CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

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.

TYPE 1 CONDITIONAL 

1. FORM :

In a first conditional sentence, the tense in the if clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future.

 Conditional = if + present + future

'IF' CLAUSE (CONDITION)             'MAIN' CLAUSE (RESULT)

if + simple present                         simple future

If it rains,                                                     you will get wet.

If you don't hurry,                                        you will miss the train.

If I find her address,                                   I will send her an invitation. 

If I have the money,                                      I will buy this car.

If it's sunny,                                                 we'll go to the park.

If you cook dinner,                                       I'll wash the dishes.

If you drop that glass,                                  it will break.

If I have time,                                               I'll finish that letter. 

Please Note : The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

Example : I will send her an invitation if I find her address.  (please note that "no" comma is used in this sentence.)

Some more examples : Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.

                                 What will you do if you miss the plane. 

Please also note : Main clause and/or if clause might be negative.

Example : If I don't see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.

Among other variations the structure (if + present + present) is also possible. It is used when the results are habitual or automatic.

Example : If a commodity is short, supply prices tend to rise.

FUNCTION :

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. They refer to a possible condition and its probable result. They are based on facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about particular situations. We often use such sentences to give warnings :

If you don't leave, I'll call the police.

If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!

Note : We can use modals to express the degree of certainty of the result :

If you drop that glass, it might break. (note the usage of modal "might" in the sentence)

I may finish that letter if I have time. (note the usage of modal "may in the sentence)

TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL 

1. Form

In a Type 2 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + simple pastIf it rained If you went to bed earlier	Present conditionalyou would get wet you wouldn't be so tired.

Present conditional, form

The present conditional of any verb is composed of two parts - the modal auxiliary would + the infinitive of the main verb (without 'to'.)

Subject	would	infinitive without to
She	would	learn

 

Affirmative
I	would	go
Negative
I	wouldn't	ask
Interrogative
Would	she	come?
Interrogative negative
Wouldn't	they	accept?

 

Would: Contractions of would

In spoken English, would is contracted to 'd.

I'd	We'd
you'd	you'd
he'd, she'd	they'd

The negative contraction = wouldn't.

Example: to accept, Present conditional

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I would accept	I wouldn't accept	Would I accept?
You would accept	You wouldn't accept	Would you accept?
He would accept	She wouldn't accept	Would he accept?
We would accept	We wouldn't accept	Would we accept?
You would accept	You wouldn't accept	Would you accept?
They would accept	They wouldn't accept	Would they accept?

2. Function

In these sentences, the time is now or any time, and the situation is unreal. They are not based on fact, and they refer to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result. The use of the past tense after 'if'indicates unreality. We can nearly always add a phrase starting with "but", that expresses the real situation:

• If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park (...but it is bad, so we can't go) 
• If I was the Queen of England, I would give everyone £100. (...but I'm not, so I won't) 

Examples of use:

1. To make a statement about something that is not real at present, but is possible:

I would visit her if I had time. (= I haven't got time but I might have some time)

2. To make a statement about a situation that is not real now and never could be real:

If I were you, I'd give up smoking (but I could never be you) 

Examples:

a. If I was a plant, I would love the rain.
b. If you really loved me, you would buy me a diamond ring.
c. If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her.
d. You wouldn't need to read this if you understood English grammar.
e. Would he go to the concert if I gave him a ticket?
f. They wouldn't invite her if they didn't like her
g. We would be able to buy a larger house if we had more money

NOTE: It is correct, and very common, to say "If I were" instead of "If I was".

TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL 

1. Form

In a Type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + past perfectIf it had rained If you had worked harder	Perfect conditionalyou would have got wet you would have passed the exam.

Perfect conditional - form

The perfect conditional of any verb is composed of two elements: would + the perfect infinitive of the main verb (=have + past participle):

Subject	would	perfect infinitive
He They	would would	have gone... have stayed...
Affirmative
I	would	have believed ...
Negative
She	wouldn't	have given...
Interrogative
Would	you	have left...?
Interrogative negative
Wouldn't	he	have been...?

Example: to go, Past conditional

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I would have gone	I wouldn't have gone	Would I have gone?
You would have gone	You wouldn't have gone	Would you have gone?
He would have gone	She wouldn't have gone	Would it have gone?
We would have gone	We wouldn't have gone	Would we have gone?
You would have gone	You wouldn't have gone	Would you have gone?
They would have gone	They wouldn't have gone	Would they have gone?

In these sentences, the time is past, and the situation is contrary to reality. The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed.

Type 3 conditional sentences, are truly hypothetical or unreal, because it is now too late for the condition or its result to exist. There is always an unspoken "but..." phrase:

• If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam
  (but I didn't work hard, and I didn't pass the exam).
• If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake
  (but I didn't know, and I haven't baked a cake).

NOTE: Both would and had can be contracted to 'd, which can be confusing. Remember that you NEVER use would in the IF-clause, so in the example above, "If I'd known" must be "If I had known", and "I'd have baked" must be "I would have baked.."

Examples:

a. If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have visited you.
b. I would have bought you a present if I'd known it was your birthday.
c. If they'd had a better goalkeeper they wouldn't have lost the game.
d. If you had told me you were on the Internet, I'd have sent you an e-mail.
e. Would you have bought an elephant if you'd known how much they eat?

Question:

1. If I work at Ministry of Foreign Affairs,……….

A. I will get a chance for continuing my study in foreign country.
B. I would get a chance for continuing my study in foreign country.
C. I would have got a chance for continuing my study in foreign country.
D. I get a chance for continuing my study in foreign country.

Jawaban: A

Pola kalimat di atas adalah pola kalimat pengandaian tipe 1.

2. My father would permit me to ride the motorcycle……..

A. If I have a driving licence
B. If I had a driving licence.
C. If I had had a driving licence.
D. If I would have a driving licence.

Jawaban: B

Pola kalimat di atas adalah kalimat pengandaian tipe 2.

3. If I had come to her wedding party, I would not have regretted What is the fact of the previous conditional sentence?

A. I didn’t come to her wedding party. Therefore, I regretted.
B. I don’t come to her wedding party. Therefore, I regret.
C. I have not come to her wedding party. Therefore, I regretted.
D. I had not come to her wedding party. Therefore, I regret.

Jawaban: A

Pola kalimat di atas adalah kalimat pengandaian tipe 3. Fakta yang diungkapkan dalam kalimat pengandaian tipe 3 adalah bahwa apa yang diandaikan tidak pernah terjadi di masa yang lalu.

4. Mr. Bayu would give me an interesting bonus if 1 won the tender. What is the fact of the previous conditional sentence?

A. I won the tender.
B. I don’t win the tender.
C. I didn’t win the tender.
D. I win the tender.

Jawaban: B

Pola kalimat di atas adalah kalimat pengandaian tipe 2. Fakta yang dari kalimat peng­andaian tipe 2 adalah pada saat kalimat tersebut diujarkan apa yang diandaikan tidak terjadi.

5. If I had practiced harder several months ago……………..

A. I will be the winner of this dance competition.
B. 1 would be the winner of this dance competition.
C. I would have been the winner of this dance competition.
D. I am the winner of this dance competition.

Jawaban: B

Pola kalimat pengandaian di atas menunjukkan dua waktu yangberbeda di mana anak kalimat menunjukkan sesuatu yang terjadi di masa lampau, sedangkan induk kalimatnya terjadi di masa sekarang (present).