SEMINAR 4
Conditionals
type
zero conditional
1st conditional
2nd conditional
3rd conditional
mixed
Example sentence
If you press this switch, the light
comes on.
If my plane is late, I am going to be
late for the meeting.
If our budget weren’t tight, we would
go on holiday abroad.
=
Our budget is tight so we won’t go on
holiday abroad.
If Pete had studied harder, he would
have passed his exam.
=
Pete didn’t study so he failed his
exam.
1. If you hadn’t woken me up in the
middle of the night, I wouldn’t be so
tired.
=
You woke me up in the middle of the
night so I am tired now.
What it means
One action follows automatically from
the other.
One action follows from the other. It
refers to the future. Notice that in the
“if” clause the present tense is used to
refer to the future.
It refers to the present. Notice the use
of the past tense in the “if” clause and
the modal auxiliary “would”
It refers to the past. Notice the use of
the past perfect tense in the “if” clause
and the past perfect form of the modal
auxiliary “would”.
Depending on the context you can mix
the present and past conditionals.
2. If you didn’t have so much work to
do, we would have taken the kids to
the zoo.
=
You have a lot of work to do so we
didn’t take the kids to the zoo.
Task 1: Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate conditional
form.
1. (If / When) __________ I leave work, I usually go to the fitness center to work out.
2. She hates TV. She thinks television is a waste of time. (If / When) __________ she watches any
television at all, it is usually a documentary or a news program.
3. My friend always keeps in touch by mail. (If / When) __________I get a letter, I usually write back
immediately.
4. If I (have) __________ enough money, I (go) __________on safari to Kenya. However, my bank
account is empty!
5. I love to travel! When I (have) __________enough money, I (go) __________abroad. I do it almost
every year.
6. I really wanted to go on safari to Kenya with my friends, but I couldn't afford to go. If I (have)
__________ enough money, I (go) __________ with them.
7. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were allergic to chocolate. If I (know) __________ , I (make) you a vanilla
birthday cake.
8. Stop asking me what Amanda bought you for Christmas. Even if I (know) __________ what she
bought you, I (tell, not) __________ you.
9. Nobody here speaks English. Too bad Gloria isn't here. If she (be) __________ with us, she (can)
__________ act as our interpreter.
10. I am afraid I won't be able to come to your wedding next week because my company is sending me
to New York to attend a trade show. I (miss, never) __________ your wedding if I (have) __________ a
choice in the matter.
11. If the weather is nice tomorrow, she (walk) __________ along the river to school.
12. If you help me move tomorrow, I (treat) __________ you to a dinner and a movie.
13. If you were to help me move tomorrow, I (treat) __________ you to a dinner and a movie.
14. If I were in Tahiti right now, I (snorkel) __________ along a beautiful reef. I wouldn't be stuck here in
this office with mountains of paperwork.
15. If Jerry hadn't stopped to pick up that quarter, he (cross) __________ the street when the bus ran
the red light. He might have been killed!
16. Tina's train arrived ahead of schedule. If I hadn't decided to go to the train station early, she (wait)
__________ there for more than twenty minutes before I arrived.
17. If I (pass) __________ the test, I (get) __________ an "A" in the class. Instead, I got a "C." I really
should have studied more.
18. If I (be) __________ rich, I (buy) __________ that new Mercedes we saw yesterday. Unfortunately, I
can't even afford a used car.
19. We (go) __________ skiing this weekend, but there's no snow. Oh, well! We will just have to find
something else to do instead.
20. If Heather spoke Chinese, she (translate) __________ the email for you yesterday.
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional12.htm
Task 2: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets. What type of conditional
is the sentence (zero, first, second, third)?
1. Powerplay plc would have lost a significant share of the youth market if they _________ (increase)
the price of their product.
2. I believe that I have the right attitude to revision. If I __________ (need) a break when I’m studying,
I take one. It helps me to stay focused.
3. If there __________ (be) a regional centre for medical aid supplies, it would speed up the response
time in emergency situations.
4. Practical skills are vital, but architects also need to maintain a sense of their initial inspiration,
whatever problems they __________ (encounter) as the building work progresses.
5. We would not have been obliged to bail out the banks if we __________ (listen) to the quieter
economic voices, who advised us against their riskier practices.
6. We __________ (not see) an improvement in the binge-drinking culture unless pubs and clubs
begin to act more responsibly.
Task 3: Complete the text about “Green retailing”, using the correct form of the verbs in the box. Use a
negative form where necessary.
wish
renew
act
present
label
place
be
Environmental considerations are often only a marketing strategy, and companies can easily be
accused of “greenwash”. Supermarkets, for example, are in the business of trying to anticipate demand.
If new organic shops begin to open all over the city, then supermarkets (1) __________ new orders for
organic produce, and (2) __________ it as ethical purchasing. But if consumer demand later dropped,
they (3) __________ those orders.
Social enterprises, on the other hand, maintain environmental policies that are as important as their
equal opportunities policies. They will have a sustainable procurement policy, for example, even if this
(4) __________ just a preferred suppliers list. Furthermore, if their carbon footprint seemed excessive,
they (5) __________ to reduce it, and if their suppliers or customers (6) _________ to learn about their
decision mechanisms, they would be open to that in a way that is not common in the ordinary business
community. As Carson (2010) points out, an enterprise such as Greenstock (7) __________ itself
‘social’ if it planned to be a conventional company.
Task 4: Compose sentences using the following words. Do not change the order of the words, but add
any words or change any word forms as necessary.
1. if / two / atom / combine / form / molecule
2. if / have / difficult / goal / must / work / hard
3. government / will / respond / if / military threat
4. if / population / be / homogenous / marketing / be / easier
5. if / company / face / financial / crisis / bank / might / lend / money
6. I / not / worry / if / I / be / you
7. Production method / be / popular / if / it / not / consume / so much / energy
8. people / get / help / if / public / have / enlightened attitude / toward alcoholism
9. if / professor / draw / better / diagram / yesterday / I / understand / problem
10. if / committee / assemble / necessary information / earlier / they / finish / report / last week
11. reporter / be granted / interview / yesterday / if / submit / written request
12. mayor / not / be reelected / if / she / advocate / increased taxes / last year
13. if / companies / accept / government mediator / conflict / be solved / quickly
Task 5: Complete the following sentences as statements of facts or principles.
1. If a gas is heated, …
2. If a person perpetrates a crime, …
3. If a trait is hereditary, …
4. If you get upset over trivial accidents, …
5. If a person smokes, …
6. If I pass this class, …
7. If today’s weather report is accurate, …
8. If you cease studying for this class, …
9. If I eliminate sleep from my schedule, …
10. If I achieve my goal of getting a degree, …
11. If I had a lot of money, …
12. If I could travel anywhere in the world, …
13. If I had a free day tomorrow, …
Task 6: For Discussion and/or Writing
1. What do you think would have happened in Asia, Africa, or South America if European nations had
never claimed colonies there?
2. What do you think would have happened in Europe if Germany and the other Axis powers had won
World War II?
3. How would your field of study be different today if the Internet had never been developed?
4. What three inventions do you think have been the most beneficial to humanity? How would life
today be different if those three things had never been invented?
Constructions after wish
1. With past simple to express dissatisfaction with a present situation or repeated habitual activity.
Examples:
I wish she didn’t … (but she does)
I wish she did … (but she doesn’t)
I wish she spoke French. (but she doesn’t. I would very much like her to)
I wish the weather was/were a bit warmer. (but it isn’t)
2. With would to express dissatisfaction and annoyance about something that we would like to be
different but that we do not expect to be different. When used to refer to a person, it suggests that
the person refuses to change.
Examples:
I wish she would speak French. (but she won’t. She can speak French but she refuses to speak it.)
I wish it would stop raining. (but it won’t. I do not expect it to stop.)
3. With past perfect to express regret about the past.
Examples:
I wish I had studied harder. (but I didn’t and now I regret it.)
-
You can use if only… in place of I wish… . It also expresses dissatisfaction and regret. It is
somewhat stronger than wish: If only I hadn’t said that.
-
Wish + to-infinitive is a more formal way of saying I want to… or I would like to… It is used in formal
spoken language or in writing: The management wish to inform you that… .
Task 7: For each of the following sentences, compose a new sentence that expresses a wish for the
opposite situation.
Example: It is raining today. I wish it weren’t raining today.
1. Learning English takes a lot of time and energy.
2. Our decisions are dictated by financial constraints.
3. The director will make a lot of announcements.
4. This report was released to the press yesterday.
5. Discretionary funds were eliminated from the budget.
Task 8: Compose sentences using the following words. Do not change the order of the words, but add
words or change any word forms as necessary.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Lee / wish / that / work / impress / boss
I / wish / that / all / dictator / resign from office
we / wish / that / we / eliminate / disease
I / wish / war / cease
tomorrow / Sue / wish / she / not / spend / money / today
Kim / wish / atomic / weapon / not / be / invent
Tom / wish / buy / microscope / last month
I / wish / economy / be / stronger / last year
Task 9: For Discussion and/or Writing
1. In the folktales of many cultures, there are stories of fairies, genies, leprechauns, and other magic
creatures who grant wishes. Imagine that one of these beings is visiting you. Make three wishes.
2. Do you know a folktale about magic wishes? Write or tell it.
3. What do you wish you had done when you were younger?
4. What historical event do you wish had turned out differently?
Task 10: Translate the following sentences into English
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pokud sis všechno pořádně zopakoval, tak příští týden nebudeš mít problém ten test udělat.
Když překládáš poezii do cizího jazyka, ztratí se některé aspekty původního textu.
Pokud odevzdáte esej po termínu, nebude oznámkována.
Konflikt v daném regionu se vyřeší, pouze pokud obě strany povedou společný dialog.
Pokud horka neustoupí, požáry v jižním Řecku budou pokračovat.
6. Kdybych se stal ministrem, dal bych všem svým kamarádům práci na ministerstvu.
7. Archeologové by mohli objevit spousty zajímavých nálezů, kdyby jim byl umožněn dlouhodobý
výzkum na pozemcích v centru města.
8. Kdyby šla studovat na jinou fakultu, mohla teď vydělávat mnohem víc peněz.
9. Kdyby bylo vstupné do Národní Galerie nižší, mnoho studentů by tam chodilo mnohem častěji.
10. Kdyby se Max Brod řídil Kafkovými instrukcemi, tak by po jeho smrti spálil všechna jeho do té
doby nevydaná díla.
Sources:
ACKLES, Nancy M a Steve ELSWORTH. The grammar guide: developing language skills for academic
success. New ed., 6th impr. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, c2003, xiii, 246 p. ISBN 04-7208882-3.
MANN, Malcolm a Steve TAYLORE-KNOWLES. Destination B2: grammar and vocabulary with answer
key. 1st publ. Oxford: Macmillan, 2006, 254 s. ISBN 978-023-0035-386.
PATERSON, K. Oxford Grammar for EAP. 2013. ISBN 978-019-4329-996.
SWAN, Michael. Practical English usage. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996, 654 s. ISBN
01-944-2146-5.
THOMSON, A a A MARTINET. A practical English grammar. 4th ed., low priced ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, c1986, 383 s. ISBN 01-943-1348-4.
TREBITS, Anna. EU English: using English in EU contexts : B2 With English EU terminology by Márta
FISCHER. Budapest: Klett, 2010. ISBN 978-963-9641-884.
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE. Study Zone [online]. 1998, 2012 [cit.
2013-09-18]. Available from: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm
WALKER, Elaine a Steve ELSWORTH. Grammar practice for upper intermediate students: with key.
New ed., 6th impr. Harlow, Essex: Longman, 2005. ISBN 05-824-1721-X.
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional12.htm