Conditionals
If you (press) this button, the light (come) on.
(a situation that's generally true)
If you press this button, the light comes on.
We can use the continuous form in the conditional clause to emphasise that the situation is happening ‘right here, right now’.
If they (sit) in their seats, we (be able) to see the stage.
If they were sitting in their seats, we’d be able to see the stage.
If you don’t approve of the way one of your friends behaves, you need to drop a very subtle h....
If you don’t approve of the way one of your friends behaves, you need to drop a very subtle hint.
Let us be united and speak with one ....
She was singing at the top of her ....
She spoke in a ... of voice she usually reserved for dealing with officials.
Let us be united and speak with one voice.
She was singing at the top of her voice/lungs.
She spoke in a tone of voice she usually reserved for dealing with officials.
The first conditional is used for possible future situations and their likely consequences. Will and going to describe a certain outcome and what verbs do we use to talk about a possible outcome?
If they get here soon, we ... go to the park.
may/might/could
If they get here soon, we could go to the park.
If we want to emphasise that a situation is different from what it would otherwise be, we can use If it... .
If it ... her courage and determination, she wouldn’t be here today.
If it weren’t for her courage and determination, she
wouldn’t be here today.
It’s advisable to give a v... answer when asked your opinion by an examiner in an English test.
Comments made on social media tend to be a lot more a.... than those made face to face.
It’s advisable to give a vague answer when asked your opinion by an examiner in an English test.
Comments made on social media tend to be a lot more ambiguous than those made face to face.
I ... .. ... it, but I don't think their marriage will last.
He loves to say 'I ... ... ...!' when things go wrong.
I hate to say it, but I don't think their marriage will last.
He loves to say 'I told you so!' when things go wrong.
In the first conditional we can make the situation seem less likely by using ... .
If it ... rain, we’ll come home again.
should/happens to/should happen to
If it should/happens to/should happen to rain, we’ll come home again.
If you (fill) in this form, someone (be) with you in a moment. (polite request)
If you (keep) talking about yourself, I (not be) surprised no-one wants to listen. (annoying behaviour)
If you would fill in this form, someone will be with you in a moment. (polite request)
If you will keep talking about yourself, I’m not surprised no-one wants to listen. (annoying behaviour)
If your friend asks for advice on a relationship, it’s better to say too little than something true but upsetting or offensive.
If your friend asks for advice on a relationship, it’s better to say too little than to be too blunt.
Like other tyrants, he tried to silence anyone who ... ... ...(speak) him.
Can you ... ... ....(difference) between apes and monkeys?
Like other tyrants, he tried to silence anyone who spoke out against him.
Can you tell the difference between apes and monkeys?
The second conditional is used for talking about an imaginary present or unlikely future situation and its consequences.
If we (have) a computer, we (look) it up on the Internet.
If we had a computer, we would look it up on the Internet.
If you (tell) them your name, they (let) you in. (refusal)
I (go) out if you (be) happier. (result)
If you won’t tell them your name, they won’t let you in. (refusal)
I won’t go out if you’ll be happier. (result)
Fans of my local football team tend to express their opinions strongly when they disagree with the referee.
Fans of my local football team tend to be quite vocal when they disagree with the referee.
Paraphrase:
Joe and his brother are barely friendly with each other.
Come on, say what you really think!
Joe and his brother are barely on speaking terms.
Come on, speak your mind!
We use the third conditional to speculate on imaginary or impossible situations in the past and their consequences.
If I (not see) that documentary, I never (know) who he was.
If I hadn’t seen that documentary, I would never have known who he was.
Provided/unless the stadium is finished, the games will go ahead as planned.
We’ll take sandwiches in case/unless we can’t find somewhere to eat.
Even if/as long as we lose this game, we still have a chance of winning the league.
Provided the stadium is finished, the games will go ahead as planned.
We’ll take sandwiches in case we can’t find somewhere to eat.
Even if we lose this game, we still have a chance of winning the league.
It’s wrong for advertisements to ...(suggest smth indirectly) that some toys are designed for girls and some just for boys.
Music ...(communicates feelings indirectly) human emotion better than any other art form.
It’s wrong for advertisements to imply that some toys are designed for girls and some just for boys.
Music conveys human emotion better than any other art form.
Like any sort of language, emoji are in a constant state of flux.
One of the most striking things was that, in terms of printed communication, the most ascendant aspect of it wasn’t a word at all, it was emoji culture’
1 - a condition of continuous change
2 - attracting your interest or attention because of some unusual feature