim really fast. As vrea sa pot inota...
• wishes about the past
When we use wish to make a wish about the past, we use the past perfect, as in an impossible past
conditional sentence.
Mi-as fi droit sa fiu present
I wish I had been present at the battle of Waterloo. la battalia....
(= If I had been present at the battle of Waterloo, I would have been happy!)
• wishes with would
We also use wish with would when we want someone to do something or not to do something. This is
often because we think it is a bad habit.
I wish you wouldn't keep staring at me!
I wish Pete would phone.
• if only
We can use if only to make a stronger kind of wish about the present or the past.
If only I knew more about Europeanhistory!
If only I had studied harder!

fi
1 Complete the sentence using the verbs in brackets.
IF + Past Perfect,...…..would have+vb3
a If Alexander the Great (march) ..hadl:1Aard:1~d wouldn't have tried ......to sail there by crossing
west instead of east, he (conquer) HW the Atlantic.
would have conquered
...........................
the whole of Europe. g If Columbus (sail) . . east
b If more Vikings (go) ....... gone
had to HW in 1492, he (reach) ..
North America, the Viking settlements (succeed) China ar ]apan.
would have succeeded.
h If the Aztecs (not think) ..
c If the ancient Egyptians (build) that Cartes and his men were gods, the Spaniards
had built
....... bigger boa ts, they (not conquer) .. . Mexico
would
(cross) ..
have crossed ....the Atlantic so easily.
(would have) .. landed in America. If Lewis and CIark (not find)
and (land) ...
d If a storm (not hit) ..hadn't hit . a way across America
Bartolomeu Dias's ship off the coast of Africa in from St Louis to the Pacific in 1806, thousands of
1487, they (not arrived) wouldn't
.. have arrived settlers (not make) .. . the
in the Indian Ocean by accident. journey in later years to settle in the central and
e If Cheng Ho and other Chinese explarers western parts of North America.
had continued
(continue) .... . .... further on If Charles Darwin (not take) .
their voyages, they (sail) ..would have sailed a voyage to South America between 1831 and
up the west coast of Africa and reached Europe in 1836, he (not write).. his
the early 15th century. famous book The Origin ofSpecies, which argued
hadn't read
f If Columbus (not read) .. that living creatures evolved over millions of years.
about Marco Polo's trip to China, he (not try)

2 Use the information to make an impossible past conditional sentence which has a result in the present.
If+ past perfect, …….would+vb(inf)
a Columbus 1492: 'Don't warry men, I've d Mrs Abraham Lincoln, April 1865: 'We went
brought a map with me, so I know exactly to the theatre last night, and now my poor HW
where we are. If Ihadl'lllbrouqi:tLal:1Aap husband the President is dead, shot by
we ..would be ......lost!' apolitical opponent. If we ..
b Galileo 1640: 'I've explained my new ideas ......he ...
to the Church, but now I'm in troublel If .....alive today!'
Lhad not explained my ideas ......
,I . wouldn't be in trouble
e Leonardo da Vinci, 1518: 'I've done a lot of
........................................
l' things in my life, but perhaps I haven't spent
c Marco Polo 1300: 'It's true, I have exaggerated enough time on my paintings. I didn't always
and made up some of the descriptions in the manage to finish them, I'm afraid. If I ..
book about my travels. I suppose that's why .. , more of them
people don't believe the true things. 'If
Lhadn't exaggerated f Napoleon, 1820, in exile on the island of St
............... , perhaps mare people Helena: 'Looking back, I can see that invading
would believe the true things.
Russia was a mistake. Without that, perhaps I
wouldn't have lost the war. If I .. VI
re
.........................................................................................
Russia, per haps I C
O
....Emperor of France!' +""

"'O
C
O
u
 Use thei.nforrnJ3tion to make an impossible past conaitional sentence,
beginning as shown. It is not necessary to use all the information.

a The Trojans saV\ithe wooden hors.ej and ci In 1469, Isabella

decided to take it into Troy. Om:eit was of Castile married

inside tM walls, the Greeks,;hiddeninsidethe Ferdinand of Aragon.

li~r~~ came out, opened theigatesj and the Their marriage
Greek army captured Troy: combined the twa
If the Trojanshadlt~l::,>;fak&ltll::t&UiOQd&.:t kingdams. and
JlOCSl:"jlt1;oTCokj., the Greeks .Uioulc!l'I.ol":4'W created the kingdom
..ktaVe,....ca9l.4E'e,.~l.lkte, ..cillj, ... of ?pain,wl1ich SOOI1

h In September 490 BO, an army fromf\theus became one of the.;

and Plataea met the Persian army of Darius I m?st'powerful.c~untrie$ in Europe.
on theGreek coast at Marathon, about 35 km If Isabella
trom Athens. It seemed that nothing coutd
stop Darius conquering Greece.Eowever, e In September lQ66,Dllke William of
the Greek army won atotal victory, and the Normandy sailed ~th'an anny to E~gl~:n5-t
Persian army went home. He believ€dthat he,.aridnot Hato1d, was the
If the Greeks
rightful king. Haroldmarch~~;to·~ee~'~illiam}1'
Darius and his army but his armywastired atter fighting ~:bat~i~
c On 10 January 49 BCrjulius Caesar crossed the in theO:north agairtstthe Vikings. William won

River R'ubicon on the,.1J2!s!.erof Italy with his the battle that rollowed, anq be~ame king
army. This ledto,civifwar which Caesar Won, England.
and sobecame leader of the Roman state. 11' Harolq's armz
If Julius CaeSar ...iUi.W••W"','"'"',,,,',."' ..•....... William
he

4 Complete the wish-sentence with the verb in brackets.

a What on earth is the answer to this problem! (know) ltUiShLkl:te..wlkte..mlStU&clolktispcobJe..M ...

b Unfortunately, I haven't got a calculator. (h ave) I ..
c The trouble is, I don't really understand the problem. (understand) I
d And my teacher never explains things to me. (explain)
e I think I'd prefer to be in a different class. (be)
f In fact, 1'd rather do French instead. (do)
g I love France - it would be great to live there! (live)
h But at the moment I have to my homework! (have to do)

5 Complete the wish-sentence with the information provided.

a Juliet: 'Considering what happened later, c Harry Potter: 'Learning to be a wizard has
meeting Romeo was a mistake. I turned out to be rather dangerous. Deciding to
Iulisktlhadl'\.llMe,.l. him! go to a wizard school was a mistake!'
b Christopher Columbus: 'Sailing to America was I school!
a mistake, perhaps, and it would have been d Marco Polo: lIt was great being in China.
better to stay at home!' Perhaps it would have been better to stay there,
I at home! and not come home to Italy.'
G I wish China.
 e Newton: 'Actually the story of the apple falling on g Dr Frankenstein: 'This monster is causing a lot of
my he ad is true, and I can tell you it really hurt! trouble. Making him was a mistake.'
Sitting under the apple tree was a big mistake!' I. ........him!
I .. tree 1 h Archimedes: 'Jumping out of my bath and
f Helen of Troy: 'I didn't really like Paris very much. running down the street shouting Tve found it!'
Running away with him was a mistake.' was a great idea. But it was mistake not to put
I .. ..with him ! some clothes on first!'
L .........clothes on !

6 Rewrite the sentence as a complaint, using wish with would or wouldn't. Use contractions.

a Yau never band yaur wark in on time! Il,(JiE;h?JQ?I\dhaJ).d?JQ?lCNQd<jf1. ..Q'1.firy,~ !

b You always make 50 many mistakes! I !
c You always drop litter on the floar! I.. !

d You never pay attention! I ..!

e You always talk during the test! I .. !
f You never listen to what I'm saying! I !

g You always interrupt people! I !

h You always throw things across the room! I .. !
You never behavel I !

You always make so much noise! I !

7 Complete the text with the verbs in brackets.

Sloths live in trees and eat mainly leaves, twigs and fmit. In
fact, if you a (be) ..were, a sloth, you
b (spend).. most of yom life hanging
upside down from a tree. This is the safest place for sloths. lf a
sloth c (stay).. . completely still, predators
d (not realize) .. . . it is there, because it has
V'l
green algae living on its skin, and it is difficult to see. Sloths (])
.r=.
V'l
move very slowly on the ground, but if they A sloth

e (go) .. . in water, they f (swim) extremely well. However, they

have a low body temperatme, and if they g (remain) .. . too lang in hot sunlight, they +-'~
V'l
C'O
h (die).. . Sloths are not large animals, growing to about a metre in length. On the other Q..
hand, if you i (be) in Nonh America 20,000 years ago, you j (see) agiant (])
ground sloth, as large as an elephant! These giant sloths died out thousands of years ago. Modern sloths live in ..o
V'l
V'l
the rainforest of South America, and they are in danger, like many rainforest animals. lf human beings
O
k (continue) .. ....to destroy the rain forest, sloths I (become) .. .. extinct. Q..
E
V'l

C'O

C
O
+-'
"'O
1 What would your life have been like, if you had lived a hundred years ago? C
Write five sentences. O
u
2 Write a list of wishes about things you want to change about yourself.