Grammar

C1
conditionals

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2019 1
 What are the conditional structures?

There are many different types. Let’s look at:

1. Basic conditional forms.
2. Mixed conditionals.
3. Alternative forms.

Basic conditional
forms...

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 Function: basic conditional forms
There are four basic conditional forms. Match the uses to the examples.

If you do exercise daily, your body becomes stronger.

If you get here late, I’ll be in the garden setting up the chairs for the party.

If everyone in the company spoke more than one language, we would get more business.

If someone hadn’t handed in Jonny’s wallet, he would have lost everything.

For a
hypothetical
general
consequence
truths
situations
or
ofconsequences.
a possible
in thefuture
present.
past. action.
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 Function: basic conditional forms
Zero conditional: For general truths or consequences.

If you do exercise daily, your body becomes stronger. There is a

possibility of this
happening.
First conditional: For a sequence of a possible future action.

If you get here late, I’ll be in the garden setting up the chairs for the party.
hypothetical result
This would be
Second conditional: For hypothetical situations in the present. beneficial NOW.

If everyone in the company spoke more than one language, we would get more business.
This can’t change
Third conditional: For hypothetical situations in the past. because the time
has already
If someone hadn’t handed in Jonny’s wallet, he would have lost everything. passed.

If can also be replaced by words/phrases

like unless, until, before, after, as soon as, A conditional sentence is
when, in case to create other future time made up of two clauses:
the if hypothetical and the How do I make
clauses. The structure remains the same.
More on the form later... result of that. Look. these structures?
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 Form: basic conditional forms
Look at the examples again and complete the forms.

conditional example form

zero If you do exercise daily, your body becomes If + present, ?
stronger.

first If you get here late, I’ll be in the garden. If + ? , future form/modal
verb/imperative

second If everyone spoke a different language, we’d If + past simple/cont., would/could/might

get more business. + ?

third If someone hadn’t handed in Jonny’s wallet, If + ? , would have + ?

he would have lost everything.

bare infinitive present past perfect present past participle

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 Function/Form: basic conditional
conditional use/example/form
zero For general truths or consequences.
If you do exercise daily, your body becomes stronger.
If + present, + present
first For a consequence of a possible future action.
If you get here late, I’ll be in the garden.
If + present, + future form/modal verb/imperative
second For hypothetical situations in the present.
If everyone spoke a different language, we’d get more business.
If + past simple/cont., + would/could/might + bare infinitive
third For hypothetical situations in the past.
If someone hadn’t handed in Jonny’s wallet, he’d have lost everything.
If + past perfect, + would have + past participle
The clauses can change
order, but we lose the
We often use the contracted
comma. Look at this
forms, especially when
example… Mixed
speaking.
I’ll be in the garden if you conditionals...
get here late.
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 Function: mixed conditionals
Look at these examples and answer the questions.

If Kim hadn’t eaten the oysters, she wouldn’t be sick now!

If Gaia
Annehadn’t
had a broken
car, sheher
would
leg, have
she’dpicked
be coming
us up.
away with
Yes.
us next week.

Is this the result of what

happened in the past?

Did Gaia break her leg?

Is there a possibility that Kim
could
Doesnot
Anneeathave
the oysters
a car now?
or is Was
Did
Is she
she
shegoing
pick
sick them
away
in theup
next
past
in
it hypothetical? or is the
she
week?
past?
sick now?
No.

Yes. So is this hypothetical?

Hypothetical.
Why not?
She
No. already Now.
No.
She
ate them!
doesn’t
Yes.
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 Function/Form: mixed conditionals
third and second: to speculate about the possible result in the present of a hypothetical situation in
the past.
This is a
If Kim hadn’t eaten the oysters, she wouldn’t be sick now! This is a possible hypothetical
third second result now… situation about
the past…

second and third: to speculate about the past result of a hypothetical situation in the present.

This is a This is
If Anne had a car, she would have picked us up. hypothetical speculation
second third situation about about the result
the present… in the past…

third and second: to speculate the future result of a hypothetical situation in the past.

This is a This is a
If Gaia hadn’t broken her leg, she’d be coming away with us next week. speculation hypothetical
third second about the result situation about
in the future… the past…

Look at the basic conditionals to remember the structures. E.g. If + past perfect (3 rd)… Alternative form…
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 Function/Form: alternative forms
We can use alternative conditional forms to make something sound more formal or less likely.
Look at the examples and answer the questions.
A: If you enquire at the desk, they will be able to help you. The sentences have the same
B: Should you enquire at the desk, they will be able to help you. meaning, but which sounds
more formal?
A: If she opened the bank account here, would she get the loan?
B: If she were to open the bank account here, would she get the loan?
C: Were she to open the bank account here, would she get the loan?
A: If Larry had applied earlier, he would have got the job. B
What word does should
B: Had Larry applied earlier, he would have got the job.
replace in example B?

In example B, if is omitted, The subject and

then what happens to the auxiliary had If
word order? are inverted.

Which sentence sounds the

Does the use of were to + most formal?
Which example sounds more
infinitive make the sentence
formal?
sound more or less likely?
C

B less
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 Function/Form: alternative forms
Should with the first conditional: more formal/polite first conditional

If you enquire at the desk, they will be able to help you. Should + subject + infinitive, future simple
Should
Were to + infinitive with second conditional: makes it sound less likely/possible. second
conditional
If she opened the bank account here, would she get the loan? If + subject + were to + infinitive, would + inf.
were to open
We can make this more formal by using inversion.
Were she to open the bank account here, would she get a loan? Were + subject + to + infinitive, would + inf.

Inversion in the third conditional: more formal and less likely/possible. third conditional

If Larry had applied earlier, he would have got the job.

Had Larry applied Had + subject + past participle, would have + past participle

Let’s practise...
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 Practice activities
Rewrite these sentences using the words in capitals as conditionals. Say which
conditional you are using.

1. Charlie stole the car. He’s now in prison. STOLEN

If Charlie hadn’t stolen the car, he wouldn’t be in prison now.

2. There is a job. To get the job, speak to the manager tomorrow.

SHOULD
Frankie is looking for a new job.
Should Frankie want the job, she will need to speak to the manager tomorrow.

3. I regret arguing with my brother because now he won’t take me to the concert WOULD
this evening.
If I hadn’t argued with my brother, he would take me/be taking me to the concert this evening.
4. It might be difficult, but I could talk to the boss. Will he give me the time off?
WERE
Were I/if I were to talk to the boss, would he give me the time off?

5. We didn’t visit the museum because neither of us like modern art.

LIKED
If we liked modern art, we would have visited the museum.

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