1.

Conditional Sentences
Introduction

^1& Tyq úNd.h iu;a fõú Tyq uykais fj,d jev lrkjd kï

He will pass the exam

He works hard } if kï
MC+SC He will pass the exam if he works hard
Main clause Subordinate clause

SC+MC If he works hard, he will pass the exam

^2& wmsg t<shg hkak nE jeiafid;a.

we can’t go out if it rains.
If it rains, we can’t go out.

^3& Thd úNd.h mdia fjkak bv ;shkjd Thd uykais fj,d jev lf<d;a.
You may pass the exam if you work hard.
If you work hard, you may pass the exam.

^4& uu office tlg hd hq;=hs Tjqka ug oekqï ÿkafkd;a.

I must go to the office if they inform me.
If they inform me, I must go to the office.

^5& uu Thdj yuqfjkak tkakï ug fõ,dj ;snqfKd;a.

I’ll come to meet you if I have time.
If I have time, I’ll come to meet you.

Unless = if... not = ke;akï

(1) We can’t win the match unless we play well.

Unless we play well, we can’t win the match.

(2) I don’t help them unless they come here.

Unless they come here, I don’t help them.

(3) We will come tomorrow unless it rains.

Unless it rains, we will come tomorrow.

(4) She won’t pass the exam unless she works hard.
Unless she works hard, she won’t pass the exam.

There are three types of conditional sentences

(1) Probable or open condition.

(2) Improbable condition.

(3) Impossible condition.

01
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 Type 01 Probable or open condition (future)

Main Clause Subordinate Clause

wmsg ueÑ tl oskkak mqMjka wms fydoska fi,a,ï lf<d;a
we can win the match if we play well
Future present
Simple Future (will go) Simple present/ can/ may/
Future Continuous (will be going) might/should/ought to/ must
Future Perfect (will have gone)
can
may/ might / should /ought to
must
will be able to
will have to

(1) ;d;a;d ug nkSú uu f.or .sfh ke;akï.

Father will scold me if I don’t go home.
If I don’t go home, Father will scold me.

(2) àp¾ Thd,g o`vqjï lrdú Thd,d homework fkdlf<d;a.

The teacher will punish you if you don’t do homework.
If you don’t do homework, the teacher will punish you.

(3) wmg mqMjka Thdg Woõ lrkak Thd wms;a tlal kej;=fkd;a.
we can help you if you stay with us.
If you stay with us, we can help you.

(4) thdg b,a,d wiafjkak isoaOfõú Tjqka thdg mä f.jka ke;akï.

He will have to resign if they don’t pay him the salary.
If they don’t pay him the salary, he will have to resign.

(5) uu thdg wjjdo lrkak ´k thd fu;k jev lrkjd kï.

I should advise him if he works here.
If he works here, I should advise him.

Exercise 01

(1) If you........................................... (come), I can help you.

..........................................................................................................................
(2) If it rains, we........................................(stop) the class early.
..........................................................................................................................
(3) If I go to the class, I...................................(give) you the note.
..........................................................................................................................
(4) If she prepares lunch early, we........................................(have) lunch and go.
.........................................................................................................................
(5) If I.................................................................. (go) home, I’ll ring you up.
.........................................................................................................................
(6) If he....................................................(work) hard, he can earn a lot of money.
.........................................................................................................................
(7) If they come here, we.........................(provide) them accommodation.
.........................................................................................................................
(8) If you read books, you..........................................(be able to) improve your English.
.........................................................................................................................
02
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
(9) If he.................................(work) well, they will pay him a higher salary.
........................................................................................................................
(10) If you go to Kandy, you...................................(visit) the Temple of Tooth Relic.
.......................................................................................................................
(11) If we invite him, he.........................................(come) to the wedding.
.......................................................................................................................
(12) If they don’t see me tomorrow morning, they........................(phone) me in the evening.
.......................................................................................................................
(13) If she................................(pass) the exam, she can find a good job.
.......................................................................................................................
(14) If I....................................(give) you my phone number, will you call me?
.......................................................................................................................
(15) If there is a fire, the alarm......................................(ring)
........................................................................................................................
(16) If they............................(invite) you, you.................................(go) to the party.
........................................................................................................................

Find some examples from the internet and write them here.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................

Type 02 Improbable Condition (present)

Main clause Subordinate Clause

Thd uefrkjd Thd .fyka jegqfKd;a

You would die if you fell off the tree
would
could
should
} +verb (infinitive) Past

(1) uu fodr wßkjd ug h;=r ;snqKd kï.

I could open the door if I had the key.

(2) thd ug call lrkjd thd uf.a number tl okakjd kï.

She would call me if she knew my number.

(3) Thd ishosú kid .kakjd Thd uu jqKdkï.

You would commit suicide if you were me.

(4) uu wr .yg k`.skjd uu msßñ <ufhl= jqKdkï.

I would climb that tree if I were a boy.

(5) weh wo tkafk kE weh uu jqKdkï.

She wouldn’t come today if she were me.

03
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Exercise 02

(1) If you...................................................(drink) this poison, you would die.

........................................................................................................................
(2) If I had money, I.......................................(help) you.
........................................................................................................................
(3) If you dropped the mug, it........................................(break)
........................................................................................................................
(4) If I..................(be) a boy, I’d climb that tree.
........................................................................................................................
(5) If they.......................(open) the cage, the birds would escape.
........................................................................................................................
(6) If he.................................(have) money, he would buy a car.
........................................................................................................................
(7) If I knew the answer, I......................................................................(tell) you.
........................................................................................................................
(8) If she..........................................(live) in the country, she wouldn’t be happy.
........................................................................................................................
(9) If I wanted to learn German, I....................................(go) to Germany.
........................................................................................................................
(10) If I.......................(have) a map, I’d show you where I live.
................................................................................................................
(11) If the car broke down, we..........................(go) to Colombo by train.
........................................................................................................................
(12) If you could change one thing in the world, what....................you.................(change)
........................................................................................................................
(13) If I had nothing to do, I..................(watch) TV.
........................................................................................................................
(14) We...................(invite) all the friends to stay, if we...........................(buy) a bigger house.
........................................................................................................................
(15) If I saw an accident in the street, I..................................(call) the police.
........................................................................................................................

Find some examples from the internet and write them here.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................

Type 03 Impossible condition (past)

Main Clause Subordinate Clause

wmsg match tl oskkak ;snqKd wms fyd`og fi,a,ï l<d kï
We would have won the match if we had played well
would Past perfect
could } + have+verb(pp)

(1) Thdg úNd.h iu;a fjkak ;sìnd Thd uykaisfj,d jev l,d kï.
You would have passed the exam if you had worked hard.
(2) Thd,g o`vqjï lrkak bv ;snqKd Thd,d homework fkdl<d kï.
You would have been punished if you had not done homework.
04
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
(3) .uf.a /iaùug tkak bv ;snqKd thdg wdrdOkd l,d kï.
Mr. Gamage could have come to the meeting if he had been invited.

(4) wmsg Bfha fi,a,ï lrkak ;snqKd jeiafi ke;akï.

we could have played yesterday unless it had rained.

(5) Thdg fyd`o riaidjla fydhd.kak ;snqKd Thd bx.S%is bf.k f.k ;snqKd kï.
You could have found a good job if you had learned English.

Exercise 03

(1) If I hadn’t studied, I.....................................................(not pass) the exam.

..........................................................................................................................
(2) If we (listen)...................................to the radio, We could have heard the news.
..........................................................................................................................
(3) If you had switched on the light, you...........................................(not fall)
..........................................................................................................................
(4) If she.................................................(not admit) to hospital, she would have died.
..........................................................................................................................
(5) If you................................(lock) the door, they wouldn’t have come in.
..........................................................................................................................
(6) If you had learned English, you...............................................(go) to England.
..........................................................................................................................
(7) If they had not tied the dog, I..............................................(bite)
...........................................................................................................................
(8) If you had asked for the note, I............................................(bring) it.
..........................................................................................................................
(9) If we had admitted him to hospital, we.......................................(save) his life.
..........................................................................................................................
(10) If she had put the hand up, the bus......................................................(stop).
..........................................................................................................................
(11) If you.............................................(inform) me, I could have come to meet you.
........................................................................................................................
(12) If Gayan..................................(pass) the exam well, he could have entered university.
........................................................................................................................
(13) If we hadn’t done homework, We....................................................................(punish)
........................................................................................................................
(14) If it.......................................................(rain), we wouldn’t have attended the meeting.
........................................................................................................................
(15) If you...................................................(tell) me, I could have given you some money.
.......................................................................................................................
(16) If you had come, they.....................................................(tell) you everything.
...............................................................................................................
(17) If we had seen the thief, we .......................................................(catch) him.
...............................................................................................................
(18) If you..........................................(leave) home early, you could have caught the bus.
...............................................................................................................
(19) If you.........................................(have) breakfast, you wouldn’t have fallen ill.
........................................................................................................................
(20) If she had prepared, we.............................................(have) breakfast before we left.
........................................................................................................................
Find some examples from the internet and write them here.
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................
05
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
 Key to exercise

Exercise 01

(1) come/ (2) shall stop/ (3) will give/ (4) can have/ (5) go/ (6) works (7) can / should provide/
(8) will be able to / (9) works / (10) can visit / (11) will come / (12) will phone / (13) passes/
(14) give/ (15) will ring. (16) invite, must go

Exercise 02

(1) drank/ (2) would, could help you/ (3) would break/ (4) were/ (5) 0pened/ (6) had (7) would tell
(8) lived / (9) would go / (10) had / (11) would go (12) would- change / (13) would watch /
(14) could invite,bought (15) would call

Exercise 03

(1) could not have passed / (2) had listened / (3) wouldn’t have fallen / (4) had not been admitted /
(5) had locked (6) could have gone (7) would have been bitten / (8) would have brought
(9) could have saved / (10) would have stopped / (11) had informed / (12) had passed /
(13) would have been punished / (14) had rained / (15) had told / (16) would have told /
(17) would have caught / (18) had left / (19) had had / (20) could have had

Notes

06
Akalanka Dharamakeerthi; BA. in English (Sp), University of Sri Jayewardenepura