Mixed conditionals

We can mix all types of conditionals. Any combination is possible if the context permits. In Mixed conditionals one of the clauses refers to the present or future while the other refers to the past.

Past Subjunctive II for unreal condition referring to the past	The Present Conditional Mood for unreal result in the present
If I had worked harder at university,	I would have a degree now.
The Present Subjunctive II for an unreal condition which is a permanent characteristic or state	The Past Conditional Mood for a past action resulting from the permanent characteristic or state
If she loved him,	she would have stayed with him.
Indicative Mood for a real condition referring to the present or future	The Present Cond. M. for a polite request or advice
If you come to the party tomorrow	I wouldn't bring Mike with you. could you bring Mike with you

Ex. 1 Match the clauses and write the mixed conditional sentences.

If clause	Main clause
If you had told me about this problem earlier, If you were a more sensitive person, If they don't contact you soon, If he hadn't died so young, If he didn't work so hard all the time, If the train hadn't been delayed, If you're coming with us, If I really wanted to have children, If you had worked harder last month, If he was feeling ill this morning,	he probably won't be at the meeting. you could always ring them up his wife would never have left him. you wouldn't have said that to her. I would have had them by now. everything would be all right now. would you hurry up and get ready you wouldn't be so busy this month. we would be there by now. I'm sure he'd be a famous musician by now.

Ex. 2 Complete the following sentences with possible consequences referring to the past and to the present.

E.g.: If he hadn’t lost the tickets, he would have gone to France.

If he hadn’t lost the tickets, he would be in France now.

1. If you had taken her advice,

2. If I hadn’t promised my mother to be back by ten,

3. If she had been invited,

4. If it hadn’t been raining heavily all through the night,

5. If you hadn’t spent a sleepless night,

6. If she had followed the doctor’s instructions,

• Tell your partner about an event in the past which has its consequences in the present.

Ex. 3 Write down three traits of your (your brother’s) character, the present and past actions resulting from them. Tell your partner about it using conditionals.

E.g.: I’m hard-working.

If I were not hard-working I wouldn’t be a student.

If I were not hard-working I wouldn’t have entered the university.

Some of the character traits: honest, jealous, talkative, shy, reserved, mean, loyal, imaginative, sociable, outgoing, determined, clever, brave, selfish, stubborn, sensitive, sensible, kind, generous, rude, bossy, witty, funny, patient, reliable, persuasive, caring, calm

Ex. 4 Make a chain of conditional sentences:

E.g. absent-minded » forget about homework yesterday » not ready

If he weren’t so absent-minded, he wouldn’t have forgotten about homework yesterday. If he hadn’t forgotten about homework yesterday, he would be ready now.

1. jealous » quarreled with girlfriend yesterday » is upset today

2. brave » went inside the cave and saved the little lost boy » is a hero

3. rude » said smth bad to the group mates » has no friends

4. stubborn » agreed that he was wrong » doesn’t get help

5. imaginative » created a new cartoon » is a famous cartoon director

6. reliable » helped his friends » they have somewhere to live

7. impatient » didn’t wait for the friend to help » has problems now

8. thoughtful » not to notice there was something wrong with the man » man is alive now

Ex. 5 Rewrite the sentences, as in the example. E.g.: I don't know her. So I didn't speak to her. If I knew her, I would’ve spoken to her.

1. He is not an honest person so he didn’t tell the truth.

2. They were awake all night so they are tired now.

3. You didn’t tell me earlier so we are not going to the disco tonight.

4. She is so disorganized that she missed the deadline.

5. She didn’t cancel the milk so the milkman keeps delivering it.

6. The ship left Plymouth yesterday so it will be in Spain now.

7. They have been painting the house so they are covered in paint now.

8. He doesn't take his job seriously so he wasn't promoted.

9. She didn't do her homework so she's in trouble with her teacher.

10. She doesn’t study at all, so she did badly in the test.

11. She didn’t take the medication and now she is ill again.

12. He is so gullible that he believed everything you said.

13. She was talking all day, so her throat is sore now.

14. He didn’t win the lottery, so he is asking for money now.

15. He never pays his bills. No wonder the electricity was cut off.

16. The children have been playing in the garden so they’re dirty now.

Ex. 6 Complete the text by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct form.

Yesterday the famous bank robber, Fingers Smith, robbed another bank in the center of town. As usual, he only stole 10 $. If he ... (leave) any clues, he ... (be) in prison now, but he’s much too clever. He disconnected the security cameras. If he ... (not/do) that, the police ... (have) him on film now. The strange thing is, Fingers doesn’t seem to be interested in the money; if he ... (be), he ... (can/steal) thousands of pounds by now. The police are determined to catch him and the Chief is confident that they will. If he ... (think) they were not going to arrest Fingers eventually, he ... (leave) the police force long ago.

Ex. 7 Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form and identify the type of the conditionals.

1. I've hung out the clothes. It's lovely and sunny; if it ............ (stay) like this they ............................................. (be) dry in two hours.

2. French is essential in this job. All the telephonists speak it. If they ..... (not know) French they ...... (not understand) half the callers.

3. If you ............. (be catching) an early train tomorrow you ............... (like) to have breakfast at 7.00?

4. Tell him to bring his bicycle inside. If he .............. (leave) it outside someone ................... (steal) it.

5. I’m bored. I’ m sorry I quarreled with my boy-friend and came alone. If I ........... (not/ come) alone, I ............ (be) bored now.

6. A group of spectators, including myself, left the stand just before the end of the game. When we were half way down the stairs a goal was scored and there was a great cheer from the spectators. If there ......... (not be) a goal the crowd ..... (not cheer). If the crowd .... (not cheer) we .... (not run) back up the stairs to see what had happened. If we ........ (not run) back we ...... (not crash) into the rest of the spectators on their way down, and there ........ (not be) this frightful accident.

7. No, I didn't know any Russian at that time. ~ But if you ........ (not know) Russian why you ......... (offer) to give him Russian lessons? – I knew he ........ (refuse). He always rejected my offers.

8. He looked so small and weak that nobody asked him to do anything. If he .... (look) strong he .... (be) expected to dig like everyone else.

9. Why do people always wear dark clothes at night? If pedestrians .(wear) light coloured clothes drivers...(see) them much more easily.

10. When he left school he became a fisherman. His family didn't like it at all. They ...... (be) much happier if he ...... (become) a greengrocer like his father. They still say that if he ...... (go) into the greengrocery business when he left school he ...... (be) comfortably off now instead of being poor. But he says that if he ...... (have) his life again he ...... (make) the same choice.

Ex. 8 Read the following letter and rewrite it using conditionals.

Dear anyone,

I am on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve been here for a week. I lost my watch in the sea so I don’t know what time it is. Going on that cruise was the worst thing I’ve ever done. I’ve ruined my life! I didn’t get to the lifeboat and now I’m alone on a desert island. I can see the wreck of the ship but I am not a good swimmer I can’t get to it to look for some useful things and food. I didn’t bring a knife with me so I can’t make a raft. Anyway I can’t sail away from the island because I don’t know which way to go. It’s a pity I didn’t study astronomy at school properly and can’t navigate by the stars. I didn’t even try to escape. There’s no one to talk to here. I feel so lonely. I’m hungry too. I must catch a fish or find a fruit. I hope someone will find me soon!

Ex. 9 Translate the following text into English.

Андрій хотів запропонувати Джейн вийти за нього заміж і зробити це незвичайно: він хотів освідчитись у Венеції на мосту через канал. Але все пішло не так.

Їх пограбували в перший же день. Цього б не сталось, якби Андрій був обережніший, але він не помічав нікого навкруги окрім своєї Джейн. Він був дуже засмучений: якби в нього не вкрали гроші, він би купив гарну обручку. Якби він купив обручку, він би зміг освідчитись. Якби він це зробив, вони б не повернулись додому у поганому настрої.

В кінці кінців Андрій освідчився Джейн дощовим осіннім днем в Англії, коли вона застудилась і почувалась нещасною. Спочатку вона відчула себе ніяково: «Якби я не застудилась мій ніс не був би таким червоним і я б не виглядала так жахливо». Та потім вона вирішила: «Якби він не любив мене, він не освідчився б мені, не зважаючи на все. Якби він не зробив цього зараз, я б не була настільки впевнена у його почуттях. (be sure of)»

Джейн була переповнена емоціями і вирішила написати оповідання до жіночого журналу. Якби її історія не була такою щирою, вона б не виграла перший приз. А якби вона не виграла перший приз, вони не збирались би зараз у Венецію на медовий місяць. Джейн збирається продовжити писати, бо впевнена, якби вона не була талановитою, її оповідання не стало б таким успішним. Вона сподівається, що, якщо вона напише до журналу про свій медовий місяць у Венеції, це також буде цікаво. Андрій всіляко підтримує дружину. Якби не його підтримка, вона б не ставилась так позитивно до своєї нової кар’єри та нового життя.

Отже, якби їх не пограбували, Джейн не відкрила б у собі талант. Все добре, що добре закінчується.

Ex 10 Make believe you are

• in the jungles after you have survived a plane crash;

• in an aliens’ spaceship who kidnapped you;

• trapped in a cave after you’ve survived an avalanche.

Express your thoughts with conditionals of different types.