CONDITIONAL AND WISH CLAUSES

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
Conditional sentences are subordinate clauses introduced by a conditional particle ( if, unless, as long as, providing,
provided). They have two clauses the subordinate ( the one with the particle) and the main clause. We can change the order,
but if we start with the IF clause, both clauses are separated by a comma.

 ZERO CONDITIONAL (True facts) If When IF + PRESENT SIMPLE , PRESENT SIMPLE

Ex: If you heat wáter, it boils.
 FIRST CONDITIONAL (Possible conditions) IF + PRESENT SIMPLE , WILL / MODAL / IMPERATIVE
Ex: If you study hard, you will pass the exam.
 SECOND CONDITIONAL (Improbable conditions)
IF + PAST SIMPLE , WOULD / COULD + V1
Ex: If I were rich, I would help poor people.
 THIRD CONDITIONAL (impossible conditions)
Ex : If we had gone there, we would have met them IF + PAST PERFECT , WOULD HAVE + V3

Both first and second conditionals have a present or future meaning. However, the third conditional has a past meaning
(you regret about something you did or didn’t in the past)
The second conditional expresses an hypothetical situation but the meaning is present or future. When the verb “to be” is used
were is used for all forms.

MIXED CONDITIONALS
It is possible to mix Conditionals 2 and 3 for past events which have a result in the present.
If you had saved some e money, you wouldn’t be in that situation now.

Other conditional particles :

UNLESS : If ………. + Negative Verb ( Sino… / a menos que … / a no ser que ) with 1st cond
Ex : We’ll go to the beach tomorrow unless it rains = We’ll go to the beach tomorrow if it doesn’t rain.
PROVIDED / PROVIDING / AS LONG AS: (Con la condición de . / con tal que../ si y solo si…) with 1st cond.
Ex : You can borrow my bike as long as / providing you take care of it.
SUPPOSING ( supón que … ) with 2nd cond. Ex: Supposing you were chosen, what would you do?
BUT FOR ( si no llega a ser por..) with 3rd cond. Ex : But for the rain, we’d have got there on time
IN CASE : (por si acaso ) Ex : Take warm clothes in case it is cold

I WISH / IF ONLY CLAUSES In Spanish they mean ….. !ojalá…… / a él / ella le gustaría…. )
There are three possible ways:
 I wish / If only +S+ Past simple When we wish something different to be in the present
Ex : I wish / If only I had a room of my own.
 I wish / If only +S+ would + infinitive When something or someone’s behavior is annoying.
Ex: I wish John would stop insulting people.
 I wish /If only +S+ Past Perfect To express regret that something happened or didn’t happen in the past.
Ex: I wish I hadn’t asked him for advice.

Exercise 1. Complete the following conditionals with the correct tense .

1. Now, we’re lost. This ……………………………………………….…………….(not happen) if you ……………………………………………………

(write) down her address.
2. Why don’t we emigrate . If …………………………………………………..(live) in Australia, at least the weather ………………………
………………….(be) better !
3. I’m afraid that Mr Smith is a hardened criminal. If we ………………………………………………………(not punish ) him this time, he
………………………………………………(only commit ) more crimes.
4. Jim is so untidy! He ……………………………….(not look) so bad if he ………………………………….(buy) some new clothes.
5. If Bill ………………………………………………..( not steal) the car, he ……………………………………………(not be) in prison now.
6. I don’t like this flat. I think I …………………………………..(be ) happier if I ……………………………(live) in a house in the country.
7. You were very rude to Mark. If I ………………………………..(be) you, I ………………………………..(apologize) to him
8. We …………………………………..(go) without him if he …………………………….(be) late again.
9. Mark isn’t a serious athlete. He ………………………………….(be) quite a good runner if he ……………………….(train ) harder.
10. It’s a pity you missed the party. If you …………………………………(come), you …………………………………………(meet) my friends
from Sweden.
11. She ………………………………(not open) the door unless she ………………………………..(know) who it is.
12. Suppose you …………………..(be) elected president in your country , What changes …………………….you ……………..…(make?
13. He knows very few people in this town. He …………………………………………….(not stay) at home most of the time watching TV
if he ……………………….. (have) someone to go out with.
Exercise 2. Circle the correct conditional word and fill in the correct tense.

This time in six months I_______________(be) at university unless / if I____________(decide) to take a year off first.
You can watch the film as long as / in case you_______________(promise) to go straight to bed when it finishes.
We’d better leave early tomorrow unless /in case there _______________(be) a lot of traffic when we get to Dover.
Providing / If it __________________________(not stop) raining , we won’t play tennis.
I ____________________(give) you the money unless / as long as you promise not to harm Julia.
______________________(take) a sweater with you if / in case it ______________(get) cold tonight.
Provided / Supposing you____________(win) the lottery, What ______________you ___________(do)?
Unless / If you _______________(not follow) our instructions, we’ll kill Julia.
They ____________________(not trust ) you if / providing you _________________(keep) on telling lies.

Exercise 3. Finish the following sentences with your own words.

1. If you leave the gate open, __________________________________________________________________

2. If you had taken my advice, _________________________________________________________________
3. If we leave before breakfast, ________________________________________________________________
4. The grass would look better if ______________________________________________________________
5. I’d have brought my coat if _________________________________________________________________
6. It Tom rings while I’m out, _________________________________________________________________
7. If I had known you couldn’t come, ___________________________________________________________
8. You can borrow my car providing ____________________________________________________________
9. I’ll call the police unless ____________________________________________________________________
10. Take warm clothes with you in case _________________________________________________________

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences with the correct tense.

1. If only I __________________________(buy) that fantastic jacket I saw on sale yesterday!

2. I wish I _______________________ (be) taller so that I could be in the basketball team.
3. I wish Peter _________________________(not live) so far away from the town centre. We’ll have to take taxi
4. I feel rather cold. If only I _________________________my pullover with me.
5. I wish the wind ______________________________(stop) blowing so hard.
6. This train journey seems endless! I wish we __________________________(go) by car.
7. I wish you _________________________(not do) that ! It’s a really annoying habit.
8. That was a lovely meal, but I wish I ____________________________(not eat) so much.
9. I wish you __________________________(make) less noise when you come in.
A: I wish I ________________________(not speak) to Jane like that. B: Don’t worry. I’m sure She’ll forgive you.
10. I wish the government ______________________(do) something about the pollution in this city.
11. I’ve got a terrible hangover. If only I __________________________(not drink) that fifth bottle of beer.

Exercise 5. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.

1. They speak French to her, not English. So, her English doesn’t improve.
If I were _______________________________________________________________________________
2. He wasn’t looking where he was going . That’s why he was run over.
I would ________________________________________________________________________________
3. He can’t apply for that job because he can’t speak English.
He wishes______________________________________________________________________________
4. They weren’t wearing lifejackets; perhaps that’s why they were drowned.
We wouldn’t ____________________________________________________________________________
5. Don’t shout all the time, it’s so annoying!.
I wish _________________________________________________________________________________
6. Without his help, , I wouldn’t have been able to move the table.
I_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. I regret not visiting the Louvre the last time I was in Paris.
I wish __________________________________________________________________________________
8. I think you shouldn’t sell that old clock.
If I _________________________________________________________________________________
9. You press this button to stop the machine
If you ___________________________________________________________________________________
10. I don’t like being so tall
If only I ________________________________________________________________________________