Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional Clauses or If Clauses. They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional Sentences.
Conditional Sentence Type 1
→ It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.
Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future
Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.
Conditional Sentence Type 2
→ It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.
Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)
Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.
Conditional Sentence Type 3
→ It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.
Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)
Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.
Exceptions
Sometimes Conditional Sentences Type I, II and III can also be used with other tenses.
Exercises on Conditional Sentences
Conditional Sentence Type 1
Conditional Sentence Type 2
Conditional Sentence Type 3
Mixed Exercises on Conditional Sentences
- Type I or II • Exercise 2 • Exercise 3
- Type I, II or III • Exercise 2 • Exercise 3
- Fairytale “The Cat and the Mouse”
- Exercise on “New Orleans” text
Exceptions
- Exercise on If Clauses Type I with Auxiliaries
- Exercise on If Clauses Type I • Exercise 2
- Exercise on If Clauses Type II
- Exercise on If Clauses Type III
1. Form
| type | if-clause | main clause |
|---|---|---|
| I | Simple Present | will-future or (Modal + infinitive) |
| II | Simple Past | would + infinitive * |
| III | Past Perfect | would + have + past participle * |
2. Examples (if-clause at the beginning)
| type | if clause | main clause |
|---|---|---|
| I | If I study, | I will pass the exam. |
| II | If I studied, | I would pass the exam. |
| III | If I had studied, | I would have passed the exam. |
3. Examples (if-clause at the end)
| type | main clause | if-clause |
|---|---|---|
| I | I will pass the exam | if I study. |
| II | I would pass the exam | if I studied. |
| III | I would have passed the exam | if I had studied. |
4. Examples (affirmative and negative sentences)
| type | Examples | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| long forms | short/contracted forms | ||
| I | + | If I study, I will pass the exam. | If I study, I'll pass the exam. |
| - | If I study, I will not fail the exam. If I do not study, I will fail the exam. | If I study, I won't fail the exam. If I don't study, I'll fail the exam. | |
| II | + | If I studied, I would pass the exam. | If I studied, I'd pass the exam. |
| - | If I studied, I would not fail the exam. If I did not study, I would fail the exam. | If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam. If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam. | |
| III | + | If I had studied, I would have passed the exam. | If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam. |
| - | If I had studied, I would not have failed the exam. If I had not studied, I would have failed the exam. | If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the exam. If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the exam. | |
* We can substitute could or might for would (should, may or must are sometimes possible, too).
- I would pass the exam.
- I could pass the exam.
- I might pass the exam.
- I may pass the exam.
- I should pass the exam.
- I must pass the exam.
No comments:
Post a Comment