CONDITIONAL SENTENCESOraciones Condicionales(Versión Inglés / Español)

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

I will go to the park if Sarah comes with us

I will go to the park if Sarah comes with us

Conditional Sentences are divided into two different parts:(Dos partes principales)

Main clause: I will go to the park…(Frase principal)If-clause: …if Sarah comes with us (Condición)

Four types of Conditional Sentences:

General truths, scientific facts (Verdades generales o hechos científicos)

“If you heat ice, it melts”“Ice melts if you heat it” (The order can be changed)

(Se puede cambiar el order de las dos frases)

Main clause: Ice melts…If-clause: …if you heat it

Verbal Tenses:

Main clause: Present SimpleIf-clause: Present Simple

Type O or Zero Conditional:

It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

(Es muy posible que la condición llegue a realizarse)

If I find her phone number, I will send it to you

If-clause: If I find her phone number…Main clause: …I will send it to you

Verbal Tenses:

Main clause: Future SimpleIf-clause: Present Simple

Type I or Possible Condition:

Esta fórmula no es fija, puede variar como podemos ver en la siguiente diapositiva

a.- variations of the main clause: 1. MAY / MIGHT (possibility).If the fog gets thicker the plane may/might be

diverted 2. MAY (permission) or CAN (permission or ability)If your documents are in order you may/can leave

at once 3. MUST / SHOULD or any expression of

command, request or advice.If you want to lose weight you must / should eat less

bread. If you want to lose your weight you had better eat

less bread If you want to lose weight eat less bread. If you see Tom tomorrow, could you ask him to ring

me?

b.- variations of the if-clause: 1. PRESENT CONTINUOUS: to indicate a present action or a future arrangement.

If you are waiting for the bus you'd better join the queue  If you are looking for Peter you'll find him upstairs. If you are staying for another night I'll ask the manager to give you a better room.

 2. PRESENT PERFECT

If you have finished dinner I'll ask the waiter for the bill.

Variations to type I

(advanced)

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES : TYPE 1 ACTIVITIES

1. I'll look for your notebook and if I (find) it I (give) you a

ring.

2. If you (smoke) in a non-smoking compartment the other

passengers (object).

3. I'll wash the glasses in this nice hot water. No, don't. If

you (put) them into very hot water they (crack).

4. If you (see) Tom, Tell him I have a message for him.

5. If he (win) he (get) $1,000; If he (come) in second he (get)

$500.

6. If you (feel) too hot during the night turn down the central

heating.

7. If he (want) more money he (have) to do more work.

8. If you (finish) with your dictionary I'd like to borrow it.

9. If he (stand) up in the canoe it (capsize).

10. The lift wasn't working when I was here last. If it still (not

work) we (have to) use the stairs.

It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.

(Es improbable que la condición llegue a realizarse)

If I saw her, I would tell her the truth

If-clause: If I saw her…Main clause: …I would tell her the truth

We usually use WERE for all the persons of verb TO BE

If I were a rich man, I’d help people in Africa

Verbal Tenses:

Main clause: Conditional SimpleIf-clause: Past Simple

Type II or Unlikely Condition:

Esta fórmula no es fija, puede variar como podemos ver en la siguiente diapositiva

a.- variations of the main clause:

 1. - MIGHT / COULD

If you tried again you might / could succeed. 2. CONTINUOUS CONDITIONAL

FORM Peter is on holiday ; he is touring Italy. If I were on

holiday I would / might be touring Italy too. 3. SIMPLE PAST : to express automatic

or habitual reactions in the past If anyone interrupted him he got angry.

b.- variations of the if-clause:  1. PAST CONTINUOUS:

I hate flying. If we were going by boat I'd feel much happier.

 2. PAST PERFECT:

If he had taken my advice he would be a rich man now.

Variations to type II

(advanced)

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES: TYPE 2 ACTIVITIES

 

1. If I (give) her a diamond ring she (sell) it.

2. If you (go) on a diet you (lose) weight.

3. If we (work) all night we (finish) in time; but we have no

intention of working all the night.

4 You must never blow out a gas light. Do you know what

(happen) if you (blow )out a gas light?

5. If I (see) a tiger walking along the street I (climb) a tree.

6. If it (be) summer the people (not sit) round that big fire.

7. If you (type) your notes they (be) a lot of easier to read.

It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.

(Es imposible que la condición llegue a realizarse pues se refiere al pasado)

If I had found her phone number, I would have sent her a message for the party

If-clause: If I had found her phone number…Main clause: …I would have sent her a message for the party

Verbal Tenses:

Main clause: Conditional Perfect (would+have+P.P.)

If-clause: Past Perfect (had+P.P.)

Type III or Impossible Condition:

Esta fórmula no es fija, puede variar como podemos ver en la siguiente diapositiva

Variations to type III (advanced)a. Variations of the main clause

1. COULD OR MIGHT may be used instead of WOULD

If we had found him earlier we could have saved his life.

2. The continuous form of the perfect conditional may be used.

At the time of the accident I was sitting in the back of the car, because Tom's little boy was sitting beside him in front. If Tom's boy had not been there I would have been sitting in front.

 b. Variations of the if- clause

1. We can use the past perfect continuous in the If- clause.  Luckily I was wearing a seat belt. If I hadn't been wearing one I

would have been seriously injured.

Other possible changes1. A combination of types 2 and 3 is possible: The plane I intended to catch crashed and everyone was killed:

If I had caught that plane I would be dead now or

I would have been killed. 2. In type 3 “had” can be placed first and the “if”

omitted: If you had obeyed orders this disaster would not have happened

Had you obeyed orders this disaster would not have happened

CONDITINAL SENTENCES: Type 3 ACTIVITIES 

1. If she ........ (not make) these calls, the bill........ (be) smaller.

2. What........... (you / do) if I ..........( not work)?

3. If he ........... ( be born ) in Italy, he .......... (be called ) Arturo.

4. If the man ..........( be looking ) the wrong way, he ......... (see

) the car.

Write the complete sentence

1. educated at university / got a better job

2. not worked at a library / not met Mary.

3. not won the TV quiz contest / spent honeymoon in England

4. married Sheila / lived in Middleford.

WRITE A SENTENCE BEGINNING WITH IF FOR THESE SITUATIONS. Example A doctor recommended his patient to have an operation. The patient refused and died. The doctor says: " If he ...." If he had had the operation, he wouldn't have died.  a. Joe told Fred to bet five pounds on a horse called Greased Lightning. Fred refused. Later Joe tells Fred that he bet five pounds a won a hundred pounds and adds: "If you ..." b. Arthur says he can't pay his bills because he didn't make a budget and adds: "If I ...“

c. Sheila tells Harry she saw him in the street yesterday and tells him off because he didn't speak to her. Harry protests that he didn't see her and adds: "If I ..." d.The teacher is disappointed that Stephen didn't pass his examination. He knows that Stephen didn't do any work. He tells him: "If you ..." e.Keith had arranged to fly to America on flight BA 329 last weekend. He couldn't go because he had 'flu. Unfortunately the plane crashed and there were no survivors. Keith says : "If I..." f. Mary missed the last bus home because she stayed talking to hi s girl-friend Liz. When she came home by taxi, Arthur says: "If you ..." g. Dr Newton forgot to lock the back door and a burglar came and stole his First Aids kit and he says : "If I ..."

If can be replaced by:

UNLESS

IN CASE:

PROVIDED (THAT) / PROVIDING (THAT):

BUT FOR:

SUPPOSE /SUPPOSING = What if…?

IF ONLY: si…!

AS LONG AS:

I WISH: ojalá…! 

We use the past for a present situation after wish. We use wish to say that we regret something, that something is not as we would like it to be:

e.g. “ I wish I knew Sue’s telephone number. ( I don’t know it)”

As in if – clauses, we can use were instead of was after wishe.g. I wish I were taller

We use past perfect after wish when you say that you regret something that happened or didn’t happen in the past

e.g. I wish I had known that Ann was ill. I would have gone to see her. (I didn’t know that she was ill)