Page 207 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

C o n d i t i o n a l s e n t e n c e s ( 1 ) : v e r b t e n s e s
tenses
Conditional
sentences
(1):
verb
Some conditional clauses beginning if suggest aa situation is real - thatthat is, the situationsituation
if suggest thatthat
clauses
conditional
the
real
Some
is
is,
-
situation
beginning withwith
is oror was true, oror maymay have beenbeen oror may become true:
have
true:
is
true,
was
may
become
• ¢ Ifanyone phones, tell I'll be backback at 11.00.11.00.
at
If anyone phones, tell themthem
I'll
be
• ¢ If you really want to learn Italian, you need to spend some time inin Italy.
to
to
want
spend
you
some
Italian,
time
Italy.
really
need
Ifyou
learn
Others suggest thatthat aa situation is unreal - that is, the situationsituation is imaginaryimaginary or untrue:
is
suggest
the
that
untrue:
is,
Others
unreal
is
-
or
situation
• ¢ What would you do if you won the lottery?
won
you
lottery?
What
you
the
do
if
would
• ¢ If you had started out earlier, you wouldn't have been so late.
wouldn't
Ifyou
you
have
out
had
been
earlier,
started
late.
so
Compare:
Compare:
• ¢ If I go to Berlin, I'll travel by train. (= real conditional) andand
conditional)
IfI
I'll
to
train.
go
real
travel
(
by
Berlin,
• ¢ If I went to Berlin, I'd travel by train. (= unreal conditional)
travel
train.
I'd
by
IfI
Berlin,
(=
conditional)
went
unreal
to
In the first, the speakerspeaker is thinking of going to BerlinBerlin (it is aa real future possibility), but in the
the
but
In
possibility),
real
the
the
is
future
in
going
is
first,
thinking
(it
to
of
second, the speakerspeaker is not thinking of doing so. The second mightmight be giving someone advice.
advice.
thinking
second,
second
giving
doing
the
is
so.
be
not
The
of
someone
Real conditionals
Real
conditionals
In real conditionals we use tenses as in other kinds of sentences: we use presentpresent tenses to talktalk
use
kinds
we
use
tenses
in
sentences:
conditionals
we
In
to
other
real
as
tenses
of
about the present unchanging relationships, andand past tenses to talktalk aboutabout the past:
past
unchanging
about
the
tenses
past:
relationships,
the
to
present oror
• ¢ If you leave now, you'll be home in two hours. • ¢ If water is frozen, it expands.
Ifwater
now,
it
home
in
hours.
Ifyou
you'll
frozen,
is
expands.
be
leave
two
• ¢ If I made the wrong decision then I apologise.
I
wrong
the
If
apologise.
then
I
decision
made
However, whenwhen we talktalk aboutabout the future, we use aa present tense, not will (see UnitUnit 100):100):
we
future,
not
use
(see
we
tense,
the
However,
present
will
• ¢ I'll give you aa lift if it rains, (not ...if it will rain...)
it
will
(not
itrains.
if
...if
you
rain...)
lift
give
I'll
Unreal conditionals
Unreal conditionals
In unreal conditionals, to talktalk about or future situations, we use aa pastpast tense (either(either
unreal
we
use
situations,
to
conditionals,
In
tense
or
about presentpresent
future
simple or continuous) inin the if-clause and would + bare infinitive in the mainmain clause:
bare
+
in
and
continuous)
if-clause
infinitive
or
the
the
simple
would
clause:
• ¢ If my grandfather was/were still alive, he would be a hundred today.
today.
would
grandfather
he
a
still
my
hundred
alive,
was/were
If
be
• ¢ If youIfyou were driving from LondonLondon to Glasgow, which way would go?
Glasgow,
from
go?
driving
which way would youyou
to
were
a
• ¢ I'd (=would) offer to give youa lift if I had my car here.
lift if I had
give
I'd
(=would)
my
you
to
offer
here.
car
100).
instead
sometimes
we
(see
use
Notice thatthat we sometimes use if...wereif...were instead of (see UnitUnit 100).
Notice
of if...wasif...was
have
about
use
something
didn't,
happened
the
we
in
but
WhenWhen we talktalk about something thatthat mightmight have happened in the past, but didn't, then we use ifif
we
then
past,
main
clause:
the
participle
perfect
+ perfect and would have + past participle inin the main clause:
+
would
and
+ pastpast
past
have
) • ¢ If I had known how difficult the job was, I wouldn't have taken it.
I
known
difficult
IfI
have
taken
was,
had
the
how
wouldn't
job
it.
concert.
* 4* • + If she hadn't beenbeen ill, she would have gone to the concert.
to
she
hadn't
ill,
Ifshe
gone
the
would
have
use
unreal
conditionals,
we
(have)
also
InIn unreal conditionals, we cancan also use could/might/should (have) instead of wouldwould (have):
instead
of
(have):
could/might/should
• ¢ If I lived out of town, I could take up gardening.
out
gardening.
of
IfI
I
could
up
take
town,
lived
• ¢ They might have found aa betterbetter hotel if they had driven a a few more kilometres.
They
found
they
driven
had
few
have
hotel
if
kilometres.
might
more
unreal conditionals
we
is,
In some past participle clause: he mainmain clause, oror aa pastpast the exam a a inin past tense in the if-clause and would
use
some
conditionals
in
and
use
unreal
past
mixed
mixed tenses. ThatThat
would
we
is,
if-clause
the
tenses.
In
tense
Notice If the doctor had been called earlier, see UnitUnit 100): be alive money on I research, (not ...we
if-clause
the
would
in
and
+ bare
have + past participle
the
would
the
if-clause
and
perfectperfect
clause,
the
bare
have
+
in
+
the
infinitive
mainmain
infinitive
inin
clause:
the
•
If Bob wasn't so lazy, he would have passed the exam easily.
¢
have
would
easily.
Bob
so
wasn't
If
lazy,
passed
still be alive today.
•
today.
earlier,
had
been
she wouldwould
she
doctor
called
still
¢
Ifthe
unreal conditional
sentences:
in
unreal
in
conditional
thatthat
sentences:
Notice
the
the past simple or past perfect in
•
use
clause:
the
the
mainmain
past
simple
*
we
we don'tdon't
clause:
past
use
in
perfect
or
spend more
If we
were serious about pollution, we would
• ¢ Ifwe were serious about pollution, we would spend more money on research. (not ...we
or ...we had spent...).
spent...
spent... or ...we had spent...).
we don't
if-clause
(but
•
we
(but
*
see
anan
if-clause
inin
use
100):
use wouldwould
don't
have...)
(not If I would
fly.
•
If I had a more reliable car, I'd drive to Spain rather thanthan
If]
have...)
to
a
I'd
fly.
drive
car,
(not
Spain
rather
more
reliable
would
If
had
¢
Conditionals (2) => IIDIlllilil
If...not and whether => IIDIllliH
=>
whether
>
If...notand
(2)
FRET
ERRETa
Condiionds