CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

They have two parts: the IF-CLAUSE and the MAIN CLAUSE. The two parts of the sentence
can be written in the reverse order with no change in the meaning. When we write the If-clause first, a
comma is used, for example:
• If it rains, I will stay at home.
• I will stay at home if it rains.

There are four kinds of conditional clauses:

• TYPE O – CAUSE AND EFFECT. They are statements of universal or of general validity. The
tenses in both (the if-clause and the main-clause) are the same.
o If you heat ice, it melts. (present simple – present simple)
o If you made a promise, I kept it. (past simple – past simple)

• TYPE 1 – PROBABLE CONDITIONS. This type of sentence implies that the action in the If-
clause is quite probable or it appears likely to happen. The tenses that are used are:
o If-clause: simple present
o Main-clause: future simple (will + infinitive)
§ If he runs, he will get to the station in time.
§ You will pass your exams if you study.
o VARIATIONS OF THE TENSES IN THE MAIN CLAUSE:
§ May and Might. To indicate possibility:
• If the fog gets thick, the plane may be diverted.
§ Can and May. To indicate permission:
• If you study, you can go to the cinema.
§ Must, Should or any expression of command (an imperative):
• If you want to lose weight, you must eat less.
• If you see Peter, tell him to phone me.

• TYPE 2 – HYPOTHETICAL CONDITIONS. The action in the If-clause may happen, but
probably not. The tenses that are used are:
o If-clause: Simple past (if we have the verb TO BE, we use the form WERE with all persons)
o Main-clause: Conditional (would + infinitive)
§ If I were rich, I would buy a house.
o VARIATIONS OF THE TENSES IN THE MAIN CLAUSE:
§ Could, Might and Should:
• If I were rich, I could buy a car.

• TYPE 3- IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS. The condition cannot be fulfilled because the action in the
If-clause did not happen. The tenses that are used are:
o If-clause: Past perfect.
o Main-clause: Perfect Conditional (would have + past participle)
§ If I had known his name, I would have told you.
o VARIATION OF THE TENSES IN THE MAIN CLAUSE:
§ Could, Might and Should:
• If you had driven slowly, you might not have had the accident.
o Note: Sometimes the following construction may appear (Inversion in the If-clause):
§ Had I known his name, I would have told you.

OTHER CONDITIONAL CONJUNCTIONS

• UNLESS (a menos que) + affirmative verb = IF + negative verb:
o Unless he hurries, he won’t be on time.
o If he doesn’t hurry, he won’t be on time.

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 • PROVIDED (THAT) / SUPPOSING (THAT) / ON CONDITION (THAT) : con tal que, siempre
que:
o You can camp in my field provided you leave no bottles.
• BUT FOR: si no fuera por:
o But for the storm, we would have arrived much earlier.
• OTHERWISE: de otra manera:
o We must be back before midnight otherwise we’ll be locked up.
• SO LONG AS / AS LONG AS : si y solo si:
o You can camp in my field so long as you leave no bottles.

EXPRESSING WISHES (I WISH / IF ONLY)

There are three forms of WISH sentences in English:
• WISH + Past Simple. We use it to say that we regret something, that something is not as we
would like it to be, that is, we express dissatisfaction with a present situation.
o I wish I had a bigger room (=my room is small)
o I wish I knew Paul’s phone number (=I don’t know it and I regret it)
o It rains a lot here. I wish it didn’t rain so often.
o It’s very crowded here. I wish there weren’t so many people. (but there are a lot of
people)
§ We use WERE as in the 2nd conditional with all persons:
• I wish my sister were still at home.

• WISH + Past Perfect. We use it to express a regret about a past situation, which had already
happened the other way round.
o I wish I had seen the film. (but I hadn’t)
o I wish I had known that Gary was ill. I would have gone to see him.
o I feel sick. I wish I hadn’t eaten so much cake. (I ate too much cake)

• WISH + WOULD /COULD + infinitive. We use it when we want something to happen or when
we want somebody to do something. The speaker is not happy with the present situation and
he/she expresses a desire for a change.
o I wish you would do something instead of just sitting and doing nothing.
o I wish my brother wouldn’t shout at me.
o I wish he would be more polite with his parents.
o I wish it would stop raining.
§ *Note the difference: We use I wish … would … for action and changes, not
situations.
• I wish Sarah would come. (=I want her to come)
• I wish Sarah were here now. (Not “I wish Sarah would be…”)
• I wish somebody would buy me a car.
• I wish I had a car (Not “I wish I would have …”)