Tips on Conditional Tense
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The document provides tips on using conditional tenses in English grammar. It discusses the different types of conditional sentences including open, improbable, and unfulfilled conditions. It explains the verb forms used in the if-clause and main clause for each conditional type. Examples are given and common errors are identified in exercises to help understand when to use each conditional construction.
Tips on Conditional Tense
- 1. 6 TIPS on CONDITIONAL TENSE Grammar Rules and Tips for using Conditional Tense
- 2. Conditional Tenses Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In all cases, these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main clause. Classifying Conditional tenses based on the nature of the condition: If you study hard, you will get a medal. (Open Condition) If you studied hard, you would get a medal. (Improbable or imaginary condition) If you had studied hard, you would have got a medal. (Unfulfilled or unreal condition)
- 3. Classifying Conditional Tenses Usage If clause verb tense Main clause verb tense Open Condition Improbable Condition Unfulfilled Condition A possible condition and its probable result Simple present If you study hard, Simple Future (will /shall /can/ may + plain infinitive) you will get a medal. A hypothetical condition and its probable result Simple past If you studied hard, Present/ Continuous Conditional (would/should/could /might + plain infinitive) you would get a medal. An unreal past condition and its probable result in the past Past perfect If you had studied hard, Perfect /Continuous Conditional (would/should/could /might + perfect infinitive) you would have got a medal.
- 4. Conditionals: Open Condition Used to describe that something will happen if a certain condition is fulfilled or refers to a possible condition and its probable result. Facts: If you hit the dog, it will bite you. Give Warnings: If you don't leave, I'll call the police. Modals in main clause to express certainty, permission, or a recommendation: If you drop that glass, it might break. Interrogative version: What will you do if you miss the bus? Reverse order: If it rains, you will get wet. You will get wet if it rains.
- 5. Conditionals: Improbable Condition Used to describe that something which we don't expect to happen or refers to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result. Although the If clause takes a past tense, the sentence actually talks about the Present. Hypothetical Situation: If I had a degree, I could get a job easily. Present Continuous Conditional (expresses an unfinished or continuing action or situation): You wouldn't be smiling if you knew the truth. Modals in main clause to express certainty, permission, or a recommendation: He could go to the concert if you gave him your ticket. Interrogative version: If you were a millionaire, how would you spend your time ? Reverse order: If it rained, you would get wet. You would get wet if it rained.
- 6. Conditionals: Unfulfilled Condition Used to describe that something did not happen because a certain condition was not fulfilled or refers to an impossible condition and its probable result in past. Regret: If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam. Perfect Conditional Tense (would + have + past participle): I would have bought you a present if I had known it was your birthday. Modals in main clause to express certainty, permission, or a recommendation: You could have been on time if you had caught the bus. Interrogative version: Would she have gone to concert if you had given her the tickets? Reverse order: If it had rained, you would have gotten wet. You would have gotten wet if it had rained.
- 7. Tips on using Conditional Tense
- 8. Zero Conditional: Used to make statements about the real world, general truths, scientific facts. Nature: Real and possible Time: Now and always Formation: If + simple present -- main clause + simple present Example: If you heat ice, it melts. When you heat ice, it melts. ("if" can be replaced with "when", because both express general truths) If Suresh comes, tell him to meet me at the office. (using the imperative in the main clause to give instructions) Tip #1: Zero Conditional Mixed Conditional: Used to express an unreal present situation and its probable but unreal past . Nature: unreal and improbable Time: Now and always + Past Formation: If + past perfect-- main clause + present conditional OR If + simple past-- main clause + perfect conditional Example: If you had warned me then , I would not be in prison now. (If + past perfect-- main clause + present conditional) If I wasn't afraid of dogs, I would have picked it up. (If + simple past-- main clause + perfect conditional ) Tip #2: Mixed Conditional
- 9. Will, Would: normally ‘will’ or ‘would’ is not used in if clauses. However to express willingness or requests, they can be used in if clauses. If it will rain today you will get wet. (Wrong) If you will come this way, the manager will see you now. (Correct) Would and had can be contracted to ‘d: If I’d (would) known you were in hospital, I’d (had) have visited you. (Wrong) If I’d (had) known you were in hospital, I’d (would) have visited you. (Correct) Tip #3: Will, Would, Had Tip #4: Some, Any Somewhere, Anywhere: After if, we can either use "some(-one, -where)" or "any(-one, -where)”. Though both refer to undetermined quantities, there is a subtle difference. Any: extends without limit but usually used in negative sense. If I have any spare time next weekend, I will meet you. (there is hardly any time to spare) Some: a limiting word but expecting a positive outcome If I have some spare time next weekend, I will meet you. (chances are high that there will be time)
- 10. Unless: to express negative conditionals, ‘unless’ should be used. I'll be back tomorrow if there is not a plane strike. (Wrong) I'll be back tomorrow unless there is a plane strike. (Correct) Tip #5: Unless, Were: For unreal conditionals, ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’. If I was taller, I would buy this dress. (Wrong) If I were taller, I would buy this dress. (Correct) Tip #6: Were
- 11. Spot the Errors
- 12. Spot the Error If you freeze water, it might become a solid. If you dropped that glass, it will break. If I was a billionaire, I would give everyone a job. I would have been happy if you were calling me on my birthday. I'd (had) have bought you a present if I'd (would) known it was your birthday.
- 13. If you freeze water, it might become a solid. If you freeze water, it becomes a solid. If you dropped that glass, it will break. If you drop that glass, it will break. If I was a billionaire, I would give everyone a job. If I were a billionaire, I would give everyone a job. I would have been happy if you were calling me on my birthday. I would have been happy if you had called me on my birthday. I'd (had) have bought you a present if I'd (would) known it was your birthday. I'd (would) have bought you a present if I'd (had) known it was your birthday. Spot the Error
- 14. Spot the Error I would have been happy to help you if I am not in a financial crisis. We shall celebrate the party outdoors if it not rains next week. If you look inside the fridge, you might find any food. If I was you, I would give up smoking. If you will not hurry, you will miss the bus.
- 15. I would have been happy to help you if I am not in a financial crisis. I would have been happy to help you if I wasn't in a financial crisis. We shall celebrate the party outdoors if it not rains next week. We shall celebrate the party outdoors unless it rains next week. If you look inside the fridge, you might find any food. If you look inside the fridge, you might find some food. If I was you, I would give up smoking. If I were you, I would give up smoking. If you will not hurry, you will miss the bus. If you don't hurry, you will miss the bus. Spot the Error
- 16. Spot the Error I am working in Italy if I spoke Italian. If Mark did the washing up, his mother will have more time for him. If Vivek gotten up earlier, he wouldn't have been late for school. If you drop that glass, it may be broken. Unless she is not careful, she will fall off the bike.
- 17. I am working in Italy if I spoke Italian. I would be working in Italy if I spoke Italian. If Mark did the washing up, his mother will have more time for him. If Mark does the washing up, his mother will have more time for him. If Vivek gotten up earlier, he wouldn't have been late for school. If Vivek had gotten up earlier, he wouldn't have been late for school. If you drop that glass, it may be broken. If you drop that glass, it might break. Unless she is not careful, she will fall off the bike. Unless she is careful, she will fall off the bike. Spot the Error
- 18. Spot the Error I could have offered you my help in case I knew all about it. If I did work harder at school, I would have a better job now. What will happen if I will push this button? If I know where she lived, I would go and see her. If you'd(would) given me your e-mail, I'd(had) have written to you.
- 19. Spot the Error I could have offered you my help in case I knew all about it. I could have offered you my help in case I had known all about it. If I did work harder at school, I would have a better job now. If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now. What will happen if I will push this button? What will happen if I push this button? If I know where she lived, I would go and see her. If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her. If you'd(would) given me your e-mail, I'd(had) have written to you. If you'd(had) given me your e-mail, I'd(would) have written to you.
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Editor's Notes
- #2: VO: 10 Tips on using adverbs
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- #11: VO:
- #12: VO: Each of the following sentences will contain a mistake in the usage of Present Tense.
- #13: VO: Can you spot the errors in these 5 sentences? Please pause the video here to see if you can spot all 5 errors.
- #14: VO: The sentence If you freeze water, it might become a solid is incorrect because it is speaking of a scientific truth so is a zero conditional. And in zero conditional the tense in both parts of the sentence is the simple present. So the correct answer is If you freeze water, it becomes a solid. If you dropped that glass, it will break –this is a wrong sentence because this is a Type 1 conditional sentence. So the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future. But here the tense in ‘if’ clause is in past tense, that is, ‘dropped’. So the correct answer is If you drop that glass, it will break. If I was a billionaire, I would have given everyone a job- this sentence is incorrect because for hypothetical conditionals, ‘were’ should be used instead of ‘was’. So the correct answer is If I were a billionaire, I would give everyone a job. I would have been happy if you were calling me on my birthday—is a wrong sentence because considering the main clause is in perfect conditional form it is a Type 3 Conditional so the ‘if’ clause should be past perfect. So the correct answer is I would have been happy if you had called me on my birthday. The sentence I'd (had) have bought you a present if I'd (would) known it was your birthday- is incorrect because would never appears in the if-clause so if 'd appears in the if clause, it must be abbreviating had. Also had never appears before have so if 'd appears on a pronoun just before have, it must be abbreviating would. The correct answer is I'd (would) have bought you a present if I'd (had) known it was your birthday.
- #15: VO: Can you spot the errors in these 5 sentences? Please pause the video here to see if you can spot all 5 errors.
- #16: VO: The sentence I would have been happy to help you if I am not in a financial crisis- is incorrect because it is a Mixed conditional sentence, so the ‘if’ clause will be in Simple Past. The correct sentence is I would have been happy to help you if I wasn't in a financial crisis. We shall celebrate the party outdoors if it not rains next week- is not correct because in case conditional sentences usually we use ‘unless’ instead of ‘if not’ to the state the negative. So the correct answer is We shall celebrate the party outdoors unless it rains next week. The sentence If you look inside the fridge, you might find any food.– is not correct because here the speaker seems to indicate there is a positive possibility that there is food inside the fridge. And such cases, we use ‘some’ in place of ‘any’ which indicates negative. So the answer is The sentence If you look inside the fridge, you might find some food. If I was you, I would give up smoking– is wrong because it is a Type 2 Conditional Tense and in this case it is correct, and very common to say "if I were" instead of "if I was" . So the correct answer is If I were you, I would give up smoking. The sentence-- If you will not hurry, you will miss the bus- is not correct because the conditional construction does not normally use will or would in if-clauses. So the correct answer is If you don't hurry, you will miss the bus.
- #17: VO: Can you spot the errors in these 5 sentences? Please pause the video here to see if you can spot all 5 errors.
- #18: VO: the sentence I am working in Italy if I spoke Italian in Type 2 conditional sentences we use simple past in IF clause and present conditional or present continuous conditional in main clause. So based on the IF clause, the correct answer is I would be working in Italy if I spoke Italian. If Mark did the washing up, his mother will have more time for him– this sentence incorrect because this indicates a probable condition meaning this is a Type 1 Conditional. So, IF clause must be simple present and the correct answer is If Mark does the washing up, his mother will have more time for him. The sentence If Vivek gotten up earlier, he wouldn't have been late for school-- because this indicates an impossible condition, hence it is a Type 3 conditional. So, IF clause must be past perfect and the correct answer is If Vivek had got up earlier, she wouldn't have been late for school. If you drop that glass, it may be broken---this sentence is incorrect because the simple past in IF clause indicates it is a Type 1 Conditional so to use correct modals in the main clause the correct answer would be If you drop that glass, it might break. The sentence Unless she is not careful, she will fall off the bike– is not correct because ‘unless’ already means negative and used for ‘if not’. So we don’t use ‘not’ with ‘unless’. The correct answer is Unless she is careful, she will fall off the bike.
- #19: VO: Can you spot the errors in these 5 sentences? Please pause the video here to see if you can spot all 5 errors.
- #20: VO: the sentence I could have offered you my help in case I knew all about it- because it is a Type 3 conditional where the tense in the main clause is perfect conditional or perfect continuous conditional. So the correct answer is I could have offered you my help in case I had known all about it. If I did not work harder at school, I would have a better job now—this sentence is incorrect because it is Mixed conditional where the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional. But here the IF clause is in simple past. So the correct answer is If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now. What will happen if I will push this button? – this sentence is wrong because this is a interrogative version of Type 1 conditional tense and we don’t use ‘will’ with IF clause. So the correct answer is What will happen if I push this button? If I know where she lived, I would go and see her—this sentence is wrong because it is a type 2 conditional referring to an unlikely or hypothetical condition. So the tense in the 'if' clause should be the simple past, and the tense in the main clause should be present conditional or present continuous conditional. But here the IF clause is in simple present tense. The correct answer is If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her. The sentence If you'd(would) given me your e-mail, I'd(had) have written to you-- is incorrect because would never appears in the if-clause so if 'd appears in the if clause, it must be abbreviating had. Also had never appears before have so if 'd appears on a pronoun just before have, it must be abbreviating would. The correct answer is If you'd(had) given me your e-mail, I'd(would) have written to you.