Conditional Sentence If Clause

Conditional Sentence If Clause

Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional Clauses or If Clauses. They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional Sentences.

Conditional Sentence Type 1

It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future

Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

Form

if + Simple Present, will-Future

• Example: If I find her address, I will send her an invitation.

The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

• Example: I will send her an invitation if I find her address.

Note: Main clause and / or if clause might be negative. See Simple Present und will-Future on how to form negative sentences.

• Example: If I don’t see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.

Use

Conditional Sentences Type I refer to the future. An action in the future will only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled by that time. We don't know for sure whether the condition actually will be fulfilled or not, but the conditions seems rather realistic – so we think it is likely to happen.

Example: 

1. If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

I want to send an invitation to a friend. I just have to find her address. I am quite sure, however, that I will find it.

Example:

  

      2. If John has the money, he will buy a Ferrari.

I know John very well and I know that he earns a lot of money and that he loves Ferraris. So I think it is very likely that sooner or later he will have the money to buy a Ferrari.

Conditional Sentences Type I (likely)

Condition refers to:	IF Clause		Main Clause
future action	Simple Present	If the book is interesting, …	Future I	…I will buy it.
			Imperative	…buy it.
			Modal Auxiliary	…you can buy it.
action going on now	Present Progressive	If he is snoring, …	Future I	…I will wake him up.
			Imperative	…wake him up.
			Modal Auxiliary	…you can wake him up.
finished action	Present Perfect	If he has moved into his new flat, …	Future I	…we will visit him.
			Imperative	…visit him.
			Modal Auxiliary	…we can visit him.
improbable action	should + Infinitive	If she should win this race, …	Future I	…I will congratulate her.
			Imperative	…congratulate her.
			Modal Auxiliary	…we can congratulate her.
present facts	Simple Present	If he gets what he wants, …	Simple Present	…he is very nice.

Conditional Sentence Type 2

Form

if + Simple Past, main clause with Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

• Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

• Example: I would send her an invitation if I found her address.

Note: Main clause and / or if clause might be negative.

Example: If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t stay here.

Were instead of Was

In IF Clauses Type II, we usually use ‚were‘ – even if the pronoun is I, he, she or it –.

Example: If I were you, I would not do this.

Use

Conditional Sentences Type II refer to situations in the present. An action could happen if the present situation were different. I don't really expect the situation to change, however. I just imagine „what would happen if …“

• Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

I would like to send an invitation to a friend. I have looked everywhere for her address, but I cannot find it. So now I think it is rather unlikely that I will eventually find her address.

• Example: If John had the money, he would buy a Ferrari.

I know John very well and I know that he doesn't have much money, but he loves Ferraris. He would like to own a Ferrari (in his dreams). But I think it is very unlikely that he will have the money to buy one in the near future.

Conditional Sentences Type II (unlikely)

Condition refers to:	IF Clause		Main Clause
present / future event	Simple Past	If I had a lot of money, …	Conditional I	…I would travel around the world.
consequence in the past	Simple Past	If I knew him, …	Conditional II	…I would have said hello.

Conditional Sentences Type II (impossible)

Condition refers to: IF Clause Main Clause present Past Perfect If I had known it, … Conditional I …I would not be here now. past Past Perfect If he had learned for the test, … Conditional II …he would not have failed it.  Conditional Sentence Type 3 It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past. Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle) Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation. Form if + Past Perfect, main clause with Conditional II Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation. The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma. Example: I would have sent her an invitation if I had found her address. Note: Main clause and / or if clause might be negative. Example: If I hadn’t studied, I wouldn’t have passed my exams. Use Conditional Sentences Type III refer to situations in the past. An action could have happened in the past if a certain condition had been fulfilled. Things were different then, however. We just imagine, what would have happened if the situation had been fulfilled. Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation. Sometime in the past, I wanted to send an invitation to a friend. I didn't find her address, however. So in the end I didn't send her an invitation. Example: If John had had the money, he would have bought a Ferrari. I knew John very well and I know that he never had much money, but he loved Ferraris. He would have loved to own a Ferrari, but he never had the money to buy one.  Exercises 1.      If Caroline and Sue........the salad, phil.......the house 2.      If Sue ..............the onions for the salad, caroline............the mushrooms 3.      Jane...........the sitting room if aaron and tim..............the furniture 4.      If Bob.............up the kitchen, Anita............the toilet 5.      Elaina.............the drinks if somebody.........her carry the bottles 6.      If alan and rebecca..........the food, mary and conor...............the sandwiches 7.      If Bob.............after the barbecue, sue.............the guest in 8.      Frank............The Dj if the others.........along their CDs. 9.      Alan.............The drinks if jane..............him some of her cocktail recipes 10.  If they all...........their best, the party.........Great Answer If Caroline and Sue prepare the salad, Phil will decorate the house. If Sue cuts the onions for the salad, Caroline will peel the mushrooms. Jane will hoover the sitting room if Aaron and Tim move the furniture. If Bob tidies up the kitchen, Anita will clean the toilet. Elaine will buy the drinks if somebody helps her carry the bottles. If Alan and Rebecca organise the food, Mary and Conor will make the sandwiches. If Bob looks after the barbecue, Sue will let the guests in. Frank will play the DJ if the others bring along their CDs. Alan will mix the drinks if Jane gives him some of her cocktail recipes. If they all do their best, the party will be great. https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences/type-1/exercises https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences