Oraciones condicionales

Las oraciones condicionales se pueden dividir en dos partes (o clusulas). En una se hace
referencia a una CONDICIN. En la otra, se expresa el RESULTADO si esa condicin se cumple.
If Mara graduates soon, Mara will get a better salary
CONDICIN RESULTADO

Podemos hablar, tambin, de dos tipos de oraciones condicionales: Reales e Irreales.

Oraciones reales
Hay cuatro tipos:
Tipo
Genrica

Estructura
If + presente, presente

Qu indica?
Hechos (cientficos)

Ejemplos
If the temperatue falls below 32 degrees
Fahrenheit, water freezes.

Habitual

If+ presente, presente

Situaciones o eventos en
el presente o pasado que
pueden ocurrir con cierta
frecuencia.

If she is his bridge partner, they (usually)

lose big.

If + pasado, pasado or would

Inferencia

If+ presente, presente

Inferencia

If+verbo modal, verbo modal

If he had business in Baltimore, he

(usually) stayed at the Hyatt.
If he had businees in Baltimore, he would
(usually) syat at the Hyatt.
If he likes Italian food, then he likes italian
wine.
If we can save the earth, we can certainly
save the human race.
If Bill left before the rush hour, he probably
had a quick trip home.

If+pasado, pasado

If Ann is wearing a wedding ring, she and

Bill must have gotten married
Futuro

If+ present, verbo modal

If + presente, futuro (will) o verbos
modales

Resultados en el futuro de
planes, contingencias

If you dont leave now, you will miss your

plane.
If you start now, you should get there on
time.

Material adaptado por el Profesor Miguel Mendoza para el curso de Ingls III. Contenido basado
en el libro de Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English. A course book and reference guide
(2013).

Oraciones Irreales
Hay dos tipos:

Tipo
Hipottico

Contrafctico

Estructura
If + pasado, would

If+ past perfect, would have + verb

in past participle
If + pasado, would

Qu indica?
Especulacin acerca de
posibles eventos
imaginarios en el presente
o futuro
Situaciones que no
ocurrirn

Ejemplos
If I found a wallet on the subway, I would
return it to the owner. (futuro)
If you had the photographs with you, I
could see my grandson. (present)
If I had seen you in the mall, I would have
said hello
If you had left the party early, we might
have never met
If Mozart were living today, he would write
music for the movies.

Nota:
1. En el ingls oral no hay preferencia por una clusula u otra en posicin inicial. En la
escritura del ingls, siempre hay una tendencia a colocar la clusula IF primero.
2. Hay otras alternativas para expresar condicin en ingls: provided (that), as long as,
assuming (that)

Material adaptado por el Profesor Miguel Mendoza para el curso de Ingls III. Contenido basado
en el libro de Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English. A course book and reference guide
(2013).