The Conditionals By Mark

Introduction What are the conditionals, and why the gobbledygook? First Conditional Your turn! Second Conditional Have a go! Third Conditional Try and think of examples. Conclusion The gobbledygook

What are the Conditionals? Basically they are the heart of ‘LIFE’. ‘If’ statements are Conditionals. Conditional meaning ‘on condition you do this, I will do that’, a bit like negotiating. The one difference is there are real and hypothetical, imaginary. Only the first one is real, the others are daydreamers words 

The first conditional (drum roll The first conditional (drum roll!) You mean all that just for the word ‘if’  If I study hard, there is a good chance I will get an A in this exam. If you leave now, you can get the last train. If you don’t leave now, you will have to walk home. If Dave calls again, tell him I am out! If we finish this today, we won’t have to do it next week.

Your turn! Think what things you can say with the word if, similar to the sentences on the last slide. Remember: If…then… Try and write two sentences and share with your friend, or read them out loud.

The second conditional (drum roll) What all that again for if I do that! I don’t know  If I saved all my money I could buy that new digital camera by the end of the month If I finished my work early today, I would be home in time for the football. I would beat the rush hour traffic, if I left now. You wouldn’t be too upset, if we didn’t see the movie this weekend?

Have a go! This is more difficult, because it is imagining rather than happening, by using these words you are using your imagination to look into the future by changing something in the present  Try and write two things with if then would Remember: If.. then would… (imaginary)

The third conditional (drum roll) Now, that is more difficult isn’t it If I had known that, I wouldn’t have bought the thing in the first place! If only I had worked harder before the test, now I would not have retaken it again. If you had done that yesterday, you wouldn’t have had any work today. If we had looked through this paperwork last month, we could have cleared this mess up by now, couldn’t we?

Try and think of some examples This is much more difficult because it isn’t only imaginary, it is imaginary in hindsight, that is in the past, trying to change something that it is too late to change, normally with regret. Try and think of one or two examples and share with a friend, or read them out loud. Remember: If I had… then I would have…

Conclusion We have talked about: The first conditional with examples The second conditional with examples The third conditional with examples. I have added a page of gobbledygook at the end for those interested in the language of grammar.

The gobbledygook The first conditional (type 1) If + present tense.. will + inf, present tense, imperative. The second conditional (type 2) If + past tense… would inf The third conditional (type 3) If + past perfect… would have+ past participle