UNIT I: THE CONDITIONAL
I.1. CLASSIFICATION OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
Conditional sentences are conveniently classified into three groups.
1. Type I: Cause and effect = real conditional. Both condition and result are very likely to occur.
a)
|
IF |
PRESENT |
FUTURE, IMPERATIVE, CAN, MAY |
|
if |
you buy that car |
it will cost you £10,000 |
|
if |
you buy that car |
drive carefully |
|
if |
you buy that car |
you may get broke |
|
if |
you buy a car |
you can be home earlier |
* May in the main clause denotes that the action will not automatically happen (as when will is used) even if the condition is fulfilled: it expresses a possibility rather than a certainty.
If you go to Thailand you may easily catch a venereal disease.
If you don’t catch an earlier flight you may not arrive in Paris in time for the meeting.
* Can in the main clause means ‘general ability’ -the ability to do something any time you want to, providing the condition is fulfilled.
Today you can easily travel abroad if you have enough money.
When the meaning is particular ability, i.e., the ability to perform a certain action at one particular moment, will be able to is preferred.
If you lend me some money I will be able to travel to England next summer.
b)
|
IF |
PRESENT |
PRESENT |
|
if |
one buys a car |
it costs money |
* if + two present tenses is used to express automatic or habitual results. These sentences are statements of universal truth or general validity, and in this type of sentence, if corresponds closely in meaning to when(ever)
If you heat ice it turns to water.
If there is a shortage of any product prices of that product go up.
C)
|
IMPERATIVE |
AND |
FUTURE |
|
buy a car |
and |
it will cost you a fortune |
* Joining two sentences with and is a common alternative to using if-clauses.
Take my advice and your troubles will be over. (=If you take…)
D)
|
IF |
SHOULD |
FUTURE / IMPERATIVE |
|
if |
he should decide to buy that car |
please, tell me |
|
if |
he should decide to buy that car |
I will be surprised |
*We can suggest that something is unlikely to happen, or is not particularly probable by using should with if. If you should run into Peter Bellamy, tell him he owes me a letter.
2. Type II: hypothetical condition.
It is called so either because the condition is contrary to the facts (like in the first example) or because it is very improbable that it takes place (like in the second example). In general it is used for speculating what would happen if things were different.
If I were the President, I would end unemployment in two weeks (It implies that the speaker is the President)
If I won the lottery I would buy a Ferrari. (It implies that the speaker finds it very improbable that he will ever win the lottery).
A)
|
IF |
PAST |
CONDITIONAL, COULD, MIGHT |
|
if |
you bought a car |
it would cost you a lot of money |
|
if |
you bought a car |
I could advise you |
|
if |
you bought a car |
you might die in an accident |
* Note that could and might can replace would in conditional structures. In this case, could means would be able to, and might means would perhaps or would just possibly.
If I had another £500, I could buy a car.
If you asked me nicely, I might take you out to lunch.
* Were is often used instead of was after if, especially in a formal style, and in the expression If I were you… If my nose were a little shorter I would be quite pretty.
If I were you I’d start packing now.
B)
|
IF |
WERE TO |
CONDITIONAL, COULD, MIGHT |
|
if |
you were to buy a car |
it would cost you a lot of money |
* We can use were to + infinitive in the if-clause. This makes a future possibility sound less probable; it can also be used to make a suggestion more tentative.
What would you do if war were to break out?
If you were to move your chair a bit to the right we could all sit down.
3. Type III: hypothetical and impossible condition (since the condition was not fulfilled in the past, the result of that condition never took place either). This is used for speculating about what would have happened if things had been different.
A)
|
IF |
PAST PERFECT |
PERFECT CONDITIONAL |
|
if |
you had bought a car a year ago |
it would have cost you much less than now. |
B)
|
IF |
PAST PERFECT |
COULD HAVE OR MIGHT HAVE |
|
if if |
they had been stronger they had been stronger |
they could have lifted the box they might have lifted the box |
FURTHER INFORMATION ON CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
1. Inversion the conditional sentence In type I:
|
SHOULD INVERTED |
FUTURE OR IMPERATIVE |
|
Should it prove to be true |
(I shall) sell all my shares |
In type II:
|
WERE TO INVERTED |
CONDITIONAL |
|
Were they to arrive tomorrow |
we would be quite unprepared |
type III:
|
PAST PERFECT INVERTED |
PERFECT CONDITIONAL |
|
Had you bought that car |
you wouldn’t have had all that trouble |
2.-. if so and if not
These are two useful expressions which are used instead of complete clauses.
Have you go a free evening next week? If so, let’s have dinner. (=if you have, let’s…)
You may have some difficulty operating the machine at first. If so do not hesitate to telephone our service department.
Is anybody feeling cold? If not, let’s put the central heating off.
3. if only
If is used with only (usually with a past or past perfect tense) to suggest a strong wish or regret.
If only I had more money, I could buy some new clothes.
If only we can get to the next petrol-station we’ll be all right.
If only you hadn’t told Jackie what I said, everything would have been all right.
4. Other words with conditional meaning
Many words and expressions can be used with a meaning similar to if, (and with similar verb forms). Some of the commonest are provided, providing, supposing, as long as, on condition that.
Supposing you fell in love with your boss, what would you do?
You can borrow my bike provided/providing you bring it back.
I’ll give you the day off on condition that you work on Saturday morning. You are welcome to stay with us, as long as you share the rent.
5.- Unless and if… not
Very often, unless can be used instead of if not.
Come tomorrow if I don’t phone/unless I phone.
He’ll accept the job if the salary’s not too low/unless the salary’s too low.
However, there are some cases where unless is impossible. In general, unless can be used in sentences that say ‘A will happen if it not stopped by B’, but unless cannot be used in sentences that say ‘A will result from B not happening.’ Compare:
I’ll be back tomorrow unless there’s a plane strike. (Or:… if there’s not). Let’s have dinner out – unless you’re too tired. (Or: …if you’re not…)
I’ll be quite glad if she doesn’t come this evening. (unless is impossible.) She’d be pretty if she didn’t wear so much make-up. (unless is impossible.) I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t have an accident.
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