Hypothetical Sentences or Conditionals

By Mehwish Ali Khan

  Conditional sentences express a condition (if…)

and the consequence of the condition. The consequence can be expressed before or

after the condition: If you come to Canada, we can visit Vancouver

= we can visit Vancouver if you come to Canada. Note: if the condition comes first, a comma is

used. If the consequence comes first, no comma is used.

Conditionals = If Clauses

There are four (4) basic types of conditional clauses:

0 - zero 1: for what IS always true 0 – zero 2: what WAS always true 1ST : what will be true = REAL IN

THE FUTURE 2ND: UNREAL IN THE PRESENT 3RD : UNREAL IN THE PAST

0 - zero 1: for what IS always true

In ZERO 1 clauses we can replace IF with WHEN/WHENEVER

If (When/Whenever) + Present Simple Present Simple

If (When/Whenever) I go to bed late, I have a headache in the morning.

If (When/Whenever it rains, the streets are wet. = The streets are wet if (When/whenever) it rains.

0 – zero 2: what WAS always true

In ZERO 2 clauses : IF = WHEN = WHENEVER

If (When/Whenever) + Past Simple Past Simple

If (When/Whenever) it snowed, the children didn't go to school

If (When/Whenever) it rained, the streets were wet. = The streets were wet if (when/whenever) it rained.

1ST : what will be true = REAL IN THE FUTURE

!! NEVER WILL FUTURE in if- clause !!

If + Present Simple !!! will + bare infinitive

If the weather is fine next weekend, we will go for a walk.

If it rains tomorrow, the streets will be wet (tomorrow). = The streets will be wet if it rains tomorrow.

2ND: UNREAL IN THE PRESENT

Verb (to) be = WERE ('was' can also be used, but is less usual)

If + Past Simple would + bare infinitive

If I were you, I wouldn't do it. – If the weather were fine, we would go out.(=but it isn't fine)

If it rained, the streets would be wet. (but it isn't raining)

3RD : UNREAL IN THE PAST

If + Past Perfect would + have + past participle

If I had known you were coming to Malaga, I would have met you at the airport.

If it had rained yesterday, the streets would have been wet. (but it didn't rain)