CONDITIONAL SENTENCE

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES in English

Module by: Nguyen Huu Hieu

Summary: Conditional sentences are characterized by an adverbial clause of condition usually beginning with “if” as a conjunctive adverb.
Examples:
o If he runs, he’ll get there in time.
o If he left his bicycle outside, someone would steal it.

Conditional sentences may be divided into 2 types:
- Open (or probable, or likely) conditionals;
- Hypothetical (or improbable, or unreal) conditionals






OPEN CONDITIONALS


Open conditionals express conditions that may happen in reality in the past, in the present or in the future.


Example:



* If it rains this afternoon, I don’t think I can come and see him.
* If you met him yesterday, why didn’t you ask him to come and see me?
* If he comes late, he will miss the 5 o’clock train home.



As a matter of principle, except the future tenses, any tense may appear in the if-clause of a conditional sentence of this kind.
Example:
* If I was rude to you yesterday, please apologize to me for that.
* If he beat you yesterday, I’ll meet him tomorrow and teach him a good lesson.
* If you have finished your lesson, you may go out.
* If you are trying to learn by heart your lesson, I won’t disturb you at all.
* If you don’t come and see her tomorrow, she’ll get angry with you.



(but we cannot say “If you will not come and see her tomorrow, she’ll get angry.”)


Notes:



1. It can be said that the problem with this kind of condition is almost nothing but that of using a suitable tense (except the future tenses in the if-clause) in each clause according to the time relation of the action.
2. If the condition reflects an automatic result or a natural phenomenon then the simple present can be used in both the if-clause and the main clause.



Example:



* Water evaporates if we heat it.
* Oil floats if we pour it on water.
* If you press the eject button, the cover opens.




1. A doubtful view of the open conditionals emphasized by the use of “should” (ngoä nhôõ neáu; neáu lôõ maø; neáu may ra; . . .); the inverted forms are the more literary.



Example:



* If I should die, please take this keepsake to my mother. (neáu lôõ mà / ngoä nhôõ neáu…)
* If he should win the lottery first prize, he will buy a new car. (neáu may ra…) Or: Should he win the lottery first prize, he will buy a new car. (Inversion)
* In polite forms where the consent of willingness of another person is sought, “will” and “would” are found in the If-clause. This helps the speaker prove to be more polite or humble.



Example:



* If you will wait a moment, I’ll go fetch him for you.
* I should be very grateful if you would do that for me
* “If you would + Infinitive” is often used alone when a polite request is the one which would normally be made in a circumstance where the speaker assumes that the other person will comply as a matter or course.



Example: If you’d fill up this form, . . .


(in a hotel) If you would just sign the register, . . .


(in a shop) If you’d put your address on the back of the cheque, . .



1. “If + will/would” used with all persons to indicate willingness:



Example:



* If he’ll listen to me, I’ll be able to help him. (= If he is willing to listen, …)
* If Tom would tell me what he wants for his dinner, I’d cook it for him. (The speaker implies that Tom is unwilling to tell her)



“won’t” used in this way means “refuse”


Example: If he won’t listen to me, I cannot help him.


(If he is not willing to listen …/ If he refuses to listen…)



1. “Will” in the If-clause: expressing obstinate insistence



Example:


If you will play the drums all night, no wonder the neighbors complain. (= If you insist on playing…)



1. “Would like/care” in the If-clause: Equivalent to “If somebody wishes/wants” and is more polite.



Example:



* If you would care to see the photographs, I’ll bring them round.
* If you’d like to come, I’ll get a ticket for you.



(If you feel like it, I’ll get a ticket for you.)


HYPOTHETICAL CONDITIONALS.

* A hypothetical condition can be made about facts in the past, or in the present, or in the future.
* A sentence of this kind consists of two parts:

* The If-clause expressing the conditional hypothesis.
* The main clause expressing the respective result.

* When the hypothesis is made about the past, then the If-clause (conditional clause) should be in the perfect subjunctive (like the past perfect, but it is not the past perfect).

If-clause: Had + past participle
Example:

* You did not visit her yesterday.  If you had visited her yesterday, …
* We didn’t learn this lesson last week.  If we had learnt this lesson last week,…

The corresponding result of this hypothesis will be either in the past, or in the present, or in the future.
If it’s a past hypothetical result, the main clause should be in the perfect conditional.
Would / Should / Could / Might / Ought to + have + past participle
If it’s a present or future hypothetical result, the main clause should be in the present conditional.
Would / Should / Could / Might / Ought to + simple bare infinitive
Example:
(You didn’t visit her yesterday, so she’s got very angry and now refuses to meet you.)
If you had visited her yesterday, she would not have got angry and now would not refuse to meet you.

* Similarly, when the hypothesis is made about the present or future, in principle, we have:

* If-clause: Past subjunctive (conjugated in the same way as the simple past , but with “be” as “were” for all persons.)
* Main clause: Present conditional

Would / Should / Could / Might + simple bare infinitive
This form of hypothesis is usually used to express dreams or wishes that can hardly be true in the present or in the future or something unlucky that the speaker doesn’t want to happen.
Example:

* If I were President, I would try to make this country more and more prosperous.
* If a burglar came into my house at night, I’d scream and cry for help. (but I don’t expect a burglar to come in).

* In brief, we have:

Hypothesis about the present or future:
If clause:Past subjunctive (like the simple past, with “be” being “were” for all persons)
Main clause: Present conditional(Would/could…+ bare inf.)
Hypothesis about the past:
If clause: Perfect subjunctive (similar to the past perfect)
Main clause: Present conditional
(respective result supposedly occurring in the present or future)
Perfect conditional (would have + past participle)
(respective result supposedly occurring in the past)
Example:

* I am not a millionaire, and I can’t afford to travel around the world. So if I were a millionaire, I could afford to travel around the world.
* I don’t know who she is, so I won’t give her the documents. If I knew who she is, I would give her the documents.
* Yesterday I didn’t learn my lesson carefully, and I couldn’t answer my teacher’s questions later. So if I had learnt my lesson carefully then, I could have answered my teacher’s questions later.
* I am back too late today to submit the report because of my business trip abroad, and therefore, I will have to meet the director tomorrow to explain everything. If I had not gone abroad, I would submit the report on time today and I wouldn’t have to meet the director tomorrow.

Notes:

* If the past hypothesis still applies at the speaking moment, the Past Subjunctive is used in place of the Perfect Subjunctive, e.g. “If I knew Russian, I would have passed the job interview this morning.” (In fact, I don’t know Russian, and I failed in the job interview this morning.)
* Greater improbability in the present hypothetical conditional is achieved by using “were + to-infinitive” in the If-clause and “should”, “would”, “could” or “might” in the main clause.

Ex: If I were to come tomorrow, I might have time to see you.
(There will be very little possibility that I can come tomorrow.)
If he were to return at 7 o’clock, he could take me out.
(But really I don’t think he can return then.)
This should not be confused with the other use of “is/was + to-infinitive” which is equivalent to “must”, expressing obligation.
Ex: If he was to return at 7 o’clock, why didn’t he?
(He was obliged to return at 7 o’clock.)

* The continuous form may also be seen in hypothetical conditionals.

Ex:

* Peter is on holiday and is touring Italy. But I am not. If I were on holiday, I would/might be touring Italy, too.
* We are going by air and I am feeling sick. If we were going by boat, I wouldn’t be feeling so sick
* My car isn’t working. If my car were working, I could/would be driving you to the station now.
* 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 son had not been sitting there, I would have been sitting in front.
* I was wearing a seat belt then, so I was almost unhurt. If I hadn’t been wearing one, I’d have been seriously injured



INVERSION OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

* Usually, if the speaker wants to emphasize the condition, he will say the If-clause first, follow by a comma ( , )

Example: If you want to discuss the problem, you can come and see me anytime in the morning.

* But if more emphasis is needed to lay on the condition, inversion will happen in the If-clause whether it goes before or after the main one. This especially happens in hypothetical conditionals and is performed by the omission of If and the inversion of subject and verb; an auxiliary is needed in case of an ordinary verb.

Ex: If I should die, please give this keepsake to my mother.
 Should I die, please give this keepsake to my mother.
Were I a millionaire, I would travel around the world
Or: I would travel around the world were I a millionaire
Had I known you were studying, I would not have made so much noise
Or: I would not have made so much noise had I known you were studying.


OTHER CONDITIONAL CONNECTORS THAN “IF”
Unless = If not
Ex:Unless he gets hurried, he will miss the bus.
("If he doesn’t get hurried, he will miss the bus.” Or: “He should get hurried; otherwise, he will miss the bus.”)
He won’t get any information unless he gets hurried.
Note the difference between:
(a) Don’t call me if you need help.
and (b) Don’t call me unless you need help.
In (a), he won’t help her even if she needs help.
In (b), he will help her if she needs help, but he doesn’t want not-urgent calls.
“Provided that” or “Providing that” : Expressing a strong idea of limitation or restriction. It is chiefly used with permission. (In Vietnamese, it means “miễn là”).
Ex: You can stay here provided that you don’t make any noise.
As long as: (In Vietnamese, it means “hễ mà, chừng nào mà)
Ex: I’ll continue to help you learn English as long as a mistake may appear in your speaking it.
But for: If it were not for/If it hadn’t been for.
Ex: My mother pays my fees. But for that, I wouldn’t be here now. (= If it were not for my mother’s pay, . . . )
You came and helped me in time. But for your help, I couldn’t have finished it then.
(= If it had not been for your help, . . .)
Suppose/ supposing…? (= what if…?/ Given that . . .) expressing a supposition
Ex: Suppose the plan is late?
(What if/what will happen if the plan is late?)
Suppose no one had been there?
Or: Supposing it were autumn at the moment (in fact, it’s summer), what would you be doing?
(= Given that it were autumn at the moment, . . .)
In case of + noun phrase: if there is a / an + noun phrase (= In case + Clause)
Ex: In case of accident, phone 999.
(If there is an accident phone 999.)
Otherwise: If this doesn’t happen / didn’t happen / hadn’t happened
Ex: We must be back before midnight; otherwise, we’ll be locked out.
(If we are not back by midnight, we’ll be locked out.)
Her father pays her fees; otherwise, she wouldn’t be here now.
(If her father didn’t pay her fees, she wouldn’t be here now.)
I used my father’s calculator; otherwise, it would have taken me much more time.
(If I hadn’t used my father’s calculator, it would have taken me much more time.)
Don’t be late again. Otherwise, you’ll lose your job.
(= If you are late again, you’ll lose your job.)
In colloquial English “or (+ else)” can often replace “otherwise”
Ex:We must be early, or (else) we won’t get a seat.
EXERCISE ON CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
Supply the correct form of the verb in parentheses for each of the following sentences. Review the formulas if you have any difficulty.

1. Henry talks to his dog as if it . . . . . . . . . . . . . (understand) him.
2. If they had left the house earlier, they . . . . . . . . . . . . . (not be) so late getting to the airport that they could not check their luggage.
3. If I finish the dress before Saturday, I . . . . . . . . . . . . . (give) it to my sister for her birthday.
4. If I had seen the movie, I . . . . . . . . . . . . . (tell) you about it last night.
5. Had Bob not interfered in his sister’s marital problems, there . . . . . . . . (be) peace between them.
6. He would give you the money if he . . . . . . . . . . . . . (have)it.
7. I wish you. . . . . . . . . . . . . (stop) making so much noise so that I could concentrate.
8. She would call you immediately if she . . . . . . . . . . . . . (need) help.
9. They . . . . . . . . . . . . . (find) a better selection had they arrived at the sale early.
10. We hope that you . . . . . . . . . . . . . (enjoy) the party last night.
11. If you have enough time, please . . . . . . . . . . . . . (paint) the chair before you leave.
12. We could go for a drive if today . . . . . . . . . . . . . (be) Saturday.
13. If she wins the prize, it will be because she . . . . . . . . . . . . . (write) very well.
14. Mike wished that the editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . (permit) him to copy some of their materials then.
15. Joel wished that he . . . . . . . . . . . . . (spend) his vacation on the Gulf Coast next year.
16. I . . . . . . . . . . . . . (accept) if they invite me to the party.
17. If your mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . (buy) that car for you, will you be happy?
18. If he . . . . . . . . . . . . . (decide) earlier, he could have left on the afternoon flight.
19. Had we known your address, we . . . . . . . . . . . . . (write) you a letter.
20. If the roofer doesn’t come soon, the rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . (leak) inside.
21. Because Rose did so poorly on the exam, she wishes that she . . . . . . . . (study) harder last night.
22. My dog always wakes me up if he . . . . . . . . . . . . . (hear) strange noises.
23. If you . . . . . . . . . . . . . (see) Mary today, please ask her to call me.
24. If he . . . . . . . . . . . . . (get) the raise, it will be because he does a good job.
25. The teacher will not accept our work if we . . . . . . . . . . . . . (turn) it in late.
26. Mrs. Wood always talks to her tenth-grade students as though they . . . . . . . . . . . . . (be) adults.
27. If he had left already, he . . . . . . . . . . . . . (call) us.
28. If they had known him, they . . . . . . . . . . . . . (talk) to him.
29. He would understand it if you . . . . . . . . . . . . . (explain) it to him more slowly.
30. I could have understood the French teacher well if she . . . . . . . . . . . . . (speak) more slowly then. As a result, I . . . . . . . . . . . . . (not have) to ask you about it now.