Conditionals

Type Tense – if clause

Tense- main

clause

Use

Zero Present Simple/continuous

Present Simple/continuo

us

to talk about common states or events

First Present Simple/continuous

Will/ to be going to/ present simple/ continuous

To talk about possible states or events

Second Past simple/ continuous would + infinitive without to

To talk about a situation which is hypothetical or very unlikely to happen

Third Past perfect would have + past participle

To talk about the past and say that now it is impossible to do anything about it

If / when water boils, it changes into steam.

If he hurries, he will be in time.

If I were a bird, I would be very happy.

If I had lot of money, I would go abroad.

If I had seen her last year, I would have married her.

Summary

If-clause Main clause Present Simple Future simple

Past Simple Future in the past

Past Perfect Future Perfect in the past

Inversion

1st Type

If the weather is too bad, we won’t go for a picnic.

Should the weather be too bad, we won’t go for a picnic.

Should

Inversion

1st Type

If you see Kimtan, tell him I want to visit.

Should you see Kimtan, tell him I want to visit.

Inversion

1st Type

If you find it, please send it to me.

Should you find it, please send it to me.

Inversion

2nd Type

If they went, I would give them money.

Were they to go, I would give them money.

If they were to go, I would give them money.

were

Inversion

If it weren’t so late, she would telephone me.

Were it not so late, she would telephone me.

2nd Type

Inversion

If they were here, they would tell me.

Were they here, they would tell me.

2nd Type

Inversion

If I had known her address, I would have visited her.

Had I known her address, I would have visited her.

3rd Type

Inversion

Had he had much money, he would have bought a new car.

If he had had much money, he would have bought a new car.

3rd Type

Other conditionals

1st Type

If + s.+ will +, s. + will + v.inf

If you will come this way, the manager will see you now.

Polite request

Please come this way

1st Type

If + s.+ would +, s. + will + v.inf

If you would take a seat, the doctor will see you in 5 minutes.

More polite request

If you wouldn’t mind taking a seat

1st Type

To talk about future result

Example: If it will save our marriage, I’ll try to give up drinking.

If + s.+ will +, s. + will + v.inf

1st Type

‘Insist on’

Example: If you will smoke twenty a day, it is not surprising you have a hacking cough.

If you insist on smoking so much,

1st Type

If + s.+ should + v.inf , imperative

Example: If you should change your mind about coming to the beach tomorrow, give me a ring.

I don’t really expect

2nd Type

1.) If + s.+ were to + infinitive

If you passed the exam, he would be astonished.

If you were to pass the exam, he would be astonished.

imaginary future situations

2nd Type

2.) If + s.+ were not for, would +v.inf

If it were not for his bad hand, he would carry it himself.

= but for + n., would + v.inf

If he didn’t have a bad hand, he would carry it himself.

2nd Type

3.) If + s.+ would, would +v.inf

If you would stop singing, I would be able to study.

I would be very grateful if you would pay your bill.

แสดงความรำาคาญในการำถู�กรำบกวน

polite request

3rd Type

If + s + hadn’t been for + n, s + would have + v.3

If it hadn’t been for the storm, we should have arrived earlier.

If he hadn’t been for his laziness, he could have been rich.

We can use was/were not for or had not been for to say that one situation is dependent on another situation or person.

If-equivalent

Unless = if… not (= except when) …ถู�า .. ไม�, เว�นแต่� , นอกจาก

You will fail unless you work harder.

You will fail if you do not work harder.

If-equivalent

If there is no rain, the flowers will die.

Unless there is some rain, the flower will die.

If-equivalent

Even if I had no money, I wouldn’t borrow any from my friends.

Marry never hurries even if she is very late.

Even if = แม�ว�า, เช่�น

If-equivalent

Suppose (that) สมมต่�ว�า

Supposing (that) สมมต่�ว�า

Providing (that) ในกรำณี�ที่��

Provided (that) ในกรำณี�ที่��

So long as ต่รำาบเที่�าที่��, หากแม�ว�า

On condition (that) ในกรำณี�ที่��

In case ในกรำณี�ที่��

If-equivalent

You may take two days off on condition that you work on the

weekend.

Supposing you lost your job, what would you do?

You can stay with us as long as you share the expenses.

Exercise Rewrite the following sentences so

that the second sentence has a similar meaning to the first. Begin

with the word (s) given.

1. The reason why the dog attacked them was because they hit it with a stick.

If they had not hit the dog with a stick, it would not have attacked them.

If

2. I would have visited you if I had known that you were in the hospital

last week.

Had I known that you were in the hospital last week, I would have visited you.

3. You can borrow my bike, but you must promise to take good care of it.

As long as you promise to take good care of my bike, you can borrow it.

Had

As long as

Were the weather not so cold today, we would spend the day outside.

5. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you had better keep quiet.

Unless you know what you’re talking about, you had better keep quiet.

4. If the weather weren’t so cold today, we would spend the day

outside. Were

Unless

Should you not follow your doctor’s instructions, you may face unpleasant

side effects.

7. If you don’t change your attitude , I’ll stop being friends with you.

Unless you change your attitude, I’ll stop being friends with you.

6. You may face unpleasant side effects if you don’t follow your doctor’s instructions. Should

Unless

If you had thought about your decision carefully, you would not be

regretting it now.

9. She must do her homework, otherwise her parents won’t let her go to the party.

On condition that she does her homework, her parents will let her go to the party.

8. You don’t think about your decision carefully, and now you’re regretting it. If

On condition that