IF CLAUSE

I. RULES AND USES

Conditional sentences have two parts: the if-clause and the main clause.
TYPE 0 – general truths/ routines/ instructions
Present + Present
If you put oil on water, it floats.
If you don’t have enough time to get to work, you take a taxi.
If you see Tom, tell him to call me.
! All types of present tenses can be used:
If you are looking for Peter, you can find him upstairs.
If you have already finished the letter, I’ll go to the post office to post it.
TYPE 1 – real situations/ possible conditions and their probable result
Present + Future
If you keep driving like that, you’ll have an accident.
If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss the bus.
TYPE 2 – hypothetical, imaginary/ unreal situations in the present
Present Subjunctive + Present Conditional
If I had time, I would read more. (but I don’t have time)
If I knew the answer, I’d tell you. (but I don’t know the answer)
*The verb be takes the form were for all persons, though was can be used in
everyday speech: If I were you, I wouldn’t go to the party.
TYPE 3 – hypothetical situations in the past
Past Subjunctive + Perfect Conditional
If he had been there, he would have helped her. (but he was not there)
If I had travelled as much as he did, I would have been smarter. (but I
didn’t travel much)

 Also with modal verbs:

1. Possible situations in the present:
If you get wet, you should change your clothes immediately.
If you come home early, we can discuss the problem.
If the fog gets thicker, the plane might be diverted.
2. Hypothetical situations in the present:
If I had the money, I could help you.
(John is on holiday, he is touring Italy.) If I were on holiday, I might be
touring Italy, too.
If my car was working, I could drive you to the station.
3. Hypothetical situations in the past:
If you hadn’t reminded me, I might have forgotten.
If our documents had been in order, we could have left at once.
 Can be introduced by / alternatives to IF
- If : If it rains, we’ll take an umbrella.
- Unless: I’ll buy the tickets tonight unless you call me this afternoon.
- Provided that : I’ll do it provided I have your permission.
- On condition that: He would have done the shopping on condition that you
had given him the money.
- Supposing that: Supposing that you had a million dollars, what would you do?
- Otherwise: Thanks for your help, we wouldn’t have managed otherwise. (We
wouldn’t have managed if you hadn’t helped us.)
- Or (else): We must go early or (else) we won’t get a seat.
- What if: What if it rains?
- But for: But for your help, we would have been in trouble.
- If so: Jack might be late. If so, I will take his place.
- In case: In case of an emergency/ In case there is an emergency, call 911.
- Colloquial omission of if: Sit down, and I’ll make us a cup of tea. (If you sit
down…)
- If + adjectives: If interested, apply now./ If necessary, call a taxi.

 The use of commas

- When the conditional clause comes after the main clause, they are not
separated by commas:
I would buy a beautiful villa by the sea if I had enough money.
- When the main clause comes after the conditional clause, they are
separated by commas:
If I had enough money, I would buy a beautiful villa by the sea.

 If only
This adds emphasis to hypothetical situations. The second part of the sentence
is often left out.
If only he would drive more slowly! (hope, wish)
If only I had enough time! (wish in the present)
If only I hadn’t drunk so much, this would have never happened!(regret about
the past)

 Mixed conditionals
If Jim hadn’t missed the plane, he would be here by now. (past events with
results in the present)
If Jim weren’t so poor, he would have gone to university. (unreal situation in
the present, a different past result)
 Should
After if, this makes the possibility of an event seem unlikely.
If you should see Ann, could you ask her to call me? (implies that I don’t
expect you to see Ann)

 Inversion ( if is omitted)
Should you see Ann, could you ask her to call me?
Were I in his shoes, I would refuse.
Had you listened to me, nothing of this would have happened.

 One event depending on another

If it weren’t for James, this company would be in trouble.
If it hadn’t been for the goalkeeper, Liverpool would have lost the match.

 Will and would express politeness and emphasis

If you will/ would wait here, I’ll see if Mrs. Green is here. (politeness)
If you will keep doing it, you’ll get into troubles. (emphasis/ if you insist on
doing it)

 In Indirect Speech
In type 0 and type 1 conditionals, tenses change according to the rules of the
sequence of tenses:
0: If you melt ice, it turns into water.
The teacher said that if you melt ice, it turns into water.(general truth)
But: If you see Ann, tell her to come home.
He told me that if I saw Ann, I was to tell her to go home.
1: If it rains, we’ll take the bus.
He told me that if it rained, we would take the bus.

In type 2 and type 3 conditionals, no tense changes:

2: If I had a driving license, I would get the job.
He said that if he had a driving license, he would get the job.
3: If she had loved Tom, she wouldn’t have left him.
He said that if she had loved Tom, she wouldn’t have left him.
 II. ACTIVITIES
Teach the conditional clause to Intermediate Level Students. Devise four
activities of introducing this topic. Specify: the aim(s), the estimated time,
students’ level, students’ age.

We can adopt a four-stage procedure for teaching the conditional clause.

STAGE 1/ LEAD-IN ACTIVITY

LEVEL: Intermediate
AGE: 14-16 year-old students
ESTIMATED TIME: 5 minutes
AIM: to give students practice and allow them to recognize the right use of the
conditional clause.

Activity 1. Match the if-clause to the right main clause:

1. If you’d told me you were coming,
a. I can get some food.
b. I’d have found us something to eat.
c. I made a lovely dish.
2. If you’re not coming,
a. we’d have never met.
b. you won’t be able to meet my other guests.
c. I were so sad.
3. If the child weren’t alone,
a. he won’t go to the school.
b. he wouldn’t be scared.
c. he played with his parents.
4. If she had met him earlier,
a. they would have got married sooner.
b. she had introduced him to her parents.
c. they could marry immediately.

STAGE 2 / ACTIVITY 2
LEVEL: Intermediate
AGE: 14-16 year-old students
ESTIMATED TIME: 10 minutes
AIM: to allow students to recognize and practice the types of conditional
clauses, by using the appropriate verb forms.

Activity 2. . Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate verb form:

1. Now, we’re lost! If you _______ (write down) Mary’s directions, this _________ (not
happen)
2. Why don’t we emigrate? If we ___________ (live) in Greece, at least the weather
________ (be) better.
3. Thanks to Dr. Jones, I’m still alive! If it ____________ (not be) for her, I _______
(be) dead for certain!
4. Did you enjoy your meal? If you ___________ (finish) eating, I __________ (clear
away) the plates.
5. Don’t be afraid, if you _______ (touch) the dog, it _________ (not bite).

STAGE 3 / ACTIVITY 3
LEVEL: Intermediate
AGE: 14-16 year-old students
ESTIMATED TIME: 10 minutes
AIM: to improve grammar skills, to reinforce the correct use of conditional
clauses:

Activity 3: Make sentences with if for the following situations:

1. The man didn’t pay attention to the road; he crashed his car into a tree.
If he had paid attention, ………
2. Her English is not very good; she won’t get the job.
3. I think it will rain. In this case, we’ll take an umbrella.
4. He can’t speak French. He didn’t understand the French film.
5. She didn’t have time for breakfast. She woke up late.

STAGE 4 / ACTIVITY 4: FOLLOW-UP

LEVEL: Intermediate
AGE: 14-16 year-old students
ESTIMATED TIME: 10 minutes
AIM: to enable students to recognize and correct the mistakes in using the
conditional clause.

Activity 4. Correct the errors in the following text:

John Silva is a construction engineer, but he has always wanted to be a chef. He would
liked to work in a big restaurant and make people happy with his cooking. If he is 18
years old again, he will have chosen a different career and he would had tried all kinds
of different recipes. If he has money, he attended the best cooking school in Paris.