Conditional are statements with ‘if’ or ‘unless.’ There are two clauses in them, one is condition and the other is result. Usually they are separated by a comma.
We can divide Conditionals into two types:
A. Factual Conditionals (If)
B. Contrary-to-fact Conditionals (Unless)
STRUCTURE OF FACTUAL CONDITIONALS
1. Absolute, Scientific result.
CONDITION | RESULT | ||
If | PRESENT SIMPLE | , | PRESENT SIMPLE |
EXAMPLES | |||
If | water freezes | , | it becomes solid. |
USE: This conditional is used to show absolute truth having no other result possible | |||
2. Probable Results in Future
CONDITION | RESULT | |||
If | PRESENT SIMPLE | , | FUTURE SIMPLE | |
EXAMPLE | ||||
If | you take admission now | , | you will get discount in fee. | |
OR | ||||
RESULT | CONDITION | |||
FUTURE SIMPLE | If | PRESENT SIMPLE | ||
You will get discount in fee | if | you take admission now. | ||
USE: This conditional is used to express strong chances of happening of an event. | ||||
3. Possible results in Past
CONDITION | RESULT | ||||||||||
If | PAST SIMPLE | , | S | WOULD/COULD/MIGHT | V1ST | Obj | |||||
EXAMPLE | |||||||||||
If | she ate fewer sweets | , | she would lose weight | ||||||||
OR | |||||||||||
RESULT | CONDITION | ||||||||||
S | WOULD/COULD/MIGHT | V1ST | Obj | If | PAST SIMPLE | ||||||
She would lose weight | if | she ate fewer sweets. | |||||||||
USE: It express past actions that could bring a result in future. | |||||||||||
NOTE: Would/Could/Might are used in the sequence of probability. | |||||||||||
4. Possible changes in Past result.
CONDITION | RESULT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If | PAST PERFECT | , | S | WOULD/COULD/MIGHT | HAVE | V3RD | Obj | ||||||||||||||||||||||
EXAMPLE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If he had worked harder | , | he would have passed the exams by now. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RESULT | CONDITION | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
S | WOULD/COULD/ MIGHT | HAVE | V3RD | Obj | If | PAST PERFECT | |||||||||||||||||||||||
He would have passed the exams by now | if he had worked harder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CONDITION | RESULT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HAD | S | V3RD | Obj | , | S | WOULD/COULD/MIGHT | HAVE | V3RD | Obj | ||||||||||||||||||||
Had he worked harder | , | he would have passed the examination by now. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Although the condition clause starts from ‘had,’ it is not a question. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
USE: It reflects the opinion about results of past under different conditions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
STRUCTURE OF CONTRARY-TO-FACT CONDITIONALS
Change in condition--- (Unless)
NORMAL RESULT | CHANGED CONDITION | |
FUTURE SIMPLE | Unless | PRESENT SIMPLE |
EXAMPLE | ||
You may not get well | unless | you take medicines properly. |
Warranty claim will be rejected | unless | proper invoice is made. |
USE: It expresses that the condition will not change in normal circumstances. | ||
