CONDITIONALS AND WISHES

There are several structures in English that are called conditionals."Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens.

If y = 10 then 2y = 20 If y = 3 then 2y = 6

ZERO CONDITIONAL: CERTAINTYIt is used to show what always happens in a given situation, to express the laws of nature or a general truth:

If you heat ice, it melts.Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the

condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the present simple tense to talk about the condition. We also use the present simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result.

This use is similar to, and can usually be replaced by, a time clause using 'when' (When I am late, my father takes me to school.)

If I am late, my father takes me to school.She doesn't worry if Jack stays out after school.

Conditional 0 is formed by the use of the present simple in the if- clause followed by the present simple in the result clause. The two clauses are separated by a comma. We can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.

If he comes to town, we have dinner. We have dinner if he comes to town. In this kind of conditional, if can be replaced by when.

When you put salt on ice, it melts.

FIRST CONDITIONAL: REAL POSSIBILITYType 1 conditionals are used to express a real or very probable situation in the present or

future. The tense used in the result clause is future simple.It is formed by the use of the present simple in the if-clause to refer to a probable or possible

present or future result:If we hurry, we will get there in time. (It is quite possible that we will get there in time.)

To indicate a present action or future arrangement we use present continuous in if-clause:If you are looking for Mary, you will find her downstairs.

To indicate the completion of an action we use present perfect in if-clause:If he has lost his keys, he will be angry.

To express permission, possibility, command, advice we use, in the result clause, can/may/might/must/should + bare infinitive.

If he is in trouble, you must help him.In Type 1 conditionals we often use unless which means 'if ... not'. In other words, '...unless

he hurries up.' could also be written, '...if he doesn't hurry up.’

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If it rains, we will stay at home. – Unless it doesn’t rain, we will stay at home.He will arrive late if he doesn’t hurry up. – He will arrive late unless he hurries up.Peter will buy a new car if he gets his raise. – Peter won’t buy a new car unless he gets his raise.

SECOND CONDITIONAL: UNREAL POSSIBILITY OR DREAMThe Second Conditional can be used to talk about imaginary present situations, where we

are imagining something different from what is really the case. We can also use it to talk about things in the future that are unlikely to happen, as the condition is unlikely to be met. We use the past tense in the condition part and would for the result.

IF Condition Time Result Possibility

  past simple present WOULD + base verb impossible

If I had the time,   I would learn Italian. I don't have the time, so I'm not going to learn

Italian.

  past simple future WOULD + base verb unlikely

If I won the lottery   I would travel around

the world.There's a very small chance of winning the lottery, so the trip is unlikely

We can use other modal verbs in the past tense in the result part of the sentence:

IF Condition Result Certainty

  past simple WOULD + base verb  

If I had the time, I would learn Italian. Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is sure that they

would do it given the opportunity.

If I had more time,

I might learn Spanish.

Although unlikely to happen, it is only a possibility anyway. (uncertainty)

If I had more time,

I should learn some more about IT.

Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is saying that it would be a good idea, but is not committed to it.

If I had more time I could learn Hindi. Although unlikely to happen, it is only a possibility

anyway. (ability)

With the verb to be, there are two forms that can be used with I, he, she & it:

IF Condition Result

I, he, she, it Were  

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If I were you, I'd marry her.

I, he, she, it Was  

If I was you, I'd marry her.

THIRD CONDITIONAL: NO POSSIBILITYType 3 conditional is used to refer to an imaginary situation in the past, a condition in the

past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.

If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam. (I didn’t study much, so I didn’t pass the exam.)

Condition Result What actually happened

  Past Perfect WOULD HAVE + Past Participle  

If I had known, I would have helped. I didn't know and didn't help.

 

IF Condition Result Certainty

  past perfect WOULD HAVE+ past participle  

If I had known, I would have helped. Although this didn't happen, the speaker is sure about the result.

If I had known, I could have helped. Although this didn't happen, the result is only a possibility.

If I had known, I might have helped. Although this didn't happen, the result is only a possibility.

If you had known, you should have helped. Although this didn't happen, it is only a good suggestion or piece of advice.

MIXED CONDITIONALS

We can form mixed conditionals, if the context permits it, by combining an if-clause from one type with a main clause from another.

If clause Result clauseType 2If the plane landed late last night,

Type 1he won’t be on time for work today.

Type 2 Type 3

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If you were less impulsive, you wouldn’t have spoken to your supervisor like that.

Type 3If I hadn’t drunk the bad milk,

Type 2I would be fine now.

WISHESWe can use wish/if only to express a wish.

Verb Tense Example Use+ past simple/past continuous I wish I was/were 10 years old.

(but I’m not)If only I were travelling with you and not alone! It would be much more fun. (but I’m not)

- to say that we would like something to be different about a present situation

+ past perfect I wish I had saved more money during my twenties. (but I didn’t)If only I hadn’t been so harsh to her! We could still be friends. (but I was)

- to express regret about something which happened or didn’t happen in the past

+ subject + would + bare infinitive

I wish you would stop spreading rumours.If only it would be sunny on my birthday.

- to express: - a polite imperative - a desire for a situation or person’s behaviour to change

- If only is used in exactly the same way as wish but is more emphatic or more dramatic.- We can use were instead of was after wish and if only: I wish I were/was a famous writer!- After the subject pronouns I and we, we can use could instead of would: I wish I could study

art history.

Bibliography

Joseph Parsalis, Nicholas Stephens, Access to FCE, New Editions, 2002Bob Obee, Virginia Evans, Upstream Advanced, Student’s book, Express Publishing, 2003Bob Obee, Virginia Evans, Upstream Upper intermediate, Student’s book, Express Publishing, 2003www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-clauseswww.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-conditional.htmhttp://esl.about.com/od/gramma1/a/conditional.htm

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