We use the first conditional to talk about the consequences of
something which may possibly happen in the future. Note that we use a present tense in the IF-clause,
and a future tense in the main clause:
- If you transferyour money to a deposit account, you'II earnmore interest. - I'll giveyou a five per cent discount if you pay by cash.
SECOND CONDITIONAL
We use the second conditional to talk about something which
we think is unlikely to happen, or to refer to an imaginary situation.
Note that we use a past tense in the IF-clause, and would + infinitive in the main clause:
-
What would you do if you lost your
credit card? - If I had more money, I'd invest it on the
Stock Exchange.
When the verb to beis used in the IF-clause, we sometimes use wereinstead of was, especially
after personal pronoun /:
- If I weren't so tired
after working so hard,
I would help you.
We often use the expression If I were
youfor giving someone advice:
- If I were you, I would take traveller's cheques rather than cash.
THIRD CONDITIONAL
We use the third conditional to talk
about actions or events which did not happen in the past, but which could have
happened.Note that we use the past perfect
tense in the IF-clause, and would have +
past participle in the main clause:
- If you had boughtshares in
Nokros, you would have madealot of money. -
The employees would not have goneon strike if the company had improvedtheir pension schemes
STEP 5
Grammar: Activity
with Answer
Read each statement and then choose the
appropriate conditional verbal forms from the menus. You will find two
sentences for each conditional type.
ANSWERS
1.
You are talking to a customer who has
asked you to replace a lost credit card for the fifth time this year.
(FIRST CONDITIONAL)
"If you your card again
in the future, I'm afraid that the bank
to issue a
replacement."
2.
Disneyland Paris has recently had
problems in the prices of hotels and restaurants. (THIRD CONDITIONAL)
If Disneyland Paris the prices of
hotels and restaurants earlier,
perhaps this
more visitors to
the theme park.
3.
Your friend Martha has invited you to
join her as a partner in a new business venture. You feel that you do
not have the necessary experience to do it. (SECOND CONDITIONAL)
If you more experience,
you her offer.
4.
You have recently applied for a
transfer from your present job in Buenos Aires to another position with
the company's Chilean subsidiary. (FIRST CONDITIONAL)
If your application successful, you
move
house to Santiago de Chile.
5.
Europeans did not understand the
concept of Disneyland Paris so easily. (THIRD CONDITIONAL).
Some people say that if Europeans more about the
concept
of Disneyland before it opened in April
1992, attendance figures to the park
.
6.
A bank representative has just refused
your request for a US$ 10,000 loan because you do not have enough money
in your savings account. (SECOND CONDITIONAL)
