CONDITIONALS(SENTENCES WITH `IF’)

THE MAIN TYPES

• 0: If you annoy Ho Ma Fan, he hits you.

• 1: If you annoy Ho Ma Fan, he will hit you.

• 2: If you annoyed Ho Ma Fan, he would hit you.

• 3: If you had annoyed Ho Ma Fan, he would have hit you.

TYPE 0IF + SIMPLE PRESENT - SIMPLE PRESENT• This is used for general statements which are true at

any time, so we often find this kind of sentence in science textbooks:– If water is heated to 100°, it boils.– If ice is heated, it melts.

• We do not normally use this kind of sentence unless we have seen the result happening in the past:– If I work hard, I get a good result in the exam. [I know this

is true because I’ve worked hard and got good results before]

TYPE 1IF + SIMPLE PRESENT - FUTURE

• We use this when we are thinking about a future action and its result:– If you ask me, I will help you.– If the government does not change its policy, citizens will

be very angry.

• Because we are thinking just about the future, we can use this kind of sentence even when we have no seen it happening before:– If I work hard, I will get a good result in the exam. [I may or

may not have worked hard before, but I expect that if I work hard in future, the result will be good]

REMEMBER

• SENTENCE ONLY ABOUT THE FUTURE:– We can only use Type 1 – If it rains tomorrow, there will be no football.

• SENTENCE ABOUT ANY TIME:– We can use EITHER Type 0 OR Type 1– If it rains, there is no football– If it rains, there will be no football

Supply the correct tense in the sentences below:

• 1. If it rains tomorrow, we (cancel)_______ the picnic.• 2. If there is no force acting on a moving object, it (continue)

_______ to travel at the same speed in the same direction.• 3. If I win the Mark Six, I (buy) _______ a house on the Peak.• 4. If you (help) _______ me, I will be very grateful.• 5. If you move the computer whilst it is operating, the hard disk

(often be) ______ damaged.• 6. If students have nothing to do, they (start) _______ to make a lot

of noise,• 7. If the teacher (see) _________ you doing that, he (punish)

______ you.• 8. If I (read) _________ a book in a moving bus, I (get) ________

sick.• 9. If it is raining, most classes (stay) ________ in their classroom

during morning assembly.• 10. If Uncle Bill (come) _________ next Christmas, we (take)

_______ him to Ocean Park.

Answers

• 1. If it rains tomorrow, we (cancel)will cancel the picnic.• 2. If there is no force acting on a moving object, it (continue)

continues/will continue to travel at the same speed in the same direction.

• 3. If I win the Mark Six, I (buy) will buy a house on the Peak.• 4. If you (help) help me, I will be very grateful.• 5. If you move the computer whilst it is operating, the hard disk

(often be) is often damaged/will often be damaged.• 6. If students have nothing to do, they (start) start/will start to

make a lot of noise,• 7. If the teacher (see) sees you doing that, he (punish) will

punish/punishes you.• 8. If I (read) read a book in a moving bus, I (get) get/will get sick.• 9. If it is raining, most classes (stay) stay/will stay in their classroom

during morning assembly.• 10. If Uncle Bill (come) comes next Christmas, we (take) will take

him to Ocean Park.