GRAMMAR EXPERT 3 COMPILATION BY PROFESSOR ALBERTO GARCÍA 2015 66

In this unit you will learn about: real and unreal conditionals, unreal past conditionals.

CO
CONDITIONALS

0. ZERO CONDITIONAL: Used for scientific facts or general

truths
IF + SIMPLE PRESENT + SIMPLE PRESENT

1. FIRST CONDITIONAL: Used to talk about things which are

possible in the present or the future. It is generally used for
things which may happen.
a) IF +SIMPLE PRESENT +SIMPLE FUTURE
If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
If we do not protect the panda bears, they will soon become
extinct.

b) IMPERATIVE + OR / AND + SIMPLE FUTURE: Used for threats

and promises
Don't say a word about this, or I will kill you.
Finish your job, and you will have a bonus.

c) IMPERATIVE + IF / IN CASE + SIMPLE PRESENT

Contact me if you need any help.
Call them in case you need help.

2. SECOND CONDITIONAL: Used to talk about things which are unreal (not true or not possible) in the present or the
future. It is generally used for things which don't or won't happen. It is generally used for things which may happen
IF + SIMPLE PAST + SIMPLE CONDITIONAL : If FIRST verb in the sentence is TO BE, WERE is used for all persons.
If I were rich, I would buy a castle.
If I were him, I would go and see a doctor.
If elephants had wings, they would be able to fly.

3. THIRD CONDITIONAL: Used to talk about unreal situations in the past, that is, things which did not happen in the past.
IF + PAST PERFECT + CONDITIONAL PERFECT
If I had known that you were sick, I would have gone to see you.
If you had saved your money, you could have bought a laptop.
If you hadn't been late for work so often, they wouldn't have fired you.

Real conditionals: zero and first

Unreal conditional: second
Unreal past conditional: Third

EXERCISES
I. Complete the sentences using the four conditionals with the verbs given between parentheses.
1. Come on! If you ____________________ (hurry) up then we ____________________ (not/be) late.
2. If you _________ (hurry) up then we _____________ (not/be) late. But, no, you just didn´t want to move!
3. If I ____________________ (can) fly, I ____________________ (fly) far, far away.
4. If blackbirds ________________(come) back early in spring, it _______________(mean) that the summer will be cool.
5. I ____________________ (get) there on time if my teacher ____________________ (not/ask) me to clean the classroom
after the lesson was over.
6. Unless I ____________________ (put) on woolen socks in winters, I always ____________________ (catch) a cold.
7. If you ____________________ (add) any more sugar into your tea, it ___________________(not/be) fit to drink at all.
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8. When I ____________________ (be) hungry, I usually ____________________ (buy) a bun.

9. If a person __________________ (want) to lose some weight, then he or she __________________ (can) take up sport.
10. My mother ____________________ (be) angry with me if she ____________________ (know) that I smoke, luckily,
she does not know it.
11. If we ____________________ (buy) the champagne now we ____________________ (spend) all our money.
12. If we ____________________ (buy) that champagne then we ____________________ (spend) all our money.
13. If a person ____________________ (love) animals, then he or she ____________________ (never/harm) them.
14. The students ____________________ (get) themselves into trouble if they ____________________ (not/tell) the
teacher about stealing the test last week.
15. She ____________________ (tell) you as soon as you ____________________ (come), so hurry up!
16. The answer ____________________ (be) easy if I ____________________ (know) where to search for information.
Luckily Jenny told me in the end.
17. The answer ____________________ (be) easy if I ____________________ (know) where to search for information.
But I really do not know!

II. Choose the right option.

1. If he had been more careful nothing __________
a. would happen b. will have happened c. would have happened

2. If I _________ you, I would not tell him.

a. will be b. was c. were

3. She will finish the essay, if you ________ her any more.
a. will not disturb b. don’t disturb c. would not disturb

4. She would have helped if you __________ her.

a. had asked b. asked c. ask

5. We always have a nice chat in the evening if we ___ time for that.
a. will have b. have c. had

6. If she had had time she _________ the work on time.

a. will have done b. would have done c. did

7. They will finish the work in the evening if we ____ them.

a. help b. will help c. helped

8. If I ____ a bear wearing a wreath I would be very surprised.

a. will see b. had seen c. saw

9. If my eye-sight _______better, I would not need spectacles.

a. is b. was c. were

10. My father would have cooked supper if he ______ the food.

a. bought b. buys c. had bought

11. She always has something to say if we _____ about cats.

a. will speak b. speak c. spoke

12. If I ___ the book, I would not have been able to answer.
a. had not read b. read c. would read
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13. If I remember I _________ you later today.

a. will call b. call c. would call

14. She would clean her room, if she ________ time for that.
a. has b. had had c. had

15. She always gets sick when she ___ too much ice-cream.
a. will eat b. eats c. ate

III. Complete the sentences with the verbs given.

1. If he __________________ (finish) his homework, we ___________________(go) to the park, so wait a little.
2. He ____________________ (fail) the exam if it ____________________ (be) this year, luckily he has a year to go.
3. She ____________________ (help) her mother every time if she ____________________ (need) it.
4. They ____________________ (buy) that cake yesterday if the expiration date ____________________ (not/pass).
5. If John _________________ (speak) Russian, but he does not, he _________________ (get) the position with J&K Ltd.
6. If I ___________________ (know) what to do, then nothing ____________________ (stop) me this time and I know it!
7. If I __________________ (know) what to do, then nothing _______________ (stop) me this time but I do not know it.
8. If I ___________________ (know) what to do, then nothing __________________ (stop) me as I do what I need to do.
9. If I ___________________ (know) what to do, then nothing ___________________(stop) me that time and I knew it!

IV. Make questions.

1. Perhaps one day a millionaire will ask you to marry him/her.
What would you do if _____________________________________________________________________________?

2. Perhaps one day you will lose your passport in a foreign country.
What would you do if _____________________________________________________________________________?

3. Perhaps one day somebody will throw an egg at you.

What would you do if _____________________________________________________________________________?

4. Perhaps one day your car will be stolen.

What would you do if _____________________________________________________________________________?

5. Perhaps one day somebody will park a car on your foot.

What would you do if _____________________________________________________________________________?

V. Decide whether the following Conditional Sentences are Type I, II or II.

a. If he had dropped the vase, it would have broken. f. If you had listened to me, the accident wouldn't have
Type I Type II Type III happened.
Type I Type II Type III
b. If you have to do the washing up, I will help you.
Type I Type II Type III g. If we don't get tickets for the concert, we'll stay at
home.
c. If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning ... (song) Type I Type II Type III
Type I Type II Type III
h. They'd go by bus if they didn't have a car.
d. I wouldn't run away if I saw a spider. Type I Type II Type III
Type I Type II Type III
i. She'll hear us if you don't stop laughing.
e. We'd have given you a lift if you hadn't had your bike Type I Type II Type III
with you.
Type I Type II Type III j. He wouldn't have taken the bread if he hadn't been
hungry. Type I Type II Type III
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VI. Complete the conditional sentences (type I, II and III)

1.Once upon a time the cat bit the mouse's tail off. “Give me back my tail,” said the mouse. And the cat said, “Well, I
(give) ____________________ you back your tail if you fetched me some milk. But that's impossible to do for a little
mouse like you.”
2.The mouse, however, went to the cow. “The cat (give / only) ____________________ me back my tail if I fetch her
some milk.”
3.And the cow said, “Well, I would give you milk if you (get) ____________________ me some hay. But that's impossible
to do for a little mouse like you.”
4.The mouse, however, went to the farmer. “The cat will only give me back my tail if the cow (give)
____________________ me some milk. And the cow (only / give) ____________________ me milk if I get her some
hay.”
5.And the farmer said, “Well, I would give you hay if you (bring) ____________________ me some meat. But that's
impossible to do for a little mouse like you.”
6.The mouse, however, went to the butcher. “The cat will only give me back my tail if the cow (give)
____________________ me milk. And the cow will only give me milk if she (get) ____________________ some hay.
And the farmer (only / give) ____________________ me hay if I get him some meat.”
7.And the butcher said, “Well, I would give you meat if you (make) ____________________ the baker bake me a bread.
But that's impossible to do for a little mouse like you.”

NOTES OF THE CLASS: