1 and 2 conditionals

8/12/2019 1 and 2 Conditionals

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/1-and-2-conditionals 1/4

Compare examples:

t lisa has lost her watch. She tells Sue:

lISA:

I ve lOSt my watch. Have you seen it anywhere?

SUE:

No,

but

if I find it, I ll tell you.

In

this example, Sue feels there

is

a rcal possibility that she will find the watch.

So

she

saYS:

_-- -if_ -- fin-- d-- o_00-- _I _II_00_00

1

2 Joo

say

If I found a wallet in dlC street, I d take

it

to the police station.

This is a different

type

of 5iru3tion. Here, doesn t expect

to

find a wailer in the street:

he is

inragin; lg

a situation that will probably not happen.

So

he says:

if I found

.. .

, ( d I would) .

. ot

if

I find

.. . ,1 11 .. .

)

Unit

38

If

I

do nd If

I did ...

When you imagine something like this, you if past

if

I found

I

if

there was

I

if

we didn t etc.).

But the meaning is t past:

o What would you do

if

you won a million pounds?

(we don t really expect this to

o I don t really wanr to go ro their parry, but I

probably will go. They d be upset if I didn t go.

o I f there was

or

were)

an

election tomorrow,

who

would you vote for?

For if

.. .

was/were, Unit 39C.

76

We

do

nOI

normally would

in

the if-part

of

the sentence:

o I d

be

very frightened if somebody pointed a gun al me.

1Ot

if somebod) would point)

o If I didn t go to their parry, they d be upset. ot If I wouldn t gol

But you can use if

.. .

would when you ask somebody ro do something:

o

from a formal letter)

I would be grateful if you would let me know your decision as soon

as possible.

In

the

other

part of the sentence (not the if-part) we use would ( d)

I

wouldn t:

o If you took more exercise, you d

you would) feel better.

o I m not tired. If I went to bed now. I wouldn t sleep.

o Would you mind if I used your phone?

Could and might arc also possible:

o If you took more exercise, you might feel better. 1= it is possible that you would feel better)

o If it sropped raining, we could go ol;1t.

we would be able to go our)

Do not use when

in

sentences like those on this page:

o They d

be

upset if

t didn t

go to their party.

ot

when I didn t go)

o What would you do if you were bitten by a snake? ot when you were bitten)

WiII- Units 21-22 If and when - Unit 250

Would

- Unit 36 If I knew - Unit 39

If I had

known

-

Unit

40



Exercises

Unit

38.1

38.2

38.3

38.4

Put

the verb into the correct form.

They would be offended

if

I .....

4 4.,.t:l.:t....g.Q _

to their parry. not go)

2 If you took more exercise, you ..... M better. feel)

3 If they offered me the job, I think I _ if. take)

4 A lot

of

people would

be

ou t

o f w or k

if the

ca r

factory _ dose down)

5 If I sold my car, I

.

_ _ much money for it, not f get)

in

lift What would happen

if

somebody _ _

that

red b ut to n? press)

7 I don t think there s an y chance that

Gary

an d Em ma will g et ma rri ed. I d be a bsol ute ly

astonished if they _._.

__

_ _. _ do)

8 Liz gave

me

this ring. She _

_._

very upset if I lost it. be)

9 Dave an d Kate are expecting us. The y w ou ld be very dis appoinred if we

......._._

_._.._ no t

come)

10

Would Ste\ e mind if I

_._ _ _ his bike without asking him? borrow)

What w ou ld y ou do if somebody .._ _ _._ _ _ _ in here with a gun? walk)

fm sure Sue

__

. _ _ _ _ if you explained the situation to her. understand)

You

ask a friend

to

imagine

these

situations.

You

ask

What

would you do if

?

I imagine - you win a lot of money)

..... M Qf _._ _

_._._

_ _

2 imagine - you lose your passpon)

What _ _ _._ _ .

3 imagine - there s a fire in the building)

4 imagine - you re in a lift an d it StopS berween floors)

Answer

th e

questions

in

th e

y

shown.

1 . \: Shall we carch the 1 0.30 t ra in ?

No. arrive too early) l f J.Q.J.9. tQP.

_.

2

A: Is

Kevin going t o t ake his driving rest?

No. fail) If he ._ .

3 . \: Why don t we sta y at a hotel?

No. cosr

toO

much) If

4 . \: Is Sally going to apply fa t the job?

No. not get it) If _ _ _ _ _ _ .

5 . \: Let s tell t he m the tr urh .

No. not

f

believe us)

If

.

6

A:

Why

don t

we invite

Bill

to the parry?

No. have to invite his friends too)

_ , _ _

Use

your own ideas to c om ple te these sentences.

If you tOok more exercise, ....

2 I d be \ ery angry i . _ .

3 If I didn t go

to work

tomorrow,

4 Would you go to the parry if .

5 If you bought some new clothes, .

6 Would you mind if

77



Unit

39

I f I

knew .

I

wish

I knew ...

Study this example situation:

S ata h w ants to phone Paul, but she c an t

do

this because

she doesn t know his number.

She says:

If J k ne w his n umbe r, 1 w ou ld

phone

him.

Satan says:

If

I

knew

his number . . . . This rells us that she

does ,

know his number. She

is

imagining the situation.

Th e real

situation is

that

she doesn t know his number.

If J knew his numbt-r ...

W he n you i ma gi ne a s it ua ti on l ike t hi s, you use

if

st

if

I k ne w if y ou w er e if we didn t

erc.). Bur the meaning is present,

t

past:

o

To m

wou ld read m or e if he had morc time. hut he have much time)

o If I didn t

want

to go la th e part) . I wouldn t go. but I

wa m

to go)

o

We

wouldn t have any money

if

we didn t work. but we work)

o

If

you were in my posi tion, what wo ul d you do ?

o It s a pity you can t drive:. It w ou ld be useful i f you c ou ld .

-

We: use the: p as t in the: same way afte:r wish I wish 1 kne:w /1 wish you we:re: e:rc.). We: use wish

ro sa y that we: regre:r some:thing, char something

is

no t as we: would

like:

it to be:

o 1 wish I knew Paul s phone number.

(= I don t know it an d I regret this)

o Do you eve:r wish you

could fly?

you can t fly

o h rains a lot

he:re.

I wish

it

didn t rain 50 often.

o h s very crowde:d here. I wish there were:n t so

many people:. there ar e a lot of peo.ple)

o I wish I didn t have to work tomorrow but

unfortunately I do.

If I were / if I was

We

do no t norma lly use wo ul d in the if-parr

of

the sentence

or

after wish:

o If I were rich, 1 woul d have a yacht. ( 01 If I would be rich)

o 1 wish 1 h ad something

to

read.

not

I wish I would have:l

Sometimes wish .. . w ou ld is possible: I wish you w ou ld listen. See Unit 41.

If

I was you, .. .

.. .

if it wasn t

so

cold.

I wish Carol was here.

After if and wish, you can use were instead

of

was if I were ... /1 wish it were etc.).

l

was / it

was ar e also possible. So you can say:

o

If

I were you,

J

wouldn t buy that coat.

o I d go

ou t

if

it

weren t

so

cold.

o I wish Carol were here.

Could some:times means

would

b e a bl e

lO an d

some:times waslwe:re able: to :

o You

could

ge:t a better job you could get

=

you w ou ld be able lO ge:t

if you could use a computer. you could use

=

y ou were a bl e to use)

78

Could Units 26 21

I f

I do

I

i f I did Unit 38

I f

I had known wish I had known Unit 40

Wish Unit 41



Exercises

Unit 39

39.1

39.2

39.3

39.4

Put the verb into the correct form.

If

I _ know) his number. I w ou ld p ho ne him.

2 (

p u ;l

nor

I buy)

that

coat if I were you .

.3 [ _ _ __

{help) if I c ou ld , b ut I m a fr ai d 1 can t.

4 We would need a car if w e. . . , Jive

in

the country.

If we ha d t he c ho ic e, w e . ,

_ . . _

(live) in th e country.

6 This

soup

isn't very

good.

It _ _

_...

. (taste) better

if i t w as n t so

salt}'.

i I wouldn t mind living in England if th e weather . (bel better.

S

If

I were you, I . . _ (not f wait), I . (go) now.

9 You re

always tired. If you no t / go l

to

bed so late every night, you

wouldn t be t ired all th e time.

10 I think

there ar e

roo C H S . If there

no t I

he)

so many

o r

there

_ (nor / be) s o m uc h p ol lu ri on .

Write a sentence with

if

... for each

situation.

\ le don t see vou Ver\' often because vou live so far .

f

_ _

..

1 This book is ro o expensi\·e. so I m nor going buy ir.

d

. _

_...........

. if

3

\'('e don t go Ou t often - we can t afford ir.

\Yle

_ _ .

4 Ican r meer you romorrow - I have £0 work late.

If _ _ .

j

It's raining. so we

can t

have lunch outside.

We _ ._._

6 I

don r want

his ad,·ice.

an d

that s

I m nor

going

to

as k for it.

I f

Write sentences beginning I wish

I I don r

know

many people land I m lonely) _J .. .

I don r

hare

a mobile

phone

an d I need on e I. I wish

3 Helen isn'r here an d I need

to

see her . . .

4 It's

cold

an d I h,lte cold weather). . .

5 I li\'e in a big city an d I don t like it) .

6 I can t go to th e party (and I d like ro).

7 I han ro work £Omorrow bu t I'd like stay in bed).

8 I d on t k no w anything abour cars (and m r car has JUSt broken down).

9 I'm

no r

feeling well an d it's

nor

nice}.

Write your own sentences beginning I wish

I somewhere

you d

like to be

no w

- on th e beach,

in Ne w

York, in bed etc.)

I wish I . .

something

you d

like to ha\'e - a

computer,

a job, lors of money etc.)

3 something you d like to be

able to

do - sing, speak a language, fly etc,)

4 something

you d

like ro be - beautiful, strong, rich etc.)

- Additional exercises 19-21 (pages 313-14) 79

1 and 2 conditionals

Documents