Conditionals

Las oraciones condicionales son oraciones compuesta por :

o una subordinada que expresa la condición ( conditional clause – if )o una principal que indica el resultado ( result clause).

En inglés existen 3 tipos:

First conditional:

If + present simple + future simple

If you give me a hand , I will be really grateful. ( Si me echas una mano,estaré muy agradecido)

No importa el orden en que se coloquen las preposiciones, pero si la condición ( if ) va primero se suele poner una coma entre ambas.

Además del future simple en el resultado también se pueden usar los modales y el imperativo

You can´t go out if you don´t finish your homework

If you search for information on the Internet, use Google

1st

Para expresar que algo no ocurrirá si no se cumple la condición, la proposición es introducida por unless = if not ( a no ser que , a menos que )

Unless you study hard this term , you will fail English.If you don´t study hard this term , you will fail English.

Unless se usa más en el 1st conditional. Es menos frecuente en el 2nd y nunca en el 3rd .

If + present simple , future simple

Modal Imperative

Unless = if not

Second conditional

If + past simple , would + infinitivo

If I studied harder , I would pass this exam

Si el verbo de la condición ( if ) es “to be” se suele utilizar were en todas las personas.

If I were a rich girl, I would buy a new car

Para dar consejos se usa… If I were you, I wouldn´t go ( Yo que tú no iría)

Podemos usar en vez de would los modales could o might ( indican que la probabilidad de que se cumpla la hipótesis es aún menor – podría, tal vez, quizás-)

2nd

Third conditional 3rdIf + past perfect , would have + participio

If you had studied harder, you would have passed this exam

En vez de would have también podemos usar could have o might have

If Jack had come , we could have gone to the party

1st

2nd

3rd

Summing up….

If + present simple , future simple

Unless = if not Modal Imperative

If + past simple , would + infinitivoCould might

If + past perfect , would have + participioCould have might have

1. If you like this CD, I’ll lend / I would lend it to you.

2. You won’t / wouldn’t get lost if you had a GPS.

3. We’ll discuss it if you come / will come over tonight.

4. If he sends / sent me an e-mail, I’d reply at once.

5. We’ll miss the bus unless we will leave / leave now.

Choose the correct answer.

1. If you don’t help me with the homework, … .

a. I won’t be able to do it b. I wouldn’t do it

2. John will take pictures of your family … .

a. unless he forgets his camera b. if you would ask him

3. If we saved some money, … .

a. we bought a new computer b. we could buy a laptop

Choose the correct answer.

1. You wouldn’t disturb people if you ……………………… (wear) headphones.

2. If she goes online, she ……………………… (find) all the information she needs.

3. Jack can’t travel to America unless he ……………………… (get) a passport.

4. If I ……………………… (have) a Palm Pilot to help me, I wouldn’t be so well organised.

5. Unless the police catch the thief, they ……………………… (find) the jewels.

6. What would you buy if you ……………………… (win) the lottery?

Complete the sentences with the correct affirmative or negative form of the verbs in brackets.

wore

will find

gets

didn’t have

won’t find

won

A B

1. If there’s a good film on, a. I’d refuse his offer.

2. Dan would fix the TV b. if he’d practised more.

3. He would have played better c. they wouldn’t have been late.

4. If I were you, d. unless you know English.

5. If the car hadn’t broken down, e. I’ll go.

6. You won’t get the job f. if he were here.

Match A to B to form sentences.

e

f

b

a

c

d

1. We didn’t visit the museum because it was closed. We ……………………………… the museum if ……………………… open.

2. The temperature may reach 0º C tonight and the lake will freeze. If the temperature ……………………… 0º C tonight, the lake ……………………… .3. She hasn’t got a laptop so she can’t work when she’s travelling. If she …………… a laptop, she ……………………… when she travels.

4. Hurry or you’ll miss the bus. You ……………… the bus unless you ……………………… .

5. Bill had an accident because he was careless. If Bill ……………………… careless, he ……………………… an accident.

6. Robbie is only nice to Ellie because she lets him borrow her iPod. Robbie ………………… so nice to Ellie if she ……………………… her iPod.

Complete each sentence according to the meaning of the original sentences. Use the first, second or third conditionals.

would have visited it had been

reaches, will freeze

had would be able to workcould work would work

will miss hurry

hadn’t been wouldn’t have had

wouldn’t be didn’t let him borrow

didn’t lend him

1. These plants ……………………………… if you had given them water.

2. If she had wanted to, she ……………………………… a model.

3. The boss would have been angry if he ………………………… us talking.

4. If I ……………………………… a bad cold, I’d have gone to work.

Complete the sentences with the verbs below. Use the correct form of the affirmative or negative third conditional.

have • be • die • hear

wouldn’t have died

would have been / could have been

had heard

hadn’t had

1. She has to apologise or I won’t speak to her again. (unless)

I .

2. Shorter hair would make her look more attractive. (had)

If .

3. We’d better hurry, or the pizza bar will be closed. (open)

The pizza bar .

4. You aren’t fit because you don’t exercise enough. (more)

Unless .

5. Joe had to reset the computer because it crashed. (not)

If .

Complete each sentence according to the meaning of the original sentence. Use the words in brackets and the first, second or third conditionals.

won’t speak to her again unless she apologises

she had shorter hair, she would look more attractive

won’t be open unless we hurry / will be open if we hurry

you exercise more, you won’t be fit

the computer hadn’t crashed, Joe wouldn’t have had to reset it

1. Yo que tú no lo haría.

2. Si me hubieras ayudado habría terminado antes

3. Si no me pagas antes del jueves, llamaré a mi abogado

4. Si has terminado, vete a casa

5. Si no os calláis no hablaré

6. Como no estudie mucho este año supenderé y mis padres no me comprarán la

moto

7. Daremos un paseo cuando deje de llover

Translate these sentences:

If I were you I wouldn´t do it

If you had helped me I would have finished earlier

If you don´t pay me by Thursday I´ll call my lawyer

If you have finished , go home

If I you don´t shut up I won´t talk

Unless I study hard this year I´ll fail and my parents won´t buy me the moped

We´ll go for a walk when it stops raining