CONDITIONALS
A. Choose the best completion.
1) If I were you, I ______them the truth.
a. tell b. told c. will tell d. would tell
2) If he ______the money, he would buy a new computer.
a. had had b. had c. has d. would have
3) You're going to the mountains at the weekend? What will you do if ______?
a. it rained b. it rains c. it will rain d. it would rain
4) I ______the book if it had more ilustrations.
a. would buy b. ’ll buy c. bought d. buy
5) If I had taken your advice, it ______to me.
a. didn’t happen b. hadn’t happened c.won’t happen d. wouldn’t have happened
6) If you had a car, you ______around more easily.
a. can travel b. could travel c.travel d. will travel
7) Keep the book if you ______.
a. want b. wanted c. will want d. would want
8) She ______if you don't ask her nicely.
a. didn’t do it b. don’t do it c. won’t do it d. wouldn’t do it
9) Your parents would be really happy if ______your final exams.
a. you pass b. you passed c. you would have passed d. you would pass
10) If energy______inexpensive and unlimited, many things in the world would be different.
a. is b.will be c. were d. would be
B. Study the following sentences, deciding which of the three basic patterns of conditional they can be related to. Also discuss any special features.
1. If low wages were the chief magnet for industry, Haiti would be the manufacturing hub of the world.
2. Supposing the minister concerned had decided to send afleet of bombers to Tasmania: what would have happened?
3. You will not get an electric shock so long as you don’t touch that live wire.
4. France and Germany might put aside their antagonism if given economic incentives for cooperation.
5. In the event of renewed terrorist attacks, civil liberties might have to be curbed.
6. This information may be reproduced free of charge provided that it is reproduced accurately.
7. Ground coffee loses its flavour within five or six days unless it is specially packaged.
C. Using the information given, create conditional sentences. Use if.
Example: Iwas sick yesterday, so Ididn´t go to class. => If Ihadn´t been sick yesterday, Iwould have gone to class.
1. Because Alan never eats breakfast, he always overeats at lunch.
2. John was late to his own wedding because his watch was slow.
3. The wind is blowing hard, so Iwon´t take the boat out for aride.
4. Because Diane asked questions every time she didn´t understand aproblem, she has agood understanding of geometry now.
5. Iwasn´t working at the restaurant last night. Ididn´t wait on your table.
D. Complete the following sentences, using forms of the verb in brackets which are compatible with the rest of the sentence.
1. If you (ever visit)...... this area, (not miss)...... the Science Centre.
2. Modern civization (probably develop)...... much more slowly if people (not move)...... from place to place.
3. If you (be)...... kind enough to help, we (can)...... easily move all this stuff to the attic.
4. I (never pay)...... such ahuge sum if you (not lend)...... me 50,000 dollars that day.
5. I (not have)...... all these problems with my car now if I (choose)...... to buy amore sophisticated model.
6. If the police (catch)...... us then, they (send)...... us back across the border.
7. (people, be)...... able to fly if they (have)...... feathers instead of hair?
8. This box has to be in Chicago tomorrow. I’m going to send it by express mail. I’m sure if I (send)……… it by overnight express, it (arrive)...... in time.
9. Supposing for amoment that sea levels (rise)______by several feet, don´t you think vast tracts of land (be)______flooded.
10. Why don´t we emigrate? If we (live)...... in Australia, at least the weather...... (be) better.
11. I´m afraid that Smith is ahardened criminal. If we...... (not/punish) him this time, he ...... (only/commit) more crimes.
E. Complete the second sentence so that it has asimilar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word order. Example: Ididn’t have the money so Ididn’t buy anewsuit. would = If Ihad had the money, Iwould have bought a new suit.
1. If you are in London by any chance, come and see me.
happen
If you...... come and see me.
2. Pete is in prison because adetective recognized him.
if
Pete wouldn’t...... recognized him.
3. The fire was brought under control thanks to the night-watchman.
for
If it hadn’t...... got out of the control.
4. Iam not tall enough to reach the shelf.
taller
If I...... reach the shelf.
5. It won´t make any difference if City score first; United will still win.
even
United…………………………………………….City score first.
F. These events would not have happened if the underlying causes had not existed. Such sentences could therefore be turned into hypothetical statements about the past, as in the following example.
Example: 4 April: Lord Archer is expelled from the Conservative Party for five years for breaches of political ethic and integrity.
=>Lord Archer would not have been expelled from the Conservative Party if he had not breached political ethics and integrity.
1. 20 January: Aleading official in Germany hangs himself as aparliamentary group begins an investigation into illicit payments to his party in the 1990’s.
2. 7 December: Officials in California declare astage-three power alert as electricity reserves drop to dangerous levels.
3. 12 August: The Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea after the hull is damaged by aseries of explosions.
4. 12 May: UN Secretary–General Kofi Annan criticizes the US for its reluctance to participate fully in peacekeeping process operations in Africa.
G. Omitting if.
Directions: Make sentences with the same meaning by omitting if.
If Iwere you, Iwouldn´t go there.
ð Were Iyou, Iwouldn´t go there.
1. If Ihad been offered ajob at the law Office, Iwould have gladly accepted.
2. If she were ever in trouble, I´d do anything to help her.
3. Iwouldn´t have known about your new job if Ihadn´t talked to your mother.
4. If you should need my help, please call.
H. Rewrite the following dialogue, using conditional sentences (five in all).
Example: Go home now, otherwise your dad won´t be too pleased.
ð If you don´t go home now, your dad won´t be too pleased.
Tom: The world will be like paradise twenty years from now. Ever more robots will relieve us of all sorts of boring tasks.
Daisy: Idon´t agree. Life on earth might be hell. Just imagine these robots becoming more intelligent than humans. Some of them could even develop into monsters. Scientists may decide to fit them with brains.
Tom: What? Scientists behaving like modern Frankensteins? There would be every reason to worry then. No, they will introduce very strict guidelines so everything will be under control.
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