- •Conditional sentences
- •1. Variation in verb tenses
- •1.0. Type 0: real condition
- •1.1.Type 1: real condition referring to the future (open condition)
- •If clause main clause
- •1.1.1. Type 1: variations
- •1.1.1. If (you) should
- •1.1.2. If (you) will/would
- •1.2. Type 2: tentative, hypothetical and unreal conditions (unreal present or future)
- •If clause main clause
- •1.2.2. Type 2: variations
- •1.1.3. Type 1: alternative forms
- •1.2.3. If you would
- •1.3. Type 3: unreal conditions (past time reference)
- •If clause main clause
- •1.3.2. Type 3: variations
- •1.4. Mixed conditionals
- •2. Variation in sentence structure
- •2.1. Inversion:
- •2.2. If and adjectives
- •3. Conjunctions introducing conditional clauses
- •3.3. Negative conditions
- •3.3.1 Unless
- •3.4. Understood condition
- •4. Other constructions with unreal past and present
3.4. Understood condition
To refer to the condition mentioned in the previous statement we can use
If so/if not
There is a possibility that Jack will be late. If so, I will take his place.
Otherwise which means 'or if not'
If you hadn't given us directions, we wouldn't have found the house.
=Thanks for your directions to the house. We wouldn't have found it otherwise.
4. Other constructions with unreal past and present
Construction |
Real present or future (present and future tense) |
Unreal present (past tense) |
Unreal past (past perfect) |
conditional sentence |
Type 0 Type 1 If I see him I will tell him |
Type2 If I were you I would leave now |
Type 3 If I had known before I wouldn’t have come |
wish
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We use the verb hope + present or future to speak about real wishes I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow. I hope it won’t rain tomorrow. |
I wish she worked more efficiently I wish I had a motorbike.
We can use would + infinitive after wish-clause - to invite someone's co-operation I wish you would hurry up! - to describe an annoying habit I wish it would stop raining. |
I wish I hadn’t eaten so much |
if only (adds emphasis or a sense of regret to hypothetical situations. The second part of the sentence is often left out.
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If only I had enough time!
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If only I hadn't drunk too much, this wouldn't have happened! If only he hadn’t lied to me. |
I’d rather smb / I’d sooner smb (when rather is followed by a clause and there are two subjects in the sentence it takes conditional tenses; otherwise it is a modal verbs followed by the infinitive)
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I’d rather you didn’t smoke here. I’d rather you left the files here. |
I’d rather you hadn’t spoken like that yesterday. |
I’d prefer it if (only when prefer is followed by it-clause we use conditional tense forms; otherwise it is followed by the infinitive)
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I would prefer it if you didn’t go. |
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suppose / imagine (condition is understood but not stated) |
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Imagine we won the lottery. Suppose someone told you I am a spy. |
Suppose I hadn’t reminded you. |
as if / as though |
You look as if you're having second thoughts. |
He acts as if he were in charge. |
I feel as if an express train had hit me. She looked at me as if she had never seen me before. |
it is time it is high time it is about time |
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It is time we left. It is about time we learnt to drive |
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After verbs such as demand, insist, suggest, require which involve an implied obligation, the past tense may be used in informal style. |
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They demanded that he left. |
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