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Gs Conditionals

This document is a conversation between Sophie and Anna about conditionals. [1] Sophie is helping Anna understand how to use conditional sentences. [2] They discuss the first conditional, which uses "if + present, then will + infinitive" to talk about possible future situations, the second conditional, which uses "if + past, then would + infinitive" to talk about unlikely situations, and zero conditionals which are used for facts. [3] They also cover words like "unless" and "as long as" that can be used instead of "if", and mention that there are other conditionals besides these three.

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Rebeca Carrillo Sola
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30 views

Gs Conditionals

This document is a conversation between Sophie and Anna about conditionals. [1] Sophie is helping Anna understand how to use conditional sentences. [2] They discuss the first conditional, which uses "if + present, then will + infinitive" to talk about possible future situations, the second conditional, which uses "if + past, then would + infinitive" to talk about unlikely situations, and zero conditionals which are used for facts. [3] They also cover words like "unless" and "as long as" that can be used instead of "if", and mention that there are other conditionals besides these three.

Uploaded by

Rebeca Carrillo Sola
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grammar videos: Conditionals

Remember to watch the video first! Then read the


conversation between Sophie and Anna, an English
language student that Sophie met in Iceland. Sophie’s
helping Anna understand how to use conditionals.

We use conditional sentences to say one thing depends on another. They can be used to
talk about real or imaginary situations. One of the clauses starts with if (or a similar word)
– this is the conditional clause. The other clause talks about the result of the conditional
clause happening.

Ummm?

Don’t worry, it’s a lot easier than it sounds. Let’s look at some examples.

If you don’t tell me, I’ll just keep asking.


If I promise to travel less, will you forgive me?

Anna I know that one. It’s a first conditional: if + present simple, then will + infinitive.

That’s right. It’s for talking about a situation in the future which the speaker
thinks is quite possible. If the first condition happens, something will happen as
a result. In this conditional sentence, the present tense after if refers to the
future, not the present. Sophie

And can you change the order of the clauses round?

Yes, and we leave out the comma in the middle of the sentence if the order
is changed round.

I’ll just keep asking if you don’t tell me.

OK. I also know the second conditional. If + past simple, then would + infinitive.

Right again! This is for talking about an unlikely or unreal condition.


If you travelled less because of me, I’d feel worse.
If I had the opportunity to visit places like that, I wouldn’t complain!

So, in the second example, Oliver doesn’t think he will have the opportunity
to travel a lot. It’s possible but improbable. We use the past simple to show
that it’s not likely, not to indicate past time.
Grammar videos: Conditionals

Can you use any other verbs, apart from would, in this kind of conditional?

Yes, we sometimes use other modal verbs like might or could in the result
clause (not the if clause).

I see. What about, 'If you mix blue and yellow, you get green'. Is that
a conditional?

Yes. That’s a zero conditional. We often use them for facts, or in academic
subjects.
When it rains a lot, the animals move to higher ground. (geography)

What about other words that can replace if, like unless and as long as?

Well, unless is a kind of negative version of if.


I’ll never go unless you take me. (= If you don’t take me, I’ll never go.)

As long as imposes a condition on someone. You’re telling them what you


expect them to do.

You can borrow my surfboard as long as you get it back to me by five


o’clock.

So if you agree to what I say, you can borrow my surfboard?

Exactly.

Are there any other conditionals?

Well, there’s the third conditional, but we’ll deal with that separately.

Phew! Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll have to stop there.

That’s fine, as long as everything’s clear!

Watch the video on our website!

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