CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

A. Introduction
Conditional sentences mean sentences that contain something that will be done if the
conditions are met.
I will serve you some cake if you come to my party.
If I wear a bird, I should fly as high as possible.
From the two examples above we can see that the conditional sentence consists of two
parts:
a. Main clause is a part of a compound sentence that can stand alone if separated from other parts
of the sentence. Main clauses already have a subject and predicate. In the second example above
which the main clause
I will serve you I should fly as high as possible
S P S P
Main clause contains something that will be done or would have happened if something that is
required is fulfilled.
b. Subordinate clause or if clause is part of a compound sentence that cannot stand alone if
separated from other parts of the sentence. Subordinate clause hasnt yet a complete
understanding that needs to be combined with other sentences, especially the main clause.
Therefore, its called a dependent clause (bound clause). Its said as bound clause because its
still bound by its main sentence and it does not have a complete understanding. Subordinate
clause is always preceded by "if" or "Had" (in inverted sentence).

Subordinate clauses can be placed as follow:

1. In front of the main clause. In this case the clause was limited by a comma (,)
o If it Rains, I will take an umbrella
o If Mr. Charles were as our English teacher, we should be active students.
2. After the main clause
o I will take an umbrella if it Rains.
o She will come here today if we invite her

B. Kinds of Conditional sentence

Conditional sentence in English can be grouped into three, namely:
1. Conditional sentences type I (probable or real conditions)

Usage:
a. To declare a condition that will happen at a future time when other conditions occur:
Simple Future Simple Present + IF + S + Verb I
Ita will go to the party tomorrow if she has time
If Sherly come, her mother will cook her favourite food

Note:
Note the comma, when the if clause is in the beginning of sentence then the comma (,) is
given, but if the if clause is in the middle of sentence, comma is not needed.
b. To express an event that might occur if the conditions are met, with the characteristics -
characteristics:
1. Part of the sentence thats containing the condition is begun with the word if (if clause).
2. Part of the sentence which is the result (outcome), in the form of Present Tense or Future Tense.
3. These sentence patterns are used to
a). Stating Future Tense
If + S 1 + Present Tense + S 2 + Future Tense

S 1 + Future Tense + IF + S 2 + Present tense

o If I have money, I will buy a car.
o They will help you if you ask them.

b). Stating habits (habitual action or situation)

If + S 1 + Present Tense + S 2 + Present Tense
S 1 + Present Tense + IF + S 2 + Present Tense

o If I do not eat breakfast, I always get hungry during the class.

o Rani usually walks to school if she has enough time.

c). Stating Commands

If + S 1 + Present Tense + ... .... + Imperative form
Imperative form + IF + S 1 + Present Tense

If you go to the office, please mail the letter.

 Please call me if you hear from Laila.
Do not do anything if you think it is useless.

2. Conditional sentences type II (Present unreality / improbable or unreal condition)

Usage:

a). To express a condition

contrary to the reality of today.
Past Future Simple past

IF
Would/could/might + Verb I S + Verb II

fact
With verbs (verb) Without verbs (non-verb)
(+) S + V 1 or (+) S + am / is / are + complement
(-) S + do / does + not + V 1 (-) S + am / is / are + not + complement

Ali would give you a job if he had a company

Fact: He does not give a job because he does not have a company
If I were you, I would accept Udin as my lover.

Fact: I'm not you so I do not accept Udin as my lover

To express something that is against the odds once, or assume, or perhaps just this will
happen in the future or the present.

If + S 1 + Present Tense ... .... + S 2 + Would / Could / Might ... ...

 Although it uses past tense verbs in the sentence that contains the if, but did not refer to the past
If Omar did not pass in his exam, he would have to repeat the year.
I Could met Ita's parents if I visited her house

If I had time, I would go to the beach this weekend

(I do not have time) (I will not to go the beach this weekend)

Note:
In type II conditional was never uses, but using both were all the plural or singular objects.
1. If you want to express desire or wish, use the would.

o He would come if you invited him.

o If I have enough food, I would give you

3. If you want to express necessity, use the form "should"

o If it were not rain, you should come here.

o She should visit her mother if she had spare time.

4. Type II can also be expressed with other patterns, namely:

If ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. were ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....
If he were to resign, he would get another job.

(= If he resigned ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....)
If the train were to depart on time, you should miss it.

(= If the train Departed on time ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...)
3. Conditional Sentence Type III (Past Unreality / improbable or unreal condition)

Usage:

To state a condition
contrary to fact in the past.

Past Future Perfect Simple Past Perfect

IF
Would/could/might + Have + V 3 Had + V 3
Fact
With Verb Without Verb
(+) S + V 2 (+) S + was/were + complement Would Tom have passed
(-) S + did + not + V 1 (-) S + was/were + not + the test last month if he
complement studied hard
Fact: Tom Did not pass the test last month Because he Did not study hard.
b. To declare an event that is not possible because time is passing, or simply to assume (imagine)
what happened in the past.

If + S + Past Perfect .... + Could/ Have/Might + past participle

If we had known that you were in front of the gate, we would have opened it and allow
you to come in.
 (We did not know that you were in front of the gate, so we did not open and did not allow you to
come in).
If they hadnt lost their way, they would have arrived sooner.

(They lost their way, so they did not arrive sooner).

Type III also can be also expressed by another pattern, namely:

If ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... were to have ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....
If I were to found the book, I would have given it to you.

(If I found the book ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...)
If they were to have come earlier, they could have met the manager.

(If they had earlier come ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..)
Note:
Unreal means "does not match reality." It can be said as "a sentence that says modality or to
imagine a fact or situation that is incompatible with the fact that there are at this
moment."Therefore, the word IF in conditional sentence Type II and Type III should be
translated as "if or suppose", not if or when, because the situation is not in reality. This means
that state cannot be changed again as what was imagined or assumed. The situation was
supposedly impossible or may be not happen again. While the Type I sentences, future real
(possible) condition can be translated with the word when or if, not if or suppose because there is
a different manner in their using. If is used to declare a thing or situation that is not contrary to
the facts / realities. That is something that still may occur. While the word if or suppose is used
to something that supposedly is not likely to happen again because it imagined a past and
impossible.
C. Conditional without If
Conditional sentence without if is not different with a conditional sentence that is preceded
by if. Removing if in the sentence can only be done on Type II and Type III.
1. In the conditional Type II
Here too, we can eliminate if, if the subordinate clause does not use the verb phrase
but using were and it is in the beginning of the sentence.
Past Future
Were + S + complement Will + V 1

fact
(+) S + are / is / am + complement So + S + V1 (s / es) + O
 (-) S + are / is / am + not + complement So + S + do / does + not + O

Or
(+) S + V1 (s / es) + O Because S + am / is / are + complement
(-) S + do / does + not + V1 + O Because S + am / is / are + not + complement

Were I you, I would care your Parents.

Fact: I'm not you, So I do not care your Parents.

Should he ask her, she would marry him soon.

(= If he asked her ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....)
2. Conditional Sentences Type III

Conditional Sentence Type III, we can eliminate the IF by putting HAD in front of the
subject. And there is subordinate clause in the beginning of a sentence.
Had + S + complement Past Future
Will + V 1

fact
With the verb Without a verb
(+) S + V2 (+) S + was / were + complement
(-) S + did + not + V 1 (-) S + was / were the resource + not + complement

Had Ali studied hard, he would have passed the test last month

If Ali had studied hard, he would have passed the test last month.
Fact: Ali did not pass the test last month because he did not study hard.

If ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. were to have ... ... ... ... ... ....

Were I have to found the book, I would have given it to you.

(If I had found the book ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...)

C. Progressive Verbs in Conditional Sentence

 Progressive verb (verb - ing) can also be used in a conditional sentence.
Real in the present time: It's raining right now, so I will not go for walk.
Unreal in the past-time: if it were not raining right now, I should go for a walk.
Unreal in the present time: I wasn't living in Jambi last year; I wasn't working at a bank.
Unreal in the past-time: If I have been living in Jambi last year, I should have been working at a
bank.

D. Modals in Conditional Sentence

Besides shall, should, will, and would, there are two more commonly modals that used in
conditional sentence, they are could and might.
If I Could sing as well as Iwan fals, I would join establish a music club.
If I Did not get a scholarship, I Might get a job instead of going to graduate school next
Spring.

If there Should Be another world war, the continue existences of the human race would
be a Jeopardy.

E. Conditional Sentence to State Expectations

Besides using the pattern above, it can also be used in sentences supposition, wish is also used
when the speaker desires a reality that is different from the existing reality, which is contrary to
reality. Wish is followed by a noun clause.
1. Used in future form

o Sherly will not tell the story to me.

I wish that Sherly would tell the story to me.
o Ita cann't teach us tomorrow.
We wish Ita could teach us tomorrow.
2. Used in present form

o Diana cann't speak English.

Diana wish that she could speak English.
o Laila does not come to the school camping.
Laila wish that she could come to the school camping.
3. Used in past

o Ita Did not come in here yesterday.

I wish Ita had come in here yesterday.
o Sherly couldn't come.
I wish Sherly would have come.
F. Other Forms Of Contional Sentence
1. Unless (If Not)
She will complain if he doesnt agree.
Unless she agrees she will complain.
Unless you start at once you will be late.
If you dont start at once you will be late.
2. Even If
You must go to Jakarta tomorrow even if you arent ready.
Even if the weather is cold, Im going to go swimming.
3. Whether .. Or = If .. Or
Im going to go swimming tomorrow whether or not it is cold.
(Whether it is cold or not)
You must go to school soon whether you are ready or not.
4. In Case (That)
(Followed by present, past or should)
You should insure you house in case there is a fire.
I packed swimming suit in case I should have time to go to beach.
I will at my uncles house in case you (should) need to teach me.

5. But for : If it were not for/ if it hadnt been for

But for the storm we would have come earlier
(If it were not for the storm )
But for the bad road, I would win the game
(If it were not for the bad road .)
6. Provided (that) / providing
I will come provided you wont call on me to sing.
Providing (that) she studied hard, she should pass the final exam.
You can borrow my bike provided/ providing you sent me a letter.

7. Suppose / supposing .? = What if ?

Suppose they cant come, what will you do?
Supposing you hadnt passed the final exam
What would have happened if you hadnt passed the final exam?
8. Implied Condition
If clause is often not clearly stated (explicitly), but the hidden (implicitly) but the result clause
which shows the result or effect was evident in the sentence.
I would have gone with you, but I have to study.
 (Explicit condition = if I hadnt had you study)
He drove very fast; he would have missed the bus.
(Explicit condition = if he not driven very fast)
He never would have succeeded without your help.
(Explicit condition = if you hadnt helped him)

Bibliography

Suryadi and Juanida. 2009. Complete English Grammar. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.
Masud, Fuad. 2005. Essentials of English Grammar. Yogyakarta: BPFE.
Murphy, Raymond. 1985. English Grammar in Use. Jakarta: Erlangga.
Hakim, Thursan., Drs. 2008. Panduan Praktis Menerapkan English Grammar dalam Percakapan Sehari-
hari. Jakarta: Kawan Pustaka.
Hariyanto, Dony dan Hariyono, Rudy., Drs. 2003. English Grammar for General Application. Surabaya:
Gitamedia press.