Conditional - practice

CONDITIONS

CONDITIONAL BASICS * CONDITIONS IN FIELD OF DREAMS * CONDITIONS IN HOOSIERS * CONDITIONS IN JURASSIC PARK * FURTHER PRACTICE

Identify the conditional sentences For each, decide if it is a REAL condition or an UNREAL condition. What is the time each clause is referring to?

CONDITIONS IN "Field of Dreams"

1. And I dearly wish he had written some more.

2. Could he hit?

3. Dad did the best he could.

4. He died before I could take it back.

5. He talked about finding a job so that you could play ball.

6. I asked them if we could miss a payment or two.

7. I couldn't bear the thought of another year in the minors, so I (quit).

8. I couldn't sleep tonight. (so I took a walk)

9. I picked the farthest (college) from home I could find.

10. I said I could never respect a man whose hero was a criminal.

11. I think if you had experienced even a little bit of the 60's, you might feel the same way, too.

12. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong.

13. I wish I had your passion, Ray.

14. I wouldn't dream of intruding if this weren't extremely important.

15. I'd have played for food money.

16. I'd wake up at night with the smell of the ballpark in my nose.

17. If all these people are going to come, we've got a lot of work to do.

18. If he was supposed to be throwing it, how do you explain ...?

19. If he'd gotten a hit, he might have stayed in baseball.

20. If I could have just one minute, please?

21. If I did (know), I'd forgotten.

22. If I'd only gotten to be a doctor for 5 minutes, now that would have been a tragedy.

23. If it's OK with you, I think I'll just ride along a while.

24. If you build it, he will come.

25. If you really feel you should do this, you should do it..

26. If you sell now, my partners will give you more than a fair price.

27. If you want to go, I can take you.

28. If you were much of a friend, he'd have given you the directions himself.

29. If you're finished, go get your book bags.

30. It would kill some men to get that close to their dream and not to touch it. They'd consider it a tragedy.

31. It'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters.

32. It's not my fault you wouldn't catch with your father.

33. Maybe it was to find out if one inning could change the world.

34. Nobody could ever prove he did a single thing to lose those games.

35. None of us could stand him, so we (didn't invite him).

36. See if you can hit my curve.

37. She got the crazy idea that she could talk me into buying a farm.

38. The owners found that more people could attend night games.

39. The shopkeepers would stock blue hats because they knew...

40. There were eight of us. It would really mean a lot to them.

41. There were times when children could not afford eye glasses or milk ..

42. We brought another team out with us so we could have some real games.

43. We could lose this farm.

44. We lived with her family as long as we could.

45. We stayed with her family as long as we could.

46. What do you think would happen if I suddenly came out with a new book? They'd bleed me dry.

47. What if the voice calls while you're gone?

48. What would you say if I said yes? / I think I'd actually believe you.

49. (Years later) he could still hit.

50. You can live rent free as long as you want.

51. You might not (be able to see it.)

52. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.

CONDITIONS IN "Hoosiers"

1. And if they lost, Daddy'd walk the floor until morning.

2. Cletus told me where I could find you.

3. Don't shoot the ball unless you're under the basket all by yourself.

4. Don't worry about George. He'll be right with you if you start winning.

5. Excuse me miss. Could you direct me to Cletus Summers' office?

6. He thought it strange I ever wanted to leave town. He kept telling me I'd be back.

7. I don't care if you play on the team or not.

8. I don't know if it'll make any change, but I figure it's time for me to start playing ball.

9. I just could never figure out why it meant so much.

10. I think it would be a big mistake to let Coach Dale go.

11. I think Jimmy can take the guy that's guarding him if we set him up.

12. I was wondering if you had some small change.

13. I wouldn't trust old Rooster, neither.

14. I'd be obliged if I got myself another chance.

15. If everyone is as nice as you, country hospitality is going to get an awful name.

16. If I smell even a trace of liquor on your breath, you're finished.

17. If you need anything, why just let me know.

18. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, .... at the end of the game in my book we're going to be winners. OK?

19. Most people would kill to be treated like a god, just for a few moments.

20. This town doesn't like change much, so we thought we'd get together here tonight and show you how we do things here.

21. We can't win unless we score.

22. Who'd ever see him play?

23. Would you like to go over to Deer Lick some evening to take in a movie?

24. You can't score if you don't shoot.

25. You know, if Jimmy's as good as everybody says he is, ...

25. ... I would have thought that a basketball scholarship would have made a lot of sense.

26. You say this kid Jimmy ... wouldn't play basketball after the coach died?

Sentences from Jurassic Park

I. Each of the sentences in this first part has the word if, unless, or another word often signalling a conditional. Look at each sentence. Is it conditional? Real or unreal? For each clause, identify the time (past? present?..)

II. These sentences do not contain if, unless, or other words indicating possible conditionals, but they do contain would, could, or might, (modals which often come with conditionals). Which, if any of these are conditionals? What would the if-clause be, if it were stated? Are they real or unreal conditions? What is the time for each?

1. (If I could just persuade you to sign off on the park .... I could get back on schedule.)
ES: Why would they care what we think?
2. I do wish you wouldn't do that.
3. Sometimes, after biting a dinosaur, the mosquito would land on the branch of a tree and get stuck in the sap. After a long time, the tree sap would get hard and become fossilized, just like a dinosaur bone ...
4. She said I should ride with you, because it would be good for you.
5. Nobody could have predicted that Dr. Grant would suddenly jump out of a moving vehicle.
6. Well, Nedry said a few systems would go off line, didn't he?
7. Why the hell would he turn the other ones off?
8. (Are the) kids OK?
AG: I didn't ask. Why wouldn't they be?
9. They all moved. Motorized, of course, but people would say they could see the fleas.
10. What would this mean? ( shutting down the entire system ...)
11. I bet I can climb over the top and be on the other side before you can even get to the top.
Tim: What would you give me?

COULD:

12. I don't want that kid, but a breed of child, Dr. Grant, could be intriguing.
13. Oh, I'm sorry. That's impossible. We just dug up a new skeleton ...
JH: I could compensate you by fully funding your dig... for a further three years.
14. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it and ...
15. And, therefore, how could you ever assume that you can control it? I mean, you have plants ...
16. I'm totally unappreciated in my time. You could run this whole park from this room with minimal staff for up to three days.
17. I thought I could maybe push it to 18, but you've got to give me at least 15 minutes.
18. It could have been worse, John. A lot worse.
19. It could be anywhere! The fence is down. It could go wandering in and out of any paddock it likes!
20. But this place, I wanted to show them something that wasn't an illusion. Something that was real. Something that they could ... see and touch.
21. What about the lysine contingency? We could put that into effect.

MIGHT

22. So some of the minor systems, they might go on or off for a while. But it's nothing to worry about.
23. This is it. This might be the right file. Yes. This is the right file.

Return to the class homepage
Go to the Grammar Safari page
Go to the IEI Home Page

Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois

		1. And I dearly wish he had written some more.
		2. Could he hit?
		3. Dad did the best he could.
		4. He died before I could take it back.
		5. He talked about finding a job so that you could play ball.
		6. I asked them if we could miss a payment or two.
		7. I couldn't bear the thought of another year in the minors, so I (quit).
		8. I couldn't sleep tonight. (so I took a walk)
		9. I picked the farthest (college) from home I could find.
		10. I said I could never respect a man whose hero was a criminal.
		11. I think if you had experienced even a little bit of the 60's, you might feel the same way, too.
		12. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong.
		13. I wish I had your passion, Ray.
		14. I wouldn't dream of intruding if this weren't extremely important.
		15. I'd have played for food money.
		16. I'd wake up at night with the smell of the ballpark in my nose.
		17. If all these people are going to come, we've got a lot of work to do.
		18. If he was supposed to be throwing it, how do you explain ...?
		19. If he'd gotten a hit, he might have stayed in baseball.
		20. If I could have just one minute, please?
		21. If I did (know), I'd forgotten.
		22. If I'd only gotten to be a doctor for 5 minutes, now that would have been a tragedy.
		23. If it's OK with you, I think I'll just ride along a while.
		24. If you build it, he will come.
		25. If you really feel you should do this, you should do it..
		26. If you sell now, my partners will give you more than a fair price.
		27. If you want to go, I can take you.
		28. If you were much of a friend, he'd have given you the directions himself.
		29. If you're finished, go get your book bags.
		30. It would kill some men to get that close to their dream and not to touch it. They'd consider it a tragedy.
		31. It'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters.
		32. It's not my fault you wouldn't catch with your father.
		33. Maybe it was to find out if one inning could change the world.
		34. Nobody could ever prove he did a single thing to lose those games.
		35. None of us could stand him, so we (didn't invite him).
		36. See if you can hit my curve.
		37. She got the crazy idea that she could talk me into buying a farm.
		38. The owners found that more people could attend night games.
		39. The shopkeepers would stock blue hats because they knew...
		40. There were eight of us. It would really mean a lot to them.
		41. There were times when children could not afford eye glasses or milk ..
		42. We brought another team out with us so we could have some real games.
		43. We could lose this farm.
		44. We lived with her family as long as we could.
		45. We stayed with her family as long as we could.
		46. What do you think would happen if I suddenly came out with a new book? They'd bleed me dry.
		47. What if the voice calls while you're gone?
		48. What would you say if I said yes? / I think I'd actually believe you.
		49. (Years later) he could still hit.
		50. You can live rent free as long as you want.
		51. You might not (be able to see it.)
		52. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.

		1. And if they lost, Daddy'd walk the floor until morning.
		2. Cletus told me where I could find you.
		3. Don't shoot the ball unless you're under the basket all by yourself.
		4. Don't worry about George. He'll be right with you if you start winning.
		5. Excuse me miss. Could you direct me to Cletus Summers' office?
		6. He thought it strange I ever wanted to leave town. He kept telling me I'd be back.
		7. I don't care if you play on the team or not.
		8. I don't know if it'll make any change, but I figure it's time for me to start playing ball.
		9. I just could never figure out why it meant so much.
		10. I think it would be a big mistake to let Coach Dale go.
		11. I think Jimmy can take the guy that's guarding him if we set him up.
		12. I was wondering if you had some small change.
		13. I wouldn't trust old Rooster, neither.
		14. I'd be obliged if I got myself another chance.
		15. If everyone is as nice as you, country hospitality is going to get an awful name.
		16. If I smell even a trace of liquor on your breath, you're finished.
		17. If you need anything, why just let me know.
		18. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, .... at the end of the game in my book we're going to be winners. OK?
		19. Most people would kill to be treated like a god, just for a few moments.
		20. This town doesn't like change much, so we thought we'd get together here tonight and show you how we do things here.
		21. We can't win unless we score.
		22. Who'd ever see him play?
		23. Would you like to go over to Deer Lick some evening to take in a movie?
		24. You can't score if you don't shoot.
		25. You know, if Jimmy's as good as everybody says he is, ...
		25. ... I would have thought that a basketball scholarship would have made a lot of sense.
		26. You say this kid Jimmy ... wouldn't play basketball after the coach died?