LESSON 5
Conditionals
When you find an “ if” you are of course talking about a hypothetical situation. Whichever type of
hypothetical situation is being dealt with, the same empirical rule applies: if A therefore B. The question
mark is only on the A. In a basic conditional B follows if A happens. There are only 3 possible
scenarios (plus zero):
 If (which can be understood as when) talking generally as with scientific facts, rules or acts of God
– true, even if it doesn’t happen.
(Zero conditional i.e not a conditional)
 If in the future
(conditional no.1)
 If in the present
(conditional no.2)
 If in the past
(conditional no.3)
The construction of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd conditionals reflects the idea that B is the effect or result caused
if A happens.
C) Table of conditionals
0 conditional
timeless truth
conditional 1
future possibility
A - PREMISS
if – v. Simple (present)
B - CONSEQ.
v. Simple (present)
If the sun shines
on my skin
I get burned
if – v. Simple (present)
v. Simple (future)
If you come
I’ll be happy
if – v. Simple (“past”)
v. Simple (would)
If I were a fish
I would live in the water
if – v. Perfect (past)
v. Simple (would)
Perfect
I would have
met you
conditional 2
untrue now
conditional 3
hypothesis
in the past
If I had
come to the party
There are situations where the context determines that the construction be “mixed” as with a present
situation which was caused in the past.
This would require a mixture of 2nd and 3rd conditionals:
If +perf. (past) (3) therefore simple (would) (2).
If she had started to work young she would be successful now
In real communication - mixed, where the cause and effect are not from a classroom, are very
common.
Last week I was reading book about Plotinus and found the sentence:
If the will was free, education would be impossible.
Help! I thought here is a theologian, priest and fellow of both Oxford and Cambridge universities
making such a mistake. We all know that;
The 1st conditional is If + A (Simple present) therefore B Simple (future) – possibility.
FUTURE
nd
The 2 conditional is if + A (Simple past) therefore B Simple (would) - Not true now. PRESENT *
The 3rd conditional is if + A (Perfect past) therefore B Simple (would) plus perfect – regret.
PAST
But as in the 2nd the past is not a real past it behaves a bit strangely and the “was” doesn’t exist so “If I were you…”
Here he is talking in the present, but not of a simply not- true thing. As a philosopher he is talking of a
hypothetical possibility in the present of such a person existing but now. This corroborates my
contention at the beginning that hard and fast rules do not exist if one is to use a language as a means
of communication, and happily uses a non pure 2nd conditional to express a hypothetical possibility in
the present. He certainly hasn’t taken a placement test overseen by a computer!
What of ?
If the weather was sunny we could have gone to Grado this morning.
This is a hypothetical comment about something which didn’t happen in the present. This is a nonpure 2nd with a 3rd with could.
Exercise 5
Conditionals
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
If you split the hydrogen atom you ……… (cause) an explosion.
If we had decided to go out for a picnic, it ……………. (be) a disaster, because it rained.
If I ……….. (be) you I ………......... (find) a new partner.
………………......... (you/wait) for me until I get out of prison?
If I achieve good exam results I …..... (go) to Oxford University.
In England if you ………… (not/pay) your taxes you ……. (get) into trouble.
If she won a lot of money she ………. (give up) her job and travel around the world.
Would you have bought that pink Smart if your girlfriend ……………….. (not/persuade) you?
If I …………….(can/not/meet) you tomorrow I ………….. (phone) you.
10) …………………….. (marry) me if I asked you?