IF - ClAUSES...

CONDITIONALS

(IF CLAUSES)

A- REAL CONDITION

If you buy this car, it will cost you a lot of money.

If they don’t invite me to their party, I shall never speak to them.

If the ground is dry, don’t forget to water these flowers.

If he is bothering you I will call the police.

If I have made a mistake, I will try to correct it.

If you must comb your hair, please do it outside.

When do we use Real Condition:

If we heat ice, it melts.

If you hit me, it hurts.

If I make a promise, I keep it.

If you are happy, you make others happy.

If it is rainy, he usually goes to school by bus.

If you don’t like your job, why don’t you change it.

UNREAL CONDITIONS

PRESENT:

I don’t have enough money now, so I can’t lend you any.

If I had enough money I would lend you some.

I will work tomorrow, so I can’t come with you tomorrow.

If I didn’t work tomorrow I would come with you tomorrow.

Tenses with main clause

I think the baby is hungry, because she is creying.

If the baby weren’t hungry she wouldn’t be crying.

I am not rich, so I can’t travel around the world.

If I were rich I would travel arand the world.

Tenses / Modals If Clause

They will be out of town next week, so we can’t visit them.If they weren’t out of town next week we would v isit them.

WERE TO Tenses / Modals If Clause

They will be out of town next week, so we can’t visit them.

If they weren’t out of town next week we would visit them.

/ WAS TO

What would you do if a war were to break out?

If I were to ask, would you help me?

Were you to cheat in the exam you should never pass.

If it weren’t for your help, I would still be homeless.

Were it not for your help, I would still be homeless

  If I should see him tomorrow, I would give him your messoge.

SHOULD

Probably you won’t see him tomorrow. But if you should see him can you give him a massage.

I don’t think it will rain tomorrow. But if it should rain we will have to cancel the picnic.

Compare:

If you should decide to buy a car, tell me.

If you decide to buy a car, tell me.

Should you change your mind, there will be still a place for you.

PAST

PAST

She didn’t warn the child about the boiling kettle, so he burnt himself.

If she had warned the child about the boiling kettle he wouldn’t have burnt himself.

She was late for the work, because she didn’t hear the alarm clock ring.

She wouldn’t have been late for work if she had heard the alarm clock ring.

Tenses / Modals in Main Clause:

She started work late, so she was still working at night.

If she hadn’t started work late she wouldn’t have been working at night.

I run to the bus stop, so I was able to catch th e bus.

If I hadn’t run to the bus stop I wouldn’t have been able to catch the bus.

Tenses / Modals in If Clause He wasn’t wearing his belt at the time of the accident, so he got badly injured.

If he had been wearing his belt at the time of the accident he wouldn’t have been injured.

Had you bought that car, you’d not have had all that trouble.

If it hadn’t been for you, I would have burnt the fish.

MIXED TYPE

I spent all my money foolishly, and I’m broke now.

If I hadn’t spent all my money foolishly I wouldn’t be broke now.

He is a rude man, because he rebuked his wife in front of others.

If he weren’t a rude man he wouldn’t have rebuked his wife in front of others.

The boy didn’t listen to his parents last year, so he is in trouble now.

If the boy had listened his parents last year he wouldn’t be in troulde now.

He didn’t go to the doctor and he isn’t alive now.

Had he gone to the doctor he might be alive today.

Exercises If clause

I've hung out the clothes. It's lovely and sunny; if it ............................(stay) like this they .....................................(be) dry in two hours.

I've hung out the clothes. It's lovely and sunny; if it stays .. like this they .. will be . .. dry in two hours.

French is essential in this job. All the telephonists speak it. If they .... .... (not know) French they ... (not understand) half the callers.

French is essential in this job. All the telephonists speak it. If they did not know French they would not understand half the callers.

How did you do in the car rally? ~ We came in last actually; but only because we got lost. If we ... (not got) lost we ... ... (come) in somewhere in the middle. We certainly ... (not be) last.

How did you do in the car rally? ~ We came in last actually; but only because we got lost. If we had not got lost we would have come in somewhere in the middle. We certainly would not have been last.

A group of spectators, including myself, left the stand just before the end of the game.

When we were half way down the stairs a goal was scored and there was a great cheer from the spectators. If there ............................. (not be) a goal the cr6

A group of spectators, including myself, left the stand just before the end of the game.

When we were half way down the stairs a goal was scored and there was a great cheer from the spectators. If there had not been a goal the crowd would not have cheer ed .

If the crowd ... (not cheer) we ... (not run) back up the stairs to see what had happened.

If the crowd had not cheer ed we would have not run back up the stairs to see what had happened.

If the pain ... (return) you'd better take another pill.

If the pain return s you'd better take another pill.

If you aren't going to live in the house why you ... (not sell) it? If I ... (have) a house I couldn't use I ... (sell) it at once.

If you aren't going to live in the house why do not you sell it? If I ha d a house I couldn't use I would sell it at once.

T ell him to bring his bicycle inside. If he .... (leave) it outside someone ... (steal) it.

Tell him to bring his bicycle inside. If he leave s it outside someone will steal it.

Why do people always wear dark clothes at night? If pedestrians ... (wear) light coloured clothes drivers ... (see) them much more easily.

Why do people always wear dark clothes at night? If pedestrians w ore light coloured clothes drivers would see them much more easily.

She must have loved him very much because she waited for him for fifteen years. If she ... (not love) him she ... (not wait) so long.

She must have loved him very much because she waited for him for fifteen years. If she had not love d him she would not have wait ed so long.

He looked so small and weak that nobody asked him to do anything. If he ... (look) strong he ... (be) expected to dig all day like everyone else.

He looked so small and weak that nobody asked him to do anything. If he had look ed strong he would have been expected to dig all day like everyone else.

The government are talking of pulling the village down to make room for an airport. ~ If they ... (start) doing it the village people ... (resist)?

The government are talking of pulling the village down to make room for an airport. ~ If they start doing it , will the village people resist ?

If you are catching an early train tomorrow you .................................... (like) to have breakfast at 7.00?

If you are catching an early train tomorrow would you like to have breakfast at 7.00?

When he left school he became a fisherman. His family didn't like it at all. They ... (be) much happier if he ... (become) a greengrocer like his father.

When he left school he became a fisherman. His family didn't like it at all. They would have be en much happier if he had become a greengrocer like his father.

They still say that if he ... (go) into the greengrocery business when he left school he ... (be) comfortably off now instead of being poor.

They still say that if he had go ne into the greengrocery business when he left school he would be comfortably off now instead of being poor .

But he says that if he ... (have) his life again he ... (make) the same choice.

But he says that if he ha d his life again he would make the same choice.

So many parcels and no baskets! If I ... (know) that we were going to buy so much I ... (bring) a basket.

So many parcels and no baskets! If I had know n that we were going to buy so much I would have br ou g ht a basket.

I can hear the speaker all right but I wish I could see him too.

~ If he ... (stand) on a barrel we all ... (see) him and that ... (be) much better.

I can hear the speaker all right but I wish I could see him too. ~ If he st ood on a barrel we all would all see him and that would be much better.

Look at poor Tom trying to start his car by hand again! If I ... (be) Tom I ... (get) a new battery.

Look at poor Tom trying to start his car by hand again! If I were Tom I would get a new battery.

I expect you'll see Jack at the lecture tonight. If you ... (do) you please ... (remind) him about tomorrow's meeting?

I expect you'll see Jack at the lecture tonight. If you do you please remind him about tomorrow's meeting? Or (would you please remind)

The headmaster decided that Peter was the culprit and expelled him from the school.

A more intelligent man ... (realize) that Peter couldn't have been guilty. (If the headmaster had been more intelligent he... .)

The headmaster decided that Peter was the culprit and expelled him from the school.

A more intelligent man would have realize d that Peter couldn't have been guilty. (If the headmaster had been more intelligent he... .)

But I blame the real culprit even more. If he … (admit) his guilt Peter .... (not be) expelled.

But I blame the real culprit even more. If he had admit ed his guilt Peter would not have been exp elled.

The only thing I haven't got is a balcony. If I (have) a balcony I .... (grow) plants in pots. Then my flat ... (be) perfect!

The only thing I haven't got is a balcony. If I ha d a balcony I would grow plants in pots. Then my flat would be perfect!

Jack rang while you were out. ~ Oh dear! If I ... (know) he was going to ring I ... (stay) at home.

Jack rang while you were out. ~ Oh dear! If I had know n he was going to ring I would have stay ed at home.

My unmarried friends are always telling me how to bring up my children. I sometimes think that if they ... (have) children they (make) ... just as many mistakes as I do.

My unmarried friends are always telling me how to bring up my children. I sometimes think that if they ha d children they would make just as many mistakes as I do.