Conditional sentences

A. Zero conditional
IF + DOES, DOES

If + present simple tense, present simple tense

1. If is used to state general rules.

If we heat water enough, it begins to boil.
In statements like this, if means the same as when or every time.

B. The 1st conditional

IF + DOES, WILL DO

If + present simple tense, will + bare infinitive

2. In 1st conditional if is used to speculate about the future consequences of a specific

event. In this case, the verb in the second part of the sentence is preceded by will.
If they offer a good price, we will buy the whole consignment.
COMMON MISTAKE. We do not use will in the if part of the sentence.

3. When we talk about an event that will take place in the future, we can use if or when.

I am flying to the States tonight. I'll give you a ring if I can find a phone.
(The speaker is not sure if he will be able to find a phone or not.)
I am flying to the States tonight. I'll give you a ring when I get there.
(The speaker has no doubt that the plane will arrive safely.)
4. In a sentence with an if-clause we can use the imperative, or other modal verbs, instead
of will + infinitive
If you hear from Susan today, tell her to ring me.
If the traffic is bad, I may get home late.
Note. We say the traffic but a traffic jam
5. 1st conditional is usually used in such cases:

• Contingency plans, considering events that may/may not occur

If I feel too excited to sleep, I'll try reading one of our reports.
• Planning your manpower
We'll need more staff if / when / in case we start the new project.
• Company forecast
• Degress of certainty
• Project planning
C. Conditionals: if, unless, in case, provided that, as long as, so that

6. If and unless

Unless means the same as if ... not. It always refer to the conditional part of the sentence
and not the result part of the sentence:

If he doesn't get here soon, we will have to start the meeting without him.

Unless he gets here soon, we will have to start the meeting without him.

We often use not + unless, which means only ... if, when we want to emphasize a
condition:
They will only sign the contract if we give them an additional discount.

They won't sign the contract unless we give them an additional discount.

7. If and in case

We use in case to talk about precautions we will take before a problem happens. We use
if to talk about what we will do after a problem happens:

We are going to insure the shipment in case the goods get damaged in transit.
(We will take our insurance first; the problem may or may not happen afterward.)

If the goods get damaged in transit, we'll make a claim.

(The damage may happen, and we will make a claim afterward.)

Note that that in sentence with in case, we often use going to rather than will because we
are often talking about something that we have already decided to do.

8. Provided that vs as long as, etc.

We can use provided that/providing, as long as, and so long as when we want to
emphasize condition. Provided that and as long as mean if and only if (providing and
so long as are a little less formal):

I will agree to these conditions provided that they increase my salary.

(I will only agree if they give me more money.)
The strike will be successful as long as we all stay together.
(It will only succeed if we all stay together.)
9. So that

We use so that to say what the result or purpose of an action will be:

I'll take a credit card so that we don't run out of money.

(The credit card will stop us from running out of money)

D. 2nd conditional

IF + DID, WOULD DO

If + past tense, would + infinitive

10. 2nd conditional can be used to refer to less probable or impossible situations. The
verb in the second part is preceded by would / should / could / might.
The if-clause can come in the first part of the sentence, or the second.
If I knew her number, I would send her a fax.
I would send her a fax if I knew her number.
COMMON MISTAKE. We do not use would in the if part of the sentence.

11. This form refers to present or future time.

If these machines were not so expensive, we would buy them.

If we hired a lawyer, we would recover our debts more easily.
If I lost my job tomorrow, I would move to London to find the same kind of job.
The first two sentences refer to present situation, and imagining a situation that is
different from the reality. In the third we are talking about a possible event in the future,
but using second conditional we make it clear that we do not really think it will happen.

12. 2nd conditional is usually used in such cases

• Stating preferences

• Supposing
If I were 10 years younger, I'd take the job.
As long as / Providing it was well paid, I'd accept this proposal.
• Unusual circumstances
I would / might join the army, if there was a war.
I wouldn't go on strike, unless there was no alternative.

13. First or second conditional

If we think that future event is reasonably likely, we use first conditional

If the market grows at 7% a month, it will involve new investment rapidly.
If we are talking about an event that is unlikely or impossible, we use the second
conditional
If I had as much money as Bill Gates of Microsoft, I would retire.
14. Variation

It is also possible to use might and could instead of would

If we received credit, we could expand much more rapidly.

In the if-clause , we can use were instead of was. This is very common when we give
advice using the expression If I were you ...
If I were you, I would have another look through those figures.

E. 3rd conditional

IF + HAD DONE, WOULD + HAVE DONE

If + past perfect tense, would + present perfect

15. 3rd conditional is used when talking about things that didn't happened in the past
(and the consequence if they had happened). The verb in the second part is used with
would / should / could / might (+ have + past participle).
If I'd known it was formal party, I wouldn't have gone wearing jeans and jumper. I
would have worn suit.
16. Positive and negative

When we use the 3rd conditional we are imagining the opposite situation. If what actually
happened was negative, we use a positive form. If what actually happened was positive,
we use a negative form:

If my client had given me her fax number, I wouldn't have had to post a letter to her.
If I'd known it was a formal party, I wouldn't have gone wearing jeans and a jumper.
If I had not been in Amsterdam at the last RIPE meeting, I would not have met Esther
Dyson and I wouldn't have known she speaks Russian.
17. Mixed conditionals

If we talk about a past action and its result in the present we use if + past perfect and
would not + infinitive:

If he hadn't done well on the training courses, he wouldn't be a Project leader now.
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Adjectives + preposition combination
1. List of common adjectives and the prepositions that normally follow them

accustomed to afraid of answerable to attached to

aware of capable of dependent on different to

doubtful about enthusiastic about excited about famous for

quilty of interested in opposed to pleased with

popular with proud of related to rich in

satisfied with serious about similar to suitable to

suspicious of used to (= accustomed

to)

2. Some adjectives can be followed by either of two or more prepositions

annoyed about something The Ministry was annoyed about criticism in the paper
annoyed with someone They were. annoyed with us for charging them

good/bad at something I'm very bad at mathematics.

good/bad for something The expected cut in interest will be good for industry.
good/bad with something She should be in Marketing. She's very good with customers.

responsible to someone The Export Manager is responsible to the Sales Director.

responsible for something He is responsible for preparing handouts.

sorry about something I am sorry about the job. It's a shame you didn't get it.
sorry for doing something He said he was sorry for keeping me waiting.
(feel) sorry for someone I feel very sorry for Peter. He has been fired.

3. These combinations of adjectives with prepositions may be followed by noun or noun

phrase.

The students were very excited about the results of the experiment.
4. When followed by a verb, the -ing form must be used.
Please let me know whether you would be interested in arranging a meeting.

Exercises
Complete the sentences with a suitable preposition or adjective.

1. If you are serious _____ going ahead with this, let's have a meeting.
2. The Mini-TV is very popular _____ our younger customers.
3. The new Pilot notebook is ____ to previous model, but it has some interesting
new features.
4. The Finance Director said he was strongly _____ to awarding everyone a
South Africa is _____ in natural resources like diamonds and gold.
5. I have to travel by car or boat because I am _____ of flying.
6. He has very little experience. I don't think he would be _____ of running such a
large project.
7. I would be very_____in discussing the idea of a joint venture.

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Noun + preposition combinations

1. List of nouns and the prepositions normally used with them:

advantage of advice on alternative to application for

benefit of cause of cheque for cost of

demand for difference example of experience of, in

between

fall in, of increase/decrease invitation to interest in

in, of

lack of matter with need for opinion of

order for price of reason for reply to

request for rise in, of solution to tax on

trouble with

2. Words referring to increases and decreases can be followed by in or of. In refers to

something that has risen or fallen; of refer to a quantity or amount.

There has been a large fall in unemployment over the last few months.
 There has been a fall of 9.7%.

3. List of some common preposition and noun combinations:

at a good price at a profit/loss at cost price at your

convenience

at short notice by post by hand by return

by cheque by law by car, bus, by mistake

airmail

for sale for lunch in advance in stock

in writing in general in the end in a hurry

in my opinion in bulk in charge of in debt

on application on sale on loan on holiday

on business on a trip on hold on the phone

on television on the whole on order on time

out of order out of date to my mind under pressure

with reference to

Look at the following examples:

This matter is urgent. Please reply by return.

Could you please confirm your order in writing.

The traffic is so bad I usually get into the centre by taxi. (not: by the taxi.)

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Verb + preposition combination

1. List of common verbs and the prepositions that normally follow them

account for agree on agree with apply for

belong to take care of complain to comply with

consist of depend on hear about hear from

look at look for pay for rely on

talk to think about think of wait for

write to

Examples.

After several hours, the committee agreed on a joint statement.

I really like the new design. What do you think of it?

The new building will have to comply with though planning regulation.

2. The following verbs can be followed by an object and a preposition

ask someone for blame someone for

borrow something from congratulate someone on

divide something into insure something against

invest something in protect someone from

provide something with spend something on

supply someone with thank someone for

Examples.

We spent too much on advertising last year.

Could you supply the plant with two tonnes a month.

Management blamed the union for provoking the strike.

3. The following verbs are not usually followed by preposition

phone meet enter tell discuss

Examples.

I'll phone the committee tomorrow. (NOT: phone to committee)

Do you need visa to enter the EU? (NOT: enter to the EU)

NOTE. In AmE we can say meet with someone.

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