1. Conditional Sentences and Wishes
Chapter 20

2. Overview of basic verb form used in conditional sentences
Situation
If-Clause
Result Clause
Examples
True in the Present or Future
Simple present
Will + simple form
If I have enough time, I watch TV every evening.
If I have enough time, I will watch TV later on tonight.
Untrue in the Present or Future
Simple past
Would + simple form
If I had enough time, I would watch TV (now or in the future).
Untrue in the Past
Past perfect
Would have + past participle
If I had enough time, I would have watched TV yesterday.

3. Complete the sentences with the verbs in parentheses
I usually send my parents an every week. That is a true fact. In other words:
If I (have) ________________ enough time, I (send) ____________ my parents an every week.
have
send

4. I may have enough time to send my parents an email later tonight
I may have enough time to send my parents an later tonight. I want to send them an tonight. Both of those things are true. In other words:
If I (have)___________enough time, I (send) ___________ my parents an later tonight.
will send
have

5. I don’t have enough time right now, so I won’t send my parents an . I’ll try to do it later. I want to them, but the truth is that I just don’t have enough time right now. In other words:
If I (have) _________ enough time right now, I (send) ____________ my parents an .
had
would send

6. I won’t have enough time tonight, so I won’t send my parents an email
I won’t have enough time tonight, so I won’t send my parents an . I’ll try to do it tomorrow. I want to them, but the truth is I just won’t have enough time. In other words:
If I (have) __________ enough time later tonight, I (send) __________ my parents an .
had
would send

7. I wanted to send my parents an email last night, but I didn’t have enough time. In other words:
If I (have) ______________ enough time, I (send) ________________ my parents an last night.
had had
would have sent

8. True in the present or future
In conditional sentences that express true, factual ideas in the present or future, the simple present (NOT the simple future) is used in the IF-clause.
The result clause (THEN-clause) has various possible forms:
SIMPLE PRESENT = expresses a habitual activity or situation
If I don’t eat breakfast, I always get hungry during class.
SIMPLE PRESENT OR SIMPLE FUTURE = expresses an established, predictable fact or general truth
Water freezes/will freeze if the temperature reaches 32 degrees F/0 degrees C.
SIMPLE FUTURE = expresses a particular activity or situation in the future
If I don’t eat breakfast tomorrow morning, I will get hungry during class.
MODALS and IMPERATIVE VERBS can also be used to express other outcomes
If it rains, we should stay home.
If it rains, I might decide to stay home.
If it rains, we can’t go.
If it rains, we’re going to stay home.
If anyone calls, please take a message.

9. True in the Present or future
Sometimes SHOULD is used in an IF-clause.
It indicates a little more uncertainty than the use of the simple present, but basically the meaning is the same whether SHOULD is used or not.
If anyone calls, please take a message.
If anyone should call, please take a message.

10. Choose the correct verb (both answers may be correct)
If I find out the answer, I will let / let you know.
If I have extra time, I tutor / am going to tutor students in math.
If it snows, the roads are / will be closed.
If you run up a hill, your heart beats / will beat faster.
If it should rain tomorrow, we might change / will change our plans.
If my cell phone battery goes dead, I will recharge / would recharge it.

11. Untrue (contrary to fact) in the Present or Future
If-Clause = Simple Past
Then Clause = Would + Simple Form
If I taught this class, I wouldn’t give tests. (I don’t teach this class.)
If they were here right now, they would help us.(They are not here.)
If I were you, I would accept their invitation. (I’m not you.)
Note: Were is used for both singular and plural subjects. Was (with I/he/she/it) is sometimes used in informal speech (If I was you…), but this is not acceptable in writing.

12. Would vs. Could If I had enough money, I would buy a car.
The speaker wants a car, but doesn’t have enough money.
WOULD expresses desired or predictable results.
If I had enough money, I could buy a car.
The speaker is expressing one possible result.
COULD expresses possible options; COULD = would be able to

13. Let’s Practice P. 419 Ex. 8 will bake would bake / could bake have had
will go
would go is
were

14. Let’s Practice P. 419 – 420 Ex. 10 would not be ; were
will float; floats
were; would not exist
doesn’t arrive
were; wouldn’t want
would human beings live
disappears / will disappear
had; would have to; wouldn’t be

15. Untrue (Contrary to fact) in the Past
If Clause - Past Perfect
Result clause - Would Have + Past Participle
If you had told me about the problem, I would have helped you.
( You did NOT tell me about it, so I did NOT help you.)
If they had studied, they would have passed the exam.
(they did not study, so they failed the exam.)
If I hadn’t slipped on the stairs, I wouldn’t have broken my arm.
( I slipped on the stairs, so I DID break my arm.)

16. Untrue (Contrary to fact) in the Past
Note: when speaking, the auxiliary verbs (have/has) are often reduced
(Sometimes in very informal speech they may be dropped/not pronounced all together):
If you’d told me, I would’ve helped you.

17. Untrue (Contrary to fact)in the Past
Would VS. Could
Would expresses a desired or predictable result:
If I had had enough money, I would have bought a car.
(Buying the car is what I wanted to do if I had the money/would have been the preferred thing for me to do with the money.)
Could expresses a possible option:
If I had had enough money, I could have bought a car.
(Buying the car is one possible thing I could have done with the money.)

18. Let’ Practice P. 422 Ex. 15 will do would do would have done Ex. 16
had
had had
will go
would go
would have gone is
were; would visit
had been; would have visited
had read; wouldn’t have washed

19. Decide if each sentence is true or untrue
If the weather is warm, we’ll eat outdoors.
If the weather were warm, we would eat outdoors.
If the weather had been warm, we would have eaten outdoors.
If I had more money, I would work less.
If I had had more money, I would have worked less.
If I take time off from work, I feel more relaxed.
If I hadn’t had to work, I could have seen you.
If I didn’t have to work, I could see you. T U U U U T U U

20. Homework P. 425 Ex. 21 were; would tell had had; would have taken
have; will give
had; wouldn’t have to
had been; wouldn’t have bitten
would we use; didn’t have
doesn’t rain; will die; die; will go
had realized; wouldn’t have made
could/would have come; washed; had told; would come; had called

21. Homework P. 426 Ex. 23
did
weren’t
had
were
didn't
hadn’t

22. Using Progressive Verb Forms in Conditional Sentences
Even in conditional sentences, progressive verb forms are used in progressive situations (chart 1-2 on p. 3 reviews when to use progressive forms)
True: It is raining right now, so I will not go for a walk.
Conditional: If it were not raining right now, I would go for a walk.
True: It was raining yesterday afternoon, so I did not go for a walk.
Conditional: If it had not been raining, I would have gone for a walk.

23. Let’s Practice P. 427 Exercise 26
…if you had been listening, you would have understood the directions.
…if you were wearing a coat, you wouldn’t be cold.
…if he hadn’t been driving so fast, he wouldn’t have gotten a ticket.
…if I weren’t enjoying myself, I would leave.
…if you hadn’t been sleeping, I would have told you the news.

24. Let’s Practice P. 428 Exercise 27 …weren’t snowing had been snowing
weren’t drying
hadn’t been drying
were having fun
hadn’t been talking

25. Which sentences are true for you?
I wish I were someplace else right now.
I wish I could travel all around the world next year.
I wish I had learned English when I was a child.

26. Verb Forms Following Wish
Wish is used when the speaker wants reality to be different (for the situation to be the opposite of what it actually is)
I wish + noun clause (see chart 12-5 p. 253 to review noun clauses)
Past verb forms, similar to those in conditional sentences, are used in the noun clause.

27. Verb Forms Following Wish
A wish about the future
True: She will not tell me.)
Wish: I wish (that) she would tell me.
(Would, the past tense of will, is used to make a wish about the future.)
True: He isn’t going to be here.
Wish: I wish (that) he were going to be here.
(Were going to be, the past tense of is going to be, is used to make a wish about the future.)
Note that as with untrue present/future conditionals, WERE is used regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural
True: She can’t come tomorrow.
Wish: I wish (that) she could come tomorrow.
(Could, the past tense of can, is used to make a wish about the present.)

28. Verb Forms Following Wish
A wish about the present
True: I don’t know French.
Wish: I wish I knew French.
(The simple past knew is used to make a wish about the present.)
True: It is raining right now.
Wish: I wish it weren’t raining right now.
(Weren’t raining, past tense for is raining, is used to make a wish about the present.)
True: I can’t speak Japanese.
Wish: I wish I could speak Japanese.
(Could, the past of can, is used to make a wish about the present.)

29. Verb Forms Following Wish
Wishes about the past
True: John didn’t come.
Wish: I wish John had come.
(The past perfect, had come, is used to make a wish about the past.)
True: Mary couldn’t come.
Wish: I wish Mary could have come.
(The past perfect, could have come, is used to make a wish about the past

30. Let’s Practice P.434 Ex. 40 had were shining had gone knew
were wearing
could
would lend
were coming
weren’t going to give
could meet
had come
were lying

31. What is the correct time word for each sentence?
Jim’s neighbors play loud music. He wishes they were quieter.
Now or Soon
Jim’s neighbor are going to move. He wishes they would move.
Soon or Last week

32. Using WOULD to make wishes about the future
Would is usually used to indicate that the speaker wants something to happen or wants someone else to do something in the future.
The wish may or may not come true.
It is raining. I wish it would stop.
(Meaning: I want it to stop raining.)
I’m expecting a call. I wish the phone would ring.
(Meaning: I want the phone to ring.)

33. Using WOULD to make wishes about the future
I wish you would….. If often used to make a request. It’s going to be a good party. I wish you would come. (Meaning: I want you to come to the party/I’m asking you to come to the party.) We’re going to be late. I wish you would hurry up. (Meaning: I’m asking you to please be faster.)

34. Let’s Practice P. 436 Ex. 44
a. Anna wishes Yoko would come to the concert.
b. Anna wishes Yoko would change her mind.
a. Helen wishes Judy would pick up after herself, wash her dirty dishes, pick up her clothes, and make her bed.
b. Judy probably wishes Helen didn’t nag her to pick up after herself.

35. Ticket out the door. P. 437 Ex. 47
Choose one of the questions from exercise 47 and write your answer.