CONDITIONALS IF CLAUSES CONDITIONAL SENTENCES HAVE TWO PARTS

CONDITIONALS IF CLAUSES

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES HAVE TWO PARTS: THE IF-CLAUSE AND THE MAIN CLAUSE. Example sentence: If it rains, I will cancel the trip. If it rains is the if-clause and I will cancel the trip is the main clause. The IF-clause introduces a condition. The main clause is the result of that condition. What happens in the main clause is conditional to what happens in the if-clause. In other words the main clause only happens when the events in the if-clause happen.

There are 4 main types of conditional clauses (if-clauses). . . As you can see, each type of conditional has its own combination of tense used in the if-clause and tense used the main clause. These different pairings of tenses give each type of conditional its own meaning.

OTHER TYPES OF CONDITIONAL CLAUSES Now, these four types of conditional clauses are the traditional ones though there are OTHER types of conditional clauses. IF + PRESENT SIMPLE, . . . + IMPERATIVE We use the imperative to give instructions of advice. • If you see John, tell him he needs to come to my office. • If you travel abroad, remember your passport • If you go to Australia, send me a postcard. • If you go to the supermarket, bring back some milk. • If Mike comes, call me. • If you drink, don't drive. The highlighted words are in the imperative. These sentences are similar to saying: If the first condition happens, you must do this (in the second/imperative clause).

ZERO CONDİTİONAL

When we are thinking about facts which are generally true, we use: IF + PRESENT SIMPLE, PRESENT SIMPLE • If you put water in the freezer, it becomes ice. • If you stand in the rain, you get wet. • If you heat ice, it melts. • You can see in the examples about the condition always has the same result. Notice how we use a comma after the first present simple tense clause.

We can also reverse the order and use: PRESENT SIMPLE + IF + PRESENT SIMPLE • You get wet if you stand in the rain. • Ice melts if you heat it. • I can't sleep if I drink coffee at night. • Plants die if you don't water them. Notice how the comma is not necessary with this word order.

FIRST CONDITIONAL

When we are thinking about a possible situation in the future, we use: IF + PRESENT VERB, FUTURE VERB This structure is common when talking about possible plans, promises, warnings, threats or for persuading someone. We are predicting a likely result in the future if a condition is fulfilled. If + Simple Present, Will / Won't. . . Notice how we use a comma after the present tense clause. • If I go to Paris next month for work, I'll visit the Eiffel Tower (Plans) • If I have time, I will help you. (Promise) • If you touch that wire, you will get an electric shock. (Warning) • If you eat my chocolate that is in the fridge, you'll sleep outside with the dog. (Threat) • If you take me to the mall, I'll buy you an ice cream. (Persuasion) • If she doesn't go to university, her parents won't be happy. • If it rains, we will cancel the trip. • If that candidate becomes President, the country will be in trouble. • If I win the competition, I will donate half of the prize money to charity.

We can also reverse the order and use: FUTURE VERB + IF + PRESENT SIMPLE • I will be annoyed if they don't arrive on time. • You will get a better job if you can speak English. • You will miss the bus if you don't hurry. • The dog will bite you if you pull its tail. • Your boss will be angry if you don't finish the job. • What will you do if they fire you? • You will feel better if you take this medicine. Notice how the comma is not necessary with this word order.

MODAL VERBS IN FIRST CONDITIONAL Normally WILL is used in the main clause of first conditional sentences. However you can also use the modal verbs MAY, MIGHT and COULD when something is a possible consequence (and not a certain one) in the future. • If you are nice to me, I may buy you a gift when I'm in Peru. • If they train a little harder, they might win the match. • If he doesn't do his work, he could get fired.

SECONDITIONAL

When we are thinking about a situation in the present or future that is hypothetical, unlikely or impossible, we use: IF + PAST SIMPLE, . . . WOULD + VERB • We use a past verb though are imagining the present or the future to be different. • If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world. (Though I am unlikely to win the lottery) • The second clause of subject + would + verb (conditional verb) is conditional to the first clause happening (or will only happen if the first part/clause happens). • If I knew his name, I would tell you. Example: If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world. = It is unlikely that I will win the lottery, but I'm going to hypothetically imagine that I did win. In that situation I would travel around the world. So in order for me to travel around the world, I would need the first clause (the condition or situation) to happen, that is, for me to win the lottery first. • If I didn't have a headache, I would go to the party. • If I became President, I would reduce the salaries of all politicians. (Though it is unlikely I will become President) Notice how we use a comma after the past tense clause.

We can also reverse the order and use: CONDITIONAL VERB (WOULD + VERB) + IF + PAST SIMPLE • I would be happy if I had more free time. • I would tell you the answer if I knew what it was. • There would be fewer accidents if everyone drove more carefully. • We would have a lot of money if we sold our house. • Would she come if I paid for her flight? • Would you accept the job if they offered it to you? • What would you do if you won the lottery? • What would you do if you saw a U. F. O? Notice how the comma is not necessary with this word order.

IF I WERE. . . Note that with the verb To Be we use IF + I / HE / SHE / IT + WERE The reason we use WERE instead of WAS is because the sentence is in the Subjunctive mood. • If I were not in debt, I would quit my job. • If he were taller, he'd be accepted into the team. • She would be still be correcting my grammar if she were still alive. Though in informal English, you will hear some people say If I was. . . If he was. . . etc. This usage doesn't sound good though unfortunately is common.

COULD IN SECONDITIONAL SENTENCES COULD can be used instead of WOULD to make the hypothetical present or future more likely. • If he trained every day, he could represent his country • If I had a little more money, I could buy a car.

IF I WERE YOU. . .

At school or in grammar books you are normally taught the following rule: I / he / she / it - WAS We / you / they - WERE This is correct when we are talking about the PAST TENSE. BUT there is another situation in which WERE appears that is not the past tense. It also appears in the SUBJUNCTIVE mood.

First, let's look at the following structure and meaning before explaining why it happens. . .

If I were you. . . is used when giving ADVICE about what you would do in the same situation as the other person. You imagine yourself in their position or situation and what you would do or how you would react. • If I were you, I would study more. • If I were you, I would stop doing that. • If I were you, I would go to the doctor. • if I were you, I would subscribe to the Woodward English You. Tube channel right now. : ) • If I were you, I wouldn't play with those wires.

Though in informal (and grammatically incorrect) English, you may hear some people say If I was. . . This usage doesn't sound good, so avoid it. You can also change the order of the sentence • I would study more if I were you. • I would be more careful if I were you. • I wouldn't do that if I were you. Notice how the comma is not necessary with this word order.

WHY DO YOU USE IF I WERE AND NOT IF I WAS ? The reason we use WERE instead of WAS is because the sentence is in the SUBJUNCTIVE mood which is used for hypothetical situations. This is a condition which is contrary to fact or reality (the fact is, I am NOT you). In the subjunctive mood we use IF + I / HE / SHE / IT + WERE for the verb To Be. • If I were not in debt, I would quit my job. (But the contrary is true, I AM in debt, so I cannot quit my job) • If he were taller, he'd be accepted into the team. • She would be still be correcting my grammar if she were still alive. In informal English, you will hear some people say If I was. . . If he was. . . etc. Again, this usage doesn't sound good though unfortunately it is common, especially on the internet (and social media sites).

CAN IF I WAS EVER BE CORRECT ? Yes, though the sentence is not in the Subjunctive mood but the Indicative instead. Note that it is not common to use the indicative mood with IF. Let's compare: • If I was sick, she would give me medicine that tasted terrible. (indicative = states facts or asks questions - in this case, IF can be replaced by WHENEVER) • If I were sick, I wouldn't be here. (subjunctive = hypothetical - I am not sick, but I'm imagining that hypothetical situation)

IF I WAS YOUR BOYFRIEND. . . NOOO JB ! • There is a song on the radio that goes. . . "If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go. . . " This song is why English teachers don't like JB well, one of the reasons. : ) Well, sorry Justin Bieber fans but this is grammatically incorrect. But they, at least Beyoncé got it right with her song "If I were a boy". • It should be "If I WERE your boyfriend, I'd never let you go. « Why? Because we are talking about a hypothetical situation of me being your boyfriend. It is not real, it is just a situation I am imagining so we need to use the Subjunctive Mood here.

THIRD CONDITIONAL

When we are talking about something in the past which cannot be altered now, we use: IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE EXAMPLE: If you had studied all of these grammar pages, you would have passed the exam. You can not alter or change the past. You didn't study in the past (something you cannot change now) so you didn't pass the exam. It is an imaginary situation that didn't happen. • If you had been more careful, you wouldn't have had an accident. • If I had seen you, I would have said hello. • If he had asked me, I would have helped him. • If you had studied, they would have passed the exam. • If I had known, I wouldn't have done that. Notice how this tense can be used to say that you regret doing something or when you are telling someone off (reproaching someone). This type of conditional can also be used when making excuses.

We can also change the word order of the sentence. . . WOULD HAVE + IF + PAST PERFECT EXAMPLE: You would have passed the exam if you had studied all of these grammar pages. • I wouldn't have left my job if I had known how difficult it is to find another one. • I would have taken a photo if I had brought my camera with me. • He would have died if the ambulance hadn't arrived quickly. • She would have gone to your birthday party if she hadn't been sick. • He wouldn't have become lost if he had taken the map with him. • The team would have won if the referee hadn't taken the bribe. • You wouldn't haved needed fillings if you had brushed your teeth more frequently.