Conditional Sentences,If or Unless

Conditional Sentences

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Conditional Sentence Type 0

Conditional type zero is used to talk about general truths, scientific facts or things which always happen under certain conditions.

Form:

If + Simple Present, + Simple Present

Use:

The zero conditional is used to talk about things which are always true, scientific facts, general truths:
Examples:

If you cross an international date line, the time changes.
Phosphorus burns if you expose it to air.
If I wake up early, I go jogging.
NOTE: you can use "when" instead of "if".

Conditional Sentence Type 1

Often called the "real" conditional because it is used for real or possible situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met. It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form:

If + Simple Present, + Simple Future

Use

Conditional Sentences Type 1 refer to the future. An action in the future will only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled by that time. We don't know for sure whether the condition actually will be fulfilled or not, but the conditions seems rather realistic – so we think it is likely to happen.
Example:

If I have enough time, I'll watch the football match.

I may have time to watch the match but I'm not sure about it.

Conditional Sentence Type 2

Often called the "unreal" conditional because it is used for unreal impossible or improbable situations. This conditional provides an imaginary result for a given situation. It is very unlikely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form:

if + Simple Past, + would + base verb

Were / Was

In conditional type 2, we usually use in the if clause "were" instead of "was" even if the pronoun is I, he, sheor it. "were" here is a subjunctive form.
NOTE "was" is also a possible form.

Example:

If I were a millionaire, I would buy a castle.

Use

Conditional Sentences Type 2 refer to an action in the present that could happen if the present situation were different. I don't really expect the situation to change because it is very unlikely.

Example:

If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.

Conditional Sentence Type 3

It is impossible that the condition will be met because it refers to the past.

Form:

if + Past Perfect, + would + have + Past Participle

Use

Conditional Sentences Type 3 refer to situations in the past. They express hypothetical results to past given situations.

Example:

If he had been careful, he wouldn't have had that terrible accident.
Sometimes in the past, he was careless. He drove so fast. So he had a terrible accident

Things to remember

1. The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

Examples:

"Phosphorus burns if you expose it to air."
" I will send her an invitation if I find her address."
" I would travel around the world if I had a million dollars."
"He wouldn't have had that terrible accident if he had been careful."

2. Main clause and/or if clause might be negative.

Example:

If I don’t see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.
If he had been careful, he wouldn't have had an accident.

If or Unless

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Use of if and unless

Some students are not sure whether to use if or unless. The difference is, however, straightforward. This page will try to provide an explanation of these two words and show how they are used in conditional sentences.

Meaning of if and unless

If

If means on (the) condition that, provided (that), providing (that), presuming (that), supposing (that), assuming (that), as long as...
Example:
If I am free this evening, I will watch the match.

Unless

Unless means except if.
Example:
You will feel cold unless you wear a warm jacket.

If and unless in conditional sentences

Both if and unless are used to introduce conditional sentences:

Conditional Sentence Type 1:

• If we don't hurry, we will be late for the show.
• Unless we hurry, we will be late for the show.

Conditional Sentence Type 2

• If he had permission from his parents, he would travel alone.
• Unless he had permission from his parents, he wouldn't travel alone.

Conditional Sentence Type 3

• If you hadn't suggested it, I wouldn't have phoned him.
• Unless you had suggested it, I wouldn't have phoned him.
  
  

  Grammar Exercise - Conditional sentences Type 1

Choose the correct answer

1. If I study hard, I                         pass            passed            will pass            will not pass            would pass             would have passed           this year's exam.
2. If the weather is fine, we                         go            went            will go            will not go            would go            would have gone           on a picnic.
3. If I                         go            goes            went            will go            would you have gone            went           to Paris, I will visit the Eiffel Tower.
4. If they don't invite me, I                         go            went            will go            will not go            would go            would have gone           .
5. If he                         gets            got            will get            would get            would have got           my email, he will send the information we need.
6. If she travels to London, she                         visits            visited            will visit            wouldl visit            would have visited              the museums.
7. If I                         get            gets            got            will get            would get            would have got              the money, I will buy a mobile phone.
8. If you make trouble, I                         send            sends            will send            would send            would have sent              you to the principal.
9. If I                         have            had            will have            would have            would have had              enough time this evening, I will watch a movie.
10. If he has money, he                         lends            lent            will lend            would lend            would have lent              me what I need.

    Conditional Sentences Type 2 Exercise

Choose the correct answer

Jack is daydreaming about winning the next lottery jackpot. Here is what he is saying:

1. If I                         win            won            had won           the lottery, I                         am            will be            would be            would have been           a millionaire.
2. If I                         am            were            will be            had been           rich , I                         will quit            would quit            quit           my job.
3. I                         travel            would travel            will travel           around the world if I                         quit            will quit            would quit           my job.
4. I                         buy            will buy            would buy              anything I want if I                         get            got            will get            would get           that jackpot.
5. I                         buy            will buy            would buy            would have bought           the most expensive car if                         want            wanted            will want            would want           .
6. If I                         travel            traveled            would travel           somewhere, I                         stay            will stay            would stay            would have stayed             in the most luxurious hotels.
7. But I                         am not            will not be            would not be           too materialistic if I                         have            had            will have            would have           millions of dollars.
8. I                         help            will help            would help           the poor if I                         become            became            had become           a millionaire.
9. I                         give            will give            would give           some money to charities, if                         am            will be            would be            were           rich.
10. If I                         have            had            will have            would have           millions of dollars, I                         am not            will not be            would not be           mean.

Grammar Exercise | Conditional Sentences Type 3

Choose the correct answer

1. If you had worked hard, you                  would pass            had passed            hadn't passed            would have passed            wouldn't have passed           the exam.
2. If they had taken him to hospital earlier, he                         would die            had died            hadn't died            would have died            wouldn't have died              .
3. I                         would send            had sent            hadn't sent            would have sent            wouldn't have sent           you the document, if you had given me your email address.
4. He                         would miss            hadn't missed            had missed            wouldn't have missed            would have missed           the bus, if he had woken up earlier.
5. If I                         would know            had known            hadn't knwon            would have known            wouldn't have known              you were coming, I would have prepared a delicious meal.
6. If you                         would be            had been            hadn't been            would have been late            wouldn't have been              late, you would have caught the six o'clock train.
7. I                         would buy            had bought            hadn't bought            would have bought            wouldn't have bought              you a present if I had known it was your birthday.
8. If the weather had been better last weekend, we                         would go            would have gone            wouldn't have gone            had gone            hadn't gone           to the beach.
9. If you                         would come            wouldn't have come            would have come            hadn't come            had come              to the meeting yesterday, you would have met Jane.
10. The accident                         would occur            had occurred            hadn't occured            wouldn't have occurred            would have occurred              if the driver hadn't been driving fast.

Grammar Exercise | Conditional Sentences (mixed)

Choose the correct answer

1. If I were you,                         I will marry him            I would marry him            I would have married him           .
2. If I had known,                         I will lend you my car            I would lend you my car            I would have lent you my car           .
3.                         Will you call me            Would you call me            would you have called me           if you are free?
4. Would you buy this car if                         you have a million dollars            you had a million dollars            you had had a million dollars           ?
5.                         I will watch the match            I would watch the match            I would have watched the match           if I have enough time.
6. If you were to marry,                         who will you choose            who would you choose            who would you have chosen           ?
7.                         If you turn the tap            If you turned the tap            If you had turned the tap              , water pours.
8. If I get there,                         I will call you            I would call you            I would have called you           .
9.                         Will you help me            Would you help me            Would you have helped me           if I ask you?
10. If you had worked hard,                         you will pass the exam            you would pass the exam            you would have passed the exam           .

Grammar Exercises - Conditional sentences

Match the numbers with the letters to form conditional sentences:

1.                                     a                  b                  c                 If I were a millionaire, 2.           a     b     c    She wouldn't have  had an accident 3.           a     b     c    I’ll watch the film,

a. if I finish early. b. I would buy a beautiful car. c. if she had driven carefully.

Decide which of the sentences below is conditional type 1, 2 & 3 :

1. If I were rich, I would travel around the world.                                     Conditional1                  Conditional2                  Conditional3              
2. She wouldn't have missed the train if she had woken up earlier.                                     Conditional1                  Conditional2                  Conditional3              
3. I’ll call you if I come back early.                                     Conditional1                  Conditional2                  Conditional3               

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (conditional 1):

1. If I (finish)  early, I will call you.
2. I (catch)  the 9:00 train if I hurry up .
3. She will know the answer, if she (try)  to understand.

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (conditional 2):

1. If I (be)  a star, I would help the needy.
2. He (buy)  a house if he had a job.
3. She (be)  happy, if she married him .

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (conditional 3):

1. If he (be)  careful, he would not have had that terrible accident.
2. I (pass)  the exam if I had worked hard .
3. Her father would not have died, if he (go)  to the doctor.

Choose the correct answer:

1. If I (wake up)                                     wake up                  will wake up                  woke up                  had woken up                  would wake up                  would have woken up               early, I’ll go jogging.
2. He (visit)                                     will visit                  visited                  had visited                  would visit                  would have visited               his uncle, if he finishes early.
3. If she had taken care of her son, he (not/become)                                     does not become                  did not become                  will not become                  had not become                  would not become                  would not have become               a criminal.
4. If I were a star, I (help)                                     will help                  helped                  had helped                  would help                  would have helped               the poor.
5. She would have been top of her class if she (work)                                     works                  worked                  had worked                  will work                  would work                  would have worked               hard.

conditional sentences type 1

answer

1. If I study hard, I will pass this year's exam.
2. If the weather is fine, we will go on a picnic.
3. If I go to Paris, I will visit the Eiffel Tower.
4. If they don't invite me, I will not go .
5. If he gets my email, he will send the information we need.
6. If she travels to London, she will visit the museums.
7. If I get the money, I will buy a mobile phone.
8. If you make trouble, I will send you to the principal.
9. If I have enough time this evening, I will watch a movie.
10. If he has money, he will lend me what I need.

conditional sentences type 2

 answer

1. If I won the lottery, I would be a millionaire.
2. If I were rich , I would quit my job.
3. I would travel around the world if I quit my job.
4. I would buy anything I want if I got that jackpot.
5. I would buy the most expensive car if wanted .
6. If I traveled somewhere, I would stay in the most luxurious hotels.
7. But I would not be too materialistic if I had millions of dollars.
8. I would help the poor if I became a millionaire.
9. I would give some money to charities, if were rich.
10. If I had millions of dollars, I would not be mean.

conditional sentences type 3

    answer

1. If you had worked hard, you would have passed the exam.
2. If they had taken him to hospital earlier, he wouldn't have died .
3. I would have sent you the document, if you had given me your email address.
4. He wouldn't have missed the bus, if he had woken up earlier.
5. If I had known you were coming I would have prepared a delicious meal.
6. If you hadn't been late you would have caught the six o'clock train.
7. I would have bought you a present if I had known it was your birthday.
8. If the weather had been better last weekend, we would have gone to the beach.
9. If you had come to the meeting yesterday, you would have met Jane.
10. The accident wouldn't have occurred if the driver hadn't been driving fast.

 Conditional Sentences (mixed)

  answer

1. If I were you, I would marry him .
2. If I had known, I would have lent you my car .
3. Will you call me if you are free?
4. Would you buy this car if you had a million dollars ?
5. I will watch the match if I have enough time.
6. If you were to marry, who would you choose ?
7. If you turn the tap , water pours.
8. If I get there, I will call you .
9. Will you help me if I ask you?
10. If you had worked hard, you would have passed the exam .

Grammar Exercises - Conditional sentences

 answer

bIf I were a millionaire, c She wouldn't have  had an accident a I’ll watch the film,

a. if I finish early. b. I would buy a beautiful car. c. if she had driven carefully.

Decide which of the sentences below is conditional type 1, 2 & 3 :

1. If I were rich, I would travel around the world. Conditional 2
2. She wouldn't have missed the train if she had woken up earlier. Conditional 3
3. I’ll watch the film if I finish early. Conditional 1

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (conditional 1):

1. If I (finish) finish early, I will call you.
2. I (catch) would catch/'d catch the 9:00 train if I hurry up .
3. She will know the answer, if she (try) tries to understand.

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (conditional 2):

1. If I (be) were/was a star, I would help the needy.
2. He (buy) would buy/'d buy a house if he had a job.
3. She (be) would be/'d be happy, if she marries him .

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (conditional 3):

1. If he (be) had been/'d been careful, he would not be have had that terrible accident.
2. I (pass) would have passed/'d have passed the exam if I had worked hard .
3. Her father would not have died, if he (go) had gone/'d gone to the doctor.

Choose the correct answer:

1. If I (wake up) wake up early, I’ll go jogging.
2. He (visit) will visit his uncle, if he finishes early.
3. If she had taken care of her son, he (not/become) would not have become a criminal.
4. If I were a star, I (help) would help the poor.
5. She would have been top of her class if she (work) had worked hard.