SFL/METU
Dept. of B. E.
GHO 4
April 2017
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE GROUP
ALTERNATIVES TO IF AND HYPOTHETICAL EXPRESSIONS
If is not the only word we can use to express condition. In this handout, you will study other words and
expressions that are used as conditionals. You will also study expressions that are used in hypothetical
situations.
EXCEPT IF / IF… NOT (negative condition)
UNLESS
Unless
*My grandfather can’t hear unless you shout.
(My grandfather can’t hear if you don’t shout)
*You can’t travel on this train unless you have a reservation.
(If you don’t have a reservation, you can’t travel on this train)
*Unless Peter changes his attitude, he is going to find himself in trouble.
(If Peter doesn’t change his attitude, he is going to find himself in trouble)
PROVIDING/PROVIDED (THAT)
SO/AS LONG AS
ONLY IF (necessary condition)
ON (THE) CONDITION (THAT)
Providing / Provided (that) * He’ll let you borrow his camera provided that you promise to take good
care of it.
(He’ll let you borrow his camera only if you promise to take good care of
it. Otherwise, he won’t lend it to you.)
* Providing you don’t cause trouble, the police will let you go.
(The police will not let you go if you cause trouble.)
*I’ll accept the post provided the salary is satisfactory.
(I won’t accept the post if the salary isn’t satisfactory.)
So / as long as
*You can borrow my CD player as / so long as you return it by Monday.
(You can’t borrow my CD player if you don’t return it by Monday.)
*So / as long as you return it by Monday, I’ll let you borrow my dictionary.
(I won’t let you borrow my dictionary unless you return it by Monday.)
On (the) condition (that)
*You won’t be dismissed on condition that you pay the tuition fee on time.
(You’ll be dismissed if you don’t pay the tuition fee on time)
*I’ll come to the party with you on the condition you don’t wear that pink
tie.
(I won’t come to the party with you if you wear that pink tie.)
Be careful! We use these conjunctions to emphasize that the condition is necessary to the result. That
is, the part of the sentence starting with these words expresses a condition that must exist for the result
to happen. They all mean if and only if. That’s why, they cannot always replace if.
e.g. The police will not let you go if you cause trouble.
The police will not let you go provided you cause trouble. (X)
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SUPPOSE/SUPPOSING (THAT)
WHAT IF
IMAGINE (imaginary condition)
Suppose/ Supposing (that)
*Suppose you are stopped by the police, what will you do?
*Supposing he asked you to marry him, would you accept?
*You shouldn’t have done that. Suppose that the security guard had seen you?
*What if we invite our friends this weekend and go away next weekend?
What if
*What if your parents knew about this? What would you do?
*What if the gun had been fired at you?
Be careful! Suppose / Supposing (that) and what if can be used to introduce suggestions. Therefore,
the tense can be present or past. A past form makes the suggestion unreal. They are used in question
form.
These expressions can also be used to talk about fears.
“Let’s go swimming.” “Suppose there are sharks, what will you do?”
“I’m going to climb up there.” “What if you slip?”
In sentences about the past, past perfect tenses are used to talk about situations that did not occur.
Climbing up there was very clever, but suppose you had slipped?
WHETHER OR NOT
EVEN IF
Whether or not
Even if
IN CASE
(future condition, unexpected in the circumstances)
*I’m going swimming tomorrow whether or not it is cold / whether it is cold
or not.
(If it is cold, I’m going swimming. If it isn’t cold, I am going swimming. I don’t
care about the temperature. It doesn’t matter.)
*She will cancel her son’s credit cards whether or not he agrees to it / whether
he agrees to it or not.
(It doesn’t matter whether her son agrees to it or not. She will cancel his credit
cards)
*You have to hand in your exam paper even if you haven’t finished yet.
(It doesn’t matter whether you have finished or not. You have to hand it your exam
paper)
*Sally is going to marry Jason even if her parents don’t approve.
(It doesn’t matter whether her parents approve or not. Sally is going to marry
Jason)
PRECAUTION (if by chance this should happen)
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IN CASE OF+ NOUN
In case
In case of + noun
INSTRUCTIONS
*I always take an umbrella in case it rains.
(Whether it rains or not, I always take my umbrella as a precaution because it
might rain)
*He’s going to take his camera in case he wants to take some photos.
(He is going to take his camera because he might want to take some photos.)
*I had to watch where I put my feet in case I fell.
(I had to walk carefully because I could have fallen.)
*In case of fire, please leave the building as quickly as possible.
(If there is fire, …)
*In case of emergency, call this number.
(If there is emergency, …)
Be careful!
I don’t want to go out tonight in case Ann phones. (NOT... in case Ann will/may/might phone.)
You can’t use “in case” instead of “if.” Compare the sentences below.
We will buy some food in case he comes for dinner. (We’ll buy food because he might come for
dinner.)
We will buy some food if he comes for dinner. (We won’t buy food if he doesn’t come for dinner.)
TASK 1. Choose the correct answer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
We are going to start painting the house provided / unless it is not raining.
You can use my car unless / as long as you drive carefully.
Unless / Provided they are with an adult, children are not allowed to use the swimming pool.
I’ll draw a map for you if / in case you have difficulty finding our house.
You will not be allowed into the club as long as / unless you are a member.
Supposing / Providing our train is late, how will we get there on time?
You should tell the police in case / if you have any information about the crime.
8. I’ve bought some food in order that / if / in case your friends stay with us for lunch.
TASK 2. Read the following statements/situations, and complete the following sentences about them.
1. Sam’s uncle tells a lot of jokes. Sometimes they are funny, and sometimes they are not. It doesn’t matter,
Sam still laughs at them.
Sam laughs at his uncle’s jokes whether or not they are funny / they are funny or not.
Sam laughs at his uncle’s jokes even if they aren’t funny.
2. Maybe you’re finished with the exam, and maybe you’re not. It doesn’t matter. The time’s up, so please
hand in your exam paper.
You have to hand in your exam paper whether or not you are finished (with it) / you are finished (with it)
or not.
You have to hand in your exam paper even if you aren’t finished (with it).
3. Your approval doesn’t matter to me. I am going to marry Harry.
I am going to marry Harry whether or not you approve / you approve or not.
I am going to marry Harry even if you don’t approve.
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TASK 3. Rewrite the sentences using the given expressions.
1. If he doesn’t get a scholarship, he won’t be able to continue his education. (on condition that)
He’ll be able to continue his education on condition that he gets a scholarship.
2. You won’t get cold if you don’t throw the blankets off. (as long as)
You won’t get cold as long as you don’t throw the blankets off.
3. Unless you think it through very carefully, you won’t come up with the right answer. (provided)
You will come up with the right answer provided you think it through very carefully.
4. Take some cash with you because some shops might not accept credit cards. (in case)
Take some cash with you in case some shops don’t accept credit cards.
5. Jack carries his laptop with him all the time because he might need to troubleshoot unexpected database
problems. (in case)
Jack carries his laptop with him all the time in case he needs to troubleshoot unexpected database
problems.
AS IF / AS THOUGH
*He acts as if he is in charge. (He is probably the boss)
*He acts as if he were in charge. (He is pretending to be
* “As if / as though” are normally used to say
the boss)
what a situation seems like. They can also
*She sounds as if she is going to cry. (She is probably
indicate that the idea that follows is ‘untrue’.
going to cry)
*She looked as though she would faint.(She was
probably going to faint)
They are commonly followed by verbs such as *He behaved as if he had never met her before. (He
look, seem, sound.
had met her before)
*She looked as though she had seen a ghost. (She had
not seen a ghost)
As if / As though
TASK 4. Using the given idea, complete each sentence with as if/as though.
1. English is not her native tongue.
She speaks English as if / as though it were her native tongue.
2. You didn’t see a ghost.
What’s the matter? You looked as if / as though you’d seen a ghost.
3. His father is not a general in the army.
Sometimes his father gives orders as if / as though he were a general in the army.
4. I didn’t climb Mt. Everest.
When I reached the fourth floor, I was exhausted. I felt as if / as though I had climbed Mt. Everest instead
of just three flights of stairs.
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