HS_Friday

A. If I could only master English conditionals

Structure of the first conditional
positive	negative	question
If I see him, I'll (I will) tell him.	If you don't hurry, you'll miss the bus.	What will you do if there is a problem?

Structure of the second conditional
positive	negative	question
If I had more time, I'd (I would) travel more.	I wouldn't (would not) refuse if you offered me $10,000.	What would you say if you met Queen Elizabeth?
If I were you, I'd leave the job.	I wouldn't (would not) leave the job if I were you.	Would you leave the job if you were me?

Structure of the third conditional
positive	negative	question
If I'd (I had) known you were coming, I would have waited for you.	If she hadn't (had not) been ill, she would have gone to the cinema.	Would you have done it if you'd (you had) known earlier?

Conditional Sentence Type 1

→ It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future

Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

Conditional Sentence Type 2

→ It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled. Conditional Sentences Type II refer to situations in the present. An action could happen if the present situation were different. I don't really expect the situation to change, however. I just imagine „what would happen if …“

Were instead of Was

In IF Clauses Type II, we usually use ‚were‘ – even if the pronoun is I, he, she or it –.

Example: If I were you, I would not do this.

Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

Example: If I had more money, I wouldn't live here.

Conditional Sentence Type 3

→ It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past. An action could have happened in the past if a certain condition had been fulfilled. Things were different then, however. We just imagine, what would have happened if the situation had been fulfilled

Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)

Example: If I had taken that job, I would have made a lot of money.

B. Exercises

Conditional Sentences Type 1

Complete the Conditional Sentences Type I.

• If you (go)  out with your friends tonight, I (watch)  the football match on TV.
• I (earn)  a lot of money if I (get)  that job.
• If she (hurry / not) , we (miss)  the bus.

Conditional Sentences Type 2

Complete the Conditional Sentences Type II.

• If he (try)  harder, he (reach)  his goals.
• I (buy)  these shoes if they (fit) .
• It (surprise / not)  me if he (know / not)  the answer.

Conditional Sentences Type 3

Complete the Conditional Sentences Type III.

• If we (listen)  to the radio, we (hear)  the news.
• If you (switch)  on the lights, you (fall / not)  over the chair.
• She (come)  to our party if she (be / not)  on holiday.

Conditional Sentences Type 1-3

Complete the Conditional Sentences with the correct form (Type I, II or III).

• If I amwill bewerehad beenwould bewould have been stronger, I'd help you carry the piano.
• If we'd seen you, we stopwill stopstoppedhad stoppedwould stopwould have stopped.
• If we meetwill meetmethad metwould meetwould have met him tomorrow, we'll say hello.
• He would have repaired the car himself if he haswill havehadhad hadwould havewould have had the tools.
• If you drop the vase, it breakswill breakbrokehad brokenwould breakwould have broken.
• If I hadn't studied, I do not passwill not passdid not passhad not passedwould not passwould not have passed the exam.
• I wouldn't go to school by bus if I havewill havehadhad hadwould havewould have had a driving licence.
• If she doesn't seewon't seehadn't seendidn't seewouldn't seewouldn't have seen him every day, she'd be lovesick.
• I don't travelwon't traveldidn't travelhadn't travelledwouldn't travelwouldn't have travelled to London if I don't get a cheap flight.
• We'd be stupid if we tellwill telltoldhad toldwould tellwould have told him about our secret.

C. Conditional Alternatives

1. UNLESS

We sometimes use unless instead of if... not in the sense of except if, especially if we are talking about present circumstances and conditions. The second sentence you have quoted, Eveline, is a very good example of unless used correctly:

The poor man won’t be able to buy a new car unless he wins the lottery.

He won’t be able to pay all the tax he owes unless he robs a bank.

Unless is well used here because it highlights an exception to what is generally true. It works very well in the following examples too when the focus is on exceptions to the general rule. Compare the following:

I’ll be back by the weekend, unless there’s a train strike.

I’ll be back by the weekend, if the train drivers aren’t on strike.

We’ll play tennis on the outdoor courts on Friday, unless it rains in which case we’ll play indoors.

We’ll play tennis on the outdoor courts on Friday, if it doesn’t rain. If it does rain, we’ll play indoors.

If we use unless in the above examples, we think it unlikely that there will be a train strike and unlikely that it will rain. Using if…not suggests that there may be a rail strike or that it may rain.

In your other example sentence, Eveline, it is likely that you will finish the report at some stage, so until would sound more natural in this example:

I cannot take a break until I finish this report.

If you say:

I cannot take a break unless I finish this report.

grammatically it’s fine, but it sounds a bit strange, as if there is someone standing over you and forcing you to work in impossible conditions.

Compare the following and note the contrastive differences in meaning between if and unless:

Don’t phone me if you get into trouble!

Don’t phone me unless you get into trouble.

In the first, I am saying that I want nothing more to do with you, that I am disowning you. Don’t phone me under any circumstances. In the second, I am saying that you can phone me if you want to, but only if you get into trouble.

2. AS LONG AS / ONLY IF

We can use these alternatives to if if we want to emphasize the conditions surrounding the action, i.e. one thing will happen only if another thing happens. We can also use so long as and providing (that) as alternatives to as long as. Compare the following:

We will lend you the money on condition that it is repaid within 12 months.

I don’t mind talking to the press, but only if my identity is protected.

You can borrow my DVD player as long as you return it on Monday.

3. WHETHER

In indirect speech, we can use if or whether to introduce reported yes/no questions:

Can you feed the cat for me while I’m away? - She wanted to know whether I could feed the cat for her while she was away.

Do you have any free time on Sunday? - I’m not sure if I’ll have any free time on Sunday.

When there is a choice of two possibilities, particularly in a two-part question with or, we normally use whether:

Let me know whether you can come or not.

I asked him whether he wanted to stay in a hotel or a B&B.

Whether (or not) he’ll be fully fit when the new football season kicks off, we don’t yet know.

Compare the following conditional use with whether:

I’ll come with you to the hospital, if you want me to.
I’m coming with you to the hospital, whether you want me to or not.

In the first, where your friend is talking, there are a number of possibilities: you can go alone, go with a friend, go with your mother, etc, so if is used. In the second, where your mother is talking, there are only two possibilities: you either want her with you or not, so whether is used.

For each of the celebrities shown in the pictures below, come up with a couple of conditional clauses that apply to their lifes or activities (HUMOR is highly encouraged)

Do you think there is something that they regret?
Something that they would do if things were different?

 




Additional Exercises

 That was a bad decision. If I (be)  you, I would change it as soon as possible. 

 Sunshine - at last! Imagine if the English weather was like this all the time. (it/not/be) wonderful? 

 He's usually pleasant, but when he's tired he (be)  pretty short-tempered. That's the way he is. 

 If you (not/be)  so stubborn you would find it a lot easier to keep your friends. 

 Sorry I didn't call you and tell you I wasn't coming. I would have called you if I (have) your number with me. 

 He says that if he (not/be)  so busy he would go with you to the movie tomorrow. As it is, he simply has too much work to do. 

 We (miss)  the bus unless you hurry. 

 If only I (have)  more free time. All the things I would do. All I ever do is work. 

D. What would you do if you were told that you had only 1 day to live?


Based on testimony from a very experienced nurse, the following are the 5 regrets people express before dying:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

What's your greatest regret so far, and what will you set out to achieve or change before you die?

Now it is your turn.  What would you do if the doctor tells you that you only have 1 week to live? (make sure that you use the Type 2 Conditional)

D. What WOULD you do if you had an extra day?

1. What do you do during the week? Come up with a list of at least 20 things that you do during your typical day (HINT: use action verbs).  Write the activities on one half of the board
2. On the second half of the board, write what you WOULD do if you had an extra day.  Come up with 20 new activities. Be creative
3. Why don't you do these activities? Give reasons

A. What would you do if you had an extra day?

 

After watching this video, please respond the following questions:

1. What is this video about? Setting, characters, environment, storyline.  Summarize it in 2-3 minutes
2. List the activities that the characters discuss doing if they had an extra day
3. What activities did the characters say they would like to do but they couldn't do?