Conditionals

Las oraciones condicionales son oraciones compuesta por :

o una subordinada que expresa la condición ( conditional clause – if )

o una principal que indica el resultado ( result clause).

En inglés existen 3 tipos:

First conditional:
If + present simple + future simple 1 st

If you give me a hand , I will be really grateful.

( Si me echas una mano,estaré muy agradecido)
No importa el orden en que se coloquen las preposiciones, pero si la condición ( if )
va primero se suele poner una coma entre ambas.

 Además del future simple en el resultado también se pueden usar los modales y el imperativo

You can´t go out if you don´t finish your homework

If you search for information on the Internet, use Google
 Para expresar que algo no ocurrirá si no se cumple la condición, la proposición
es introducida por unless = if not ( a no ser que , a menos que )

Unless you study hard this term , you will fail English.
If you don´t study hard this term , you will fail English.

 Unless se usa más en el 1st conditional. Es menos frecuente en el 2nd y nunca en el 3rd .

If + present simple , future simple

Unless = if not Modal

Imperative
Second conditional
If + past simple , would + infinitivo
2 nd

If I studied harder , I would pass this exam

 Si el verbo de la condición ( if ) es “to be” se suele utilizar were en todas las

personas.

If I were a rich girl, I would buy a new car

 Para dar consejos se usa… If I were you, I wouldn´t go ( Yo que tú no iría)

 Podemos usar en vez de would los modales could o might ( indican que la
probabilidad de que se cumpla la hipótesis es aún menor – podría, tal vez, quizás-)
Third conditional
If + past perfect , would have + participio
3 rd

If you had studied harder, you would have passed this exam

 En vez de would have también podemos usar could have o might have

If Jack had come , we could have gone to the party

Summing up….

1 st
If + present simple , future simple
Modal
Unless = if not Imperative

2 nd
If + past simple , would + infinitivo
Could
might

3 rd
If + past perfect , would have + participio
Could have
might have
 Choose the correct answer.

1. If you like this CD, I’ll lend / I would lend it to you.

2. You won’t / wouldn’t get lost if you had a GPS.
3. We’ll discuss it if you come / will come over tonight.
4. If he sends / sent me an e-mail, I’d reply at once.
5. We’ll miss the bus unless we will leave / leave now.
 Choose the correct answer.

1. If you don’t help me with the homework, … .

a. I won’t be able to do it b. I wouldn’t do it
2. John will take pictures of your family … .
a. unless he forgets his camera b. if you would ask him
3. If we saved some money, … .
a. we bought a new computer b. we could buy a laptop
Complete the sentences with the correct affirmative or negative form of the verbs in brackets.

wore
1. You wouldn’t disturb people if you ……………………… (wear) headphones.
will find
2. If she goes online, she ……………………… (find) all the information she needs.
gets
3. Jack can’t travel to America unless he ……………………… (get) a passport.
didn’t have
4. If I ……………………… (have) a Palm Pilot to help me, I wouldn’t be so well organised.
won’t find (find) the jewels.
5. Unless the police catch the thief, they ………………………
won
6. What would you buy if you ……………………… (win) the lottery?
 Match A to B to form sentences.

A B
1. If there’s a good film on, e a. I’d refuse his offer.
2. Dan would fix the TV f b. if he’d practised more.
3. He would have played better b c. they wouldn’t have been late.
4. If I were you, a d. unless you know English.
5. If the car hadn’t broken down, c e. I’ll go.
6. You won’t get the job d f. if he were here.
 Complete each sentence according to the meaning of the original sentences.
Use the first, second or third conditionals.

1. We didn’t visit the museum because it was closed.

We ………………………………
would have visited the museum if ………………………
it had been open.

2. The temperature may reach 0º C tonight and the lake will freeze.
If the temperature ………………………
reaches, 0º C tonight, the lake will freeze
……………………… .
3. She hasn’t got a laptop so she can’t work when she’s travelling.
If she …………… had a laptop, she ………………………
would be able to work when she travels.
could work would work
4. Hurry or you’ll miss the bus.
You ………………
will miss hurry
the bus unless you ……………………… .

5. Bill had an accident because he was careless.

If Bill ………………………
hadn’t been careless, he ………………………
wouldn’t have had an accident.

6. Robbie is only nice to Ellie because she lets him borrow her iPod.
Robbie …………………
wouldn’t be so nice to Ellie if she didn’t
………………………
let him borrow her iPod.
didn’t lend him
 Complete the sentences with the verbs below.
Use the correct form of the affirmative or negative third conditional.

have • be • die • hear

wouldn’t have died

1. These plants ……………………………… if you had given them water.
would have been / could have been
2. If she had wanted to, she ……………………………… a model.
had heard
3. The boss would have been angry if he ………………………… us talking.
hadn’t had
4. If I ……………………………… a bad cold, I’d have gone to work.
 Complete each sentence according to the meaning of the original sentence.
Use the words in brackets and the first, second or third conditionals.

1. She has to apologise or I won’t speak to her again. (unless)

I won’t
. speak to her again unless she apologises
2. Shorter hair would make her look more attractive. (had)
If she
. had shorter hair, she would look more attractive
3. We’d better hurry, or the pizza bar will be closed. (open)
The pizza bar won’t be. open unless we hurry / will be open if we hurry

4. You aren’t fit because you don’t exercise enough. (more)

Unless you exercise
. more, you won’t be fit
5. Joe had to reset the computer because it crashed. (not)
If the
. computer hadn’t crashed, Joe wouldn’t have had to reset it
Translate these sentences:

1. Yo que tú no lo haría. If I were you I wouldn´t do it

2. Si me hubieras ayudado habría terminado antes

If you had helped me I would have finished earlier
3. Si no me pagas antes del jueves, llamaré a mi abogado
If you don´t pay me by Thursday I´ll call my lawyer
4. Si has terminado, vete a casa
If you have finished , go home
5. Si no os calláis no hablaré
If I you don´t shut up I won´t talk
6. Como no estudie mucho este año supenderé y mis padres no me comprarán la

moto

Unless I study hard this year I´ll fail and my parents won´t buy me the moped

7. Daremos un paseo cuando deje de llover

We´ll go for a walk when it stops raining