CONDITIONS

REAL * UNREAL * OTHER WORDS LIKE IF * OTHER PATTERNS * HOPE/WISH * CONCORDANCE ACTIVITY * PRACTICE

REAL CONDITIONS
(the TRUTH is UNKNOWN, but POSSIBLE)

(clauses can be reversed) .................. (time in each clause independent of the other clause)
TRUTH
(unknown, but possible)
MAIN CLAUSE
(any tense)
IF CLAUSE (most tenses possible)
(use present tense for future; use will only for willingness)
???
S + V
if
should		 S (should)
S 		V
???
He plays/will play/played
if
if
should		 he
he should
he		 knows/knew how
know how
know how

UNREAL CONDITIONS
(the TRUTH is KNOWN/BELIEVED to be the OPPOSITE of the If-CLAUSE)

(clauses can be reversed) .................. (time in each clause independent of the other clause)
TRUTH
(probably the opposite of the if-clause)
MAIN CLAUSE
IF CLAUSE (backshifted)
(use were instead of was, and would only for willingness)
S does/did/has/will .. not V
S would
could
might		 V
have Vdtn
if (only)
were
were/had		 S
S to
S 		Ved/had Vdtn
V/have Vdtn
(V)/ Vdtn
NON-PAST:

He doesn't/won't know how.
He could
would
might		 play
if (only)
were
were		 he
he to
he		 knew how
know how
learning/a good player
PAST:

He didn't know how.
He could
would
might		 have played
if (only)
were
had		 he
he to
he		 had known how
have known how
known how

OTHER WORDS LIKE IF:

if
 (can mean whenever) He plays/will playif/when you do
only if
provided that		 requirement only if/provided that you do
(If you don't, he won't.)
as long asonly requirement as long as you do
(He definitely will, if you do.)
unless
 exception unless you do.
(Your playing is the only thing that can stop him.)
in case
planning ahead
for a possible condition		in case you can't.
(He will, so that if you don't there won't be a problem.)
even if
expected condition
doesn't apply 		even if you don't
(Your NOT playing won't stop him.)
whether or not
not a condition whether you do or not.
(He will if you do; he will if you don't.)

OTHER CONDITIONAL PATTERNS:

TRUTH MAIN CLAUSEIF-CLAUSE(TRUTH .. if unreal)
real OR unreal conditions:
He doesn't know how.Otherwise, he would play(If he knew how) but he doesn't.)
He looks as though he knew how
as if he knew how.		 (But he doesn't)
What (would happen)
Suppose		if he knew how?
he knew how?		 (He doesn't.)
unreal conditions only:
He wouldn't playwithout knowing how. (If he's playing, he knows how.)
He would play (if he knew how) but he doesn't know how.
Playing would be fun(if he played) but he won't
He would like to play.(but he can't).
He would play better in shorts.(but he's not wearing shorts)
He would be too slowto play. (so he doesn't.)
He doesn't playbecause he would get hurt(if he played, so he doesn't
real conditions only:
Ask him and he'll play(If you ask him he'll play -- if not, he won't.)
Pay him or he won't play(If you don't pay him, he won't play -- do, and he might.)

HOPE and WISH:

Noun clauses following the verb hope are similar to REAL conditions:

Noun clauses following the verb wish are similar to UNREAL conditions:

Return to the class homepage
Go to the IEI Home Page

Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois