1. Present Real Conditionals9
Present Real Conditionals
Herbal Remedies
Focus on Grammar 4
Part IX, Unit 21
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Herbal Remedies
If people are sick, they go to a doctor. But some people also use herbal remedies for basic healthcare. For example, if you aren’t sleeping well, you can drink chamomile tea. If you suffer from motion sickness, ginger settles your stomach. When you have a cold, you can add garlic to your food. Make a lavender compress when you have a headache. If you get a burn, try the juice of the aloe plant. But if you take herbs, tell your doctor. Some herbs may interfere with other medicines.

3. Present Real Conditionals 1
Use present real conditionals for general truths. Use
the simple present in both clauses.
If your body temperature is above 98.6º, you have a fever.
result clause
if clause
If people get sick, they sometimes try herbs.
result clause
if clause

4. Present Real Conditionals 2
Conditional sentences have an if clause (condition)
and a result clause.
If people get sick,
they try herbal remedies.
if clause
result clause

5. Present Real Conditionals 3
Use real conditionals for habits and things that
happen again and again.
If I’m feeling sick, I eat more garlic.
if clause
simple present or
present progressive
result clause
simple present

6. When You can often use when instead of if.
If I have a sore throat, I take licorice root.
When I have a sore throat, I take licorice root.

7. Use with Modals You can use modals in the result clause.
If you aren’t sleeping well, you can drink chamomile tea.
If you get a burn, you might use aloe gel.

8. Practice 1 Example: drink green tea / may lower your blood sugar
Combine each group of words to make a sentence with a conditional clause and a result clause.
Practice 1
Example: drink green tea / may lower your blood sugar
If you drink green tea, you may lower your blood sugar.
1. take ginkgo / memory might improve
If you take ginkgo, your memory might improve.
2. use tea tree oil / can heal skin problems
If you use tea tree oil, it can heal skin problems.
3. take evening primrose oil / could lower your cholesterol
If you take evening primrose oil, you could lower your cholesterol.

9. Use with Imperatives You can use imperatives in the result clause.
If you take herbs, tell your doctor.
If you have a headache, make a lavender compress.

10. Look at the chart. Make conditional sentences with modals or imperatives.
Practice 2
Problem
Herbal Remedy
insomnia
lavender bath
mild depression
St. John’s wort
cough
slippery elm tea
cold
Echinacea
Example:
If you have insomnia, you should take a lavender bath. 1. 2. 3.
If you have insomnia, take a lavender bath.
If you have mild depression, you can take St. John’s wort.
If you have a cough, drink slippery elm tea.
If you have a cold, you can take Echinacea.

11. Clause Order
A conditional sentence can begin with the if clause or the result clause.
If you have motion sickness,
If you have motion sickness,
eat ginger root.
eat ginger root.
if clause
result clause
Eat ginger root if you have motion sickness.
result clause
if clause

12. Be Careful!
Use a comma between the two clauses only when the if clause comes first. ,
If you have motion sickness
eat ginger root.
if clause
Eat ginger root ,
if you have motion sickness.
if clause

13. Practice 3 Example: If you are nauseous, ginger settles your stomach.
Reverse the order of the clauses in each sentence. Be careful with punctuation.
Example: If you are nauseous, ginger settles your stomach.
Ginger settles your stomach if you are nauseous.
1. If you get a burn, use aloe gel.
Use aloe gel if you get a burn.
2. Make a lavender compress when you have a headache.
When you have a headache, make a lavender compress.
3. If you take herbs, tell your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you take herbs.

14. Use with Negatives You can make either or both clauses negative.
If I drink slippery elm tea, I don’t cough as much.
If I’m not sleeping well, I don’t drink coffee.

15. Complete the sentences with remedies used in your family or culture.
Practice 4
Example: If you have a cold. . .
If we have a cold, we eat a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
1. If you have a headache. . .
2. When you can’t sleep. . .
3. If you have a stomachache. . .
4. Whenever you have the hiccups. . .
5. If you ___________ . . .

16. References
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