UNIT 3.

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES 2º BACHILLERATO

ZERO CONDITIONAL
IF + Present Simple + Present Simple/Imperative
If you want to look fit and healthy, you need a lot of exercise
If you want to look fit and healthy, do a lot of exercise.

Present Simple / Imperative + IF + Present Simple

You need a lot of exercise if you want to look fit and healthy.
Do a lot of exercise if you want to look fit and healthy.

You use the ZERO CONDITIONAL to state universal truths.

FIRST CONDITIONAL
IF + Present Simple + Future Simple
Future Simple + IF + Present Simple
She won’t buy the dress if they don’t give her a discount.

We use the First Conditional to talk about situations which are possible in the present or the future.
*We can use CAN, MAY, MIGHT instead of WILL
SECOND CONDITIONAL
IF + Past Simple + Conditional
Conditional + IF + Past Simple
If he studied harder, he would pass her exams with flying colours.
It is used to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations.
*We can use COULD, MIGHT instead of WOULD
*When the verb in the if-clause is a form of be, we use were instead of was. Note that this use of were is
possible and recommended with all subjects. Was is also becoming acceptable, but many grammarians still
insist that you should use were.
If she were my daughter, I wouldn’t let her drop out of school. (NOT If she was my daughter…)
If I were you, I wouldn’t trust him.
If they were really interested in the offer, they would contact you.

THIRD CONDITIONAL
IF + Past Perfect + Perfect Conditional
Perfect Conditional + IF + Past Perfect
If he hadn’t stayed at home last night, he wouldn’t have had that terrible accident.

To talk about things in the past that did or did not happen and what would have happened if we had done
something different.
*We can use COULD HAVE, MIGHT HAVE instead of WOULD HAVE

MIXED CONDITIONALS
Mixed conditionals are sentences which use a mixture of second and third conditionals because we want to
express things we did in the past that might have present consequences or to express past events that may
be the result of present facts.
If you hadn’t spent all your money, you’d be able to buy a new phone.
If she weren’t so busy, she could have gone to the cinema last night.
If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.
If you had caught that plane you would be dead now.
UNLESS / AS LONG AS / PROVIDING / PROVIDED / IN CASE / SUPPOSING / EVEN IF / OTHERWISE
In the First Conditional, IF can be replaced by other words with a similar meaning (more formal than IF).

UNLESS
Unless means “IF NOT”
I’ll come round to your house unless I have to babysit. (If I don’t have to babysit, I’ll come round to your
house).

AS LONG AS / PROVIDING (THAT) / PROVIDED (THAT)

If you say that something is the case as long as or so long as something else is the case, you mean that it
is only the case if the second thing is the case. Same thing with provided or providing.
The interior minister said he would still support them, as long as they didn't break the rules.
I eat as much as I want, so long as it is healthy.
You can go to the party providing that you come before midnight.

IN CASE
We use in case to talk about things we should do in order to be prepared for possible future situations:
Shall I keep some chicken salad for your brother in case he’s hungry when he gets here?
In case I forget later, here are the keys to the garage.

SUPPOSING
The speaker is inviting the listener to imagine a situations. It can be used with all three types of conditional
sentences.
Supposing you lost your keys, how would you go into your house?
Supposing you lost your passport, you’d have to go to the embassy, wouldn’t you?

EVEN IF
We can use even if to mean if when talking about surprising or extreme situations:
You’re still going to be cold even if you put on two or three jumpers.
She won’t go to Mark’s wedding even if he invites her.

OR / OTHERWISE
We often use or and otherwise with conditional meanings:
You’ve got to start studying, or you’ll fail all those exams. (If you don’t start studying, you will fail the
exams.)
We’d better send it the package express, otherwise it’ll take days. (If we do not send it express, it will take
days.)

WISH / IF ONLY (REGRETS)

We use wish to talk about how we would like a present or past situation to be different.
PRESENT SITUATIONS
Wish + Past Simple or Past Continuous
There are no cheap restaurants near where I live. I wish there were some cheap restaurants near where I
live.
I can’t go out with John because we are going away for the weekend. I wish I could go out with John at the
weekend. I wish we weren’t going away for the weekend.

PAST SITUATIONS
Wish + Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous
Those trousers I bought look awful on me. I wish I hadn’t bought them.
We didn’t get a good view of the castle because it was raining. I wish it hadn’t been raining.

*I WISH + WOULD
To express an annoying action. (Different subject)
I wish you would stop making that noise.
I wish they would stop fighting.
I wish you would just shut up!
I wish Tom wouldn't snore so much…
I wish that dog would stop barking!
I wish this computer would stop crashing.
I wish this phone would stop ringing!

EXERCISES
1 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets according to the given
conditional.
1 If you (put) ice in the sun, it (melt). [zero]

2 People (not become) obese if they (know) more about health issues. [second]

3 I (go) to the supermarket as soon as you (tell) me what you want. [first]

4 If you (take) regular exercise before, you (put on) weight. [third]

5 If you (eat) more fibre, your health (improve). [zero]

6 you (give) Dave the money if you (see) him? [first]

7 If she (not go) to the doctor, she (not know) about her problem. [third]

8 If I (be) you, I (eat) more fruit. [second]

MIXED CONDITIONALS
2 Match the sentence beginnings 1–6 with the endings a–f to make mixed conditionals.
1 If she had gone to the doctor, …
a if you don’t like coffee?
2 If you had taken regular exercise, …
b if you were nicer to the customers.
3 You would have been promoted years ago …
c if you ate more sensibly.
4 Your stomach would feel better …
d she wouldn’t feel ill today.
5 Those people wouldn’t be unfit …
e you would be healthier now.
6 Why did you order the tiramisù …
f if they looked after themselves.

3 Complete the mixed conditional sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box.
be · drink · enjoy · invite · see · watch
1 If you hadn’t added two teaspoons of sugar to my coffee, I__________________________ it.
2 If Jason weren’t so rude, I ____________________ him to the party tomorrow night.
3 If you _____________________ eating meat, then you won’t like the new vegetarian restaurant.
4 If _________________________ we the teacher yesterday, then we would know exactly what to do
now.
5 If she had a migraine earlier, then why _______________ she___________________ TV at the
moment?
6 If dad hadn’t eaten so much junk food last year, then he ______________________ overweight now.

UNLESS, AS LONG AS, PROVIDED / PROVIDING, IN CASE, SUPPOSING, EVEN IF, OTHERWISE
4 Choose the best answers to complete the sentences.
1 Take some money in case / providing / as long as you want to buy something.
2 I’ll start doing more exercise, even if / supposing / providing my knee gets better.
 3 Provided / Otherwise / Supposing it’s closed – what then?
4 I’m not going to the party supposing / providing / unless Samantha is going.
5 Let’s eat something now, even if / as long as / otherwise the restaurants will all be closed.
6 It’s not a problem as long as / in case / unless you have insurance.
7 We can have a nice picnic in case / unless / providing it rains.
8 I wouldn’t go even if / otherwise / as long as you paid me!

5 Write sentences using the words in brackets.

1 I’ll have to stop eating so much sugar. I’ll put on weight. (otherwise)

2 That restaurant may or may not have a vegetarian option. If so, I can eat there. (providing)

3 Supposing that were the last place in town. I still wouldn’t eat there. (even if)

4 I can drink juice drinks. But they must have low sugar content. (unless)

5 I might get seasick. What shall I do then? (supposing)

6 We’ll pick up the prescription. The chemist must be open. (as long as)

7 She’s brought dozens of batteries with her. They might not sell them there. (in case)

WISH, IF ONLY
6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
1 I only wish I (lose) weight sooner.

2 Jack really wishes he (live) nearer school.

3 They wish they (come) to the health centre today because it is so busy.

4 If only they (remove) the piles of rubbish from their garden. It is so messy.

5 I wish we (stay) out all night. I’m having so much fun.

6 If only she (move) to Australia. It’s thousands of miles away!

REPHRASING
7 Rewrite the sentences. Use the correct form of the conditional.
1 We had no time to visit him. We were late.

2 You ate all the cake yesterday. We can’t have a slice now.

3 He wants to get good marks. He has to study hard.

4 Don’t run so fast. You could break your leg.

5 He doesn’t spend a lot of time with his friends. He is very busy.

8 Rewrite the sentences to give the same meaning.

1 I’m not going on holiday with you if you carry on complaining.
 Unless…
2 He will wait for you if he knows you are interested.
Provided / providing (that)
3 Helen wouldn’t want to go out with him if he asked her out.
Even if…
4 His parents will let him go camping if he keeps his room tidy for a month.
As long as…
9 Write sentences using wish or if only.
1 I can’t play tennis this weekend because I hurt my foot.
2 I think it’s a pity he never learnt to play a musical instrument.
3 I can’t go out because I have to study for my exams.
4 My teacher is always giving us homework.
5 I saw Mike, but I didn’t say hello.
6I didn’t say goodbye to my mother this morning and she was angry.
7 I didn’t study last week and I failed the Science test.
8 I always fight with my sister.
10 Rewrite the sentences to give the same meaning.
1 Diego is scared of water. He didn’t go on the boat trip.
If Diego
2 There aren’t any nice shops where I live.
I wish
3 My sister will be 18 tomorrow and I have no money to get her a present.
If only
4 If Peter doesn‘t tell me what happened, I’ll be very annoyed.
Unless