Time and Conditional Clauses

Main clause I'll phone you... They'll have finished dinner... The children will have been watching cartoons for two hours...	Time clause when until/till before after as soon as by the time	I get there.
	Conditional clause if in case unless as (so) long as provided providing	I see him.

NOTE: We use the Future Perfect or the Future Perfect Continuous with by ... and not ... till/until.

By the time Mr Thompson retires, his son will have become the president of the firm.

Mary will have been doing the laundry for an hour by the time her husband arrives.

When the if- and when-clause is the first part of the sentence, it is often separated by a comma.

If I see him, I'll phone you. I'll phone you_ if I see him.

Time Clause

when

When Jack arrives, he'll tell us about the match.

I'll ring you when I get to Bristol.

until/till

I'll stay until/till you get back. I won't have done that job until/till he comes.

before

We won't leave for the airport before David comes.

Before he arrives, I'll give the children their tea.

after

I'll go to bed after I finish my work.

After I graduate with a Bachelor's degree, I'll go on for a Master's degree.

as soon as

As soon as the rain stops, I'll go out and buy something for dinner.

I'll take the chance of having this job as soon as they offer it.

by the time

By the time you get back, we'll have taken care of everything.

Exercise 29. Write these sentences, putting the verbs into the Future Simple or Present Simple.

Example: I __ (give) it to them when they __ (visit) us.

I'll give it to them when they visit us.

I __ (not/send) the parcel until I __ (hear) from you.

I won't send the parcel until I hear from you.

1. They __ (send) you the money before you (leave).

2. As soon as I __ (hear) the results, I __ (let) you know.

3. When they __ (find out) about this, there __ (be) trouble.

4. After I __ (visit) the hospital, I __ (go) and see her parents.

5. You probably __ (not/like) him when you __ (meet) him.

6. She __ (do) her homework before she __ (go) out.

Exercise 30. Complete these sentences using the Present Simple in the time clause, and the Future Simple, the Future Continuous, the Future Perfect, or the Future Perfect Continuous in the main clause.

Example: I work from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. every Monday. Barbara will arrive at about 5 p.m.

I will be working (work) when Barbara arrives (arrive).

1. Sam is going to phone me on Friday, so I will let you know then. I _ (let) you know as soon as Sam _ (phone) me.

2. Hurry up, or they _ (finish) lunch by the time we _ (get) there.

3. I'll be seeing Helen next week. I'll tell her then. I _ (tell) Helen when I _ (see) her.

4. According to the weather forecast, it's going to get colder. The children are going for a walk in the park after lunch. The children _ (walk) in the park until it _ (get) colder.

5. We _ (live) here for six months by the time they _ (find) us a new flat.