Real conditionals EE In real conditionals we usually use a present tense verb in the if-clause to talk about the future: © Ifyou leave now, you'll be able to catch the 5 o'clock train. (or If you're leaving now ...) However, in conversation we can use be going to instead of a present tense verb G Ifl'm going to catch the train, I'll have to leave now. We'll need more chairs if we're going to invite so many people to the performance. When we make offers, and give instructions or advice we can use an imperative inthe main clause Take another sandwich if you're hungry. ©) Ifyou have a mobile phone, check that it is turned off. ‘We can use if-clauses with a present tense verb to introduce certain conditions under which something is true. In this case, ‘if’ has a meaning similar to ‘when’ © The video pauses if you click on this button. © fage-related changes are taken into account, the conclusion remains the same. We can talk about possible future events with a present perfect verb in the if-clause and a future form (will, present continuous, or be going to) in the main clause, Sometimes present perfect or present simple can be used with a similar meaning © lend you War and Peace if I've finished it before you go on holiday. (or .. if finish.) © Ifyou haven't paid the bill by Friday, we're taking the carpets back. (or Ifyou don't pay...) However, to focus on the future consequences of a past event, we use the present perfect. Compare: © Ift've failed my exam again, I'm giving up the course. (suggests | have already taken the ‘exam; | don't know the result) and (OIF Hfail my exam again, I'm giving up the course. (I may or may not have taken the exam) Unreal conditionals In unreal conditionals we can use if ...were + to-infinitive rather than if + past simple to talk about imaginary future situations, particularly when itis unlikely that the situation in the if-clause wll happen (see also Unit 14): ‘Ifthe technology were to become available, we would be able to expand the business. However, note that we don’t usually use this pattern with verbs such as belong, doubt, enjoy, know, like, remember, and understand when they describe a state: If knew they were honest, 'd gladly lend them the money. (not If were to know.) ‘We sometimes use this pattern to make a suggestion sound more polite: Would it be too early for you if we were to meet at 5:30? We use if it was not for + noun phrase (or more formally if it were not for + noun phrase) to say that one situation is dependent on another situation or on a person (see also Unit 85), When we talk about the past we can also use if t had not been for + noun phrase: If it wasn’t / weren't for Nina, the conference wouldn't be going ahead. If it hadn't been for Dad, | wouldn't have gone to college. (or If it wasn't / weren't for ..) In formal language we can also use Were it not for ... and Had it not been for ... (see Unit 844): CO Were it not for Nina © Had it not been for Dad We can use but for + noun with a similar meaning, particulary in formal contexts: © The village school would have been closed years ago but for the determination of teachers ‘and parents to keep it open. (=... if it hadn't been for the determination...Exercises Fie} (GSD complete these sentences with an imperative (1-3) or an if-clause (4-6). 11 There have been a lot of thefts from cars in the city centre. If you leave your car there, make sure it's locked. / don’t leave. any. valuables. in it 2 If youhave any more problems with the computer, 3 Ifyou see Ned today, 4 keep well away from them. 5 don't hesitate to get in touch with me again, 6 get off at the stop near the library. ‘Complete the sentences using the verb pairs from the box. Use the present simple or present. perfect in the if-clause, and give alternatives. Notice any differences in meaning. @ need nothelp-go _leave-meet ve study—know —break-haveto 1 Ifyou. haxe studied. / study. Macbeth, you'll. know. the scene with the witches. 2 Ifyou home before I get there, I'l ‘you at the airport. 3 Ifyou the window, you'll pay for it. 4 ifthe taxi by 10 o'clock, I'l you a lft to the station. 5 Ifyou an application form, you will todo so before you can be considered for the job. 6 If the antibiotics by the end of the week, I'l back to the doctor. (E I recessary, correct the italicised part of the sentence using a past simple form of the same verb. 1 'dssell the house immediately if it were to belong to me. 2 If they were to hold an election now, the Democrats would undoubtedly win 3 I'd go back to the restaurant if | were tolike sushi more. 4 If lwere ta doubt his honesty, | wouldn't employ him, 5 There would be no cinema in the town if the Odeon were to close. 6 If l were to understand Chinese, Id do the translation myself. BD orrpie these rewsittan sentences with similar meanings. @ 1 The weather was terrible. Otherwise, we would have gone walking this weekend. if it had not been, for. the. terrible. weather, we. would, have. gone. walking this weekend, 2. His happiness would have been complete except for his anxiety over Carla. ifit were 2 The strike would probably still be going on if the government hadn't intervened. Were it 4 The fight could have got out of hand ifthe police hadn't arrived. Hadit 5. Everything was quiet except for the sound of birds singing. But for 6 There would have been far more wars in the last 50 years without the United Nations. /fitwas 7 We would have been here two hours ago except for the roadworks. ifit had 167‘When the first verb in a conditional if-clause is should, were, or had we ‘an leave out if and put the verb at the start of the clause (see Units 99 ‘and 100 for more on inversion). We do ths particularly in formal or literary English, and onty in hypothetical conditionals (a type of unreal conditional which answers the question ‘What would happen if..2": ‘O_ Should any of this cost you anything, send me the bill (= If any ofthis should cost ...) © Itwould be embarrassing, were she to find out the truth. (=... if she were to find out ©. Had they not rushed jo to hospital, she would have died. (=I they hadn't rushed Jo...) ‘We don't usually use if... will in conditional clauses. However, we can use if. will = 3 when we talk about a resule of something in the main clause, Compare Open a window if it will help you to sleep. (or... fit helps you to sleep; ‘Helping you to sleep’ isthe result of opening the window) and (Iwill be angry if it turns out that you are wrong, (not... if it wll turn out ‘you are wrong’ is not the result of being angry) 3 in requests or with the meaning ‘if you are willing to’ (or If... would to be more polite): Ifyou will / would take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, we can begin the meeting. in real conditionals when we want to show that we disapprove of something. In this case, wills stressed in speech (see also Unit 168): x: Imtired. 8: Well, if you will go to bed so late, 'm not surprised. Note that we can use if ... won't when we talk about a refusal to do something: There's no point in trying to teach the class if they won't pay attention. turning out that % In areal conditional sentence, we use i if... should happen to to talk about something which may be possible, but is not very likely If .. happen to is most common in spoken English: © Ifyou happen to be in our area, drop in and see us. (or f you should [happen to] be.) Note that we don't usually use this pattern in unreal conditional talking about states or events in the if-clause which the speaker perceives as highly unlikely or impossible: the North Sea froze in winter, you could walk from London to Oslo. (but probably not Ifthe North Sea happened to freeze / should (happen to) freeze in winter...) in comparison clauses we can use as f followed by a noun phrase, -ing clause, past participle (-ed) clause, of to-infinitive to introduce a comparison with a situation described in the main clause, We do this to give an explanation or to say that something appears to be the case but is not: (O Magnus walked in asif nothing had happened. His hands made a circular motion, as if steering a bus through a sharp bend. When he caught the ball, Lee fell to the floor as if hit by a bullet, © Asif to.convince herself that Luis was really there, she gently touched his cheek. Note that we can use as though instead of as if, and in informal speech some people use like with the same meaning: ©) The crowd reacted as though they were watching a boxing match. (or... asf...) © He walked into the room like nothing had happened. (or... as if.)Exercises GEBD Rewrite these sentences with similar meanings. Begin with the word given. @9 1 Consult your doctor again ifthe symptoms remain 72 hours after starting the course of medicine. Should... . Une. symptoms remain 72 hours after starting the. course. of medicine, consult. your doctor again. 2. You would know what you have to do for homework, if you had not been absent from school on. Friday. Had.. 3 Clare would have been able to stay with her friends if they were still living in Brussels. Were... 4 The factory would not have had to shut down if the workers were prepared to accept 2 wage cut. Were. 5 We shall have to reduce the number of employees if the financial performance of the company doesn't improve in the near future. Should 6 I might have considered taking the job if the salary had been higher. Had. GD ‘necessary, correct the italicised parts of these sentences. @ 1 fwillpress ths button, will it start to record? 2 You're welcome to borrow my old bike, ifyou think it willbe ofany use to you. 3 {fhe won't resign, the Prime Minister should sack him, 4 ff the disease will be untreated, it can lead to brain damage. 5 If you'll tell me where the vacuum cleaners, do some cleaning 6 sfyou't complain about me, Vl get into trouble with my teacher. 7 fit save money, Im willing to go by public transport ED ‘possible, write the italicised parts ofthese sentences with happen to. fits unikely, write after the sentence. 1 iflsee Georgia wenn Rome, Il send he your regards 2 {fa UFO landed in the centre of New York, there would be mass panic. 3. The plan for a new airport to be built outside London is bad news ifyou live nearby. 4 If was the President, | would order our nuclear weapons to be destroyed. 5 Ifyouare in the south of Spain next week, there isa good chance of seeing a total eclipse of the sun. EBD complete the sentences using your own words or the notesifyou prefer. (agree - everything Julia said) -(}—say—shocking}_(it-reverse-wall) (try-imagine-contained) _ (overcome ~ great weariness) 1 My father raised his eyebrows as if | had. said. something shocking 2 He folded his arms on the table and laid his head on them, as if 3. She stared hard at the parcel as if... 4 He nodded his head slowly as if 5. The back of the car looked as if. 169