Mix the times
If I __________ (not / spend) all my savings on that holiday, I __________ (be able to) afford a new laptop now.
hadn’t spent / would be able to
You won’t be allowed into the examination room __________ you show your ID
unless / even if / whether or not
Unless
UNLESS
If you don’t back up your files, you risk losing everything.
Unless you back up your files, you risk losing everything.
If I hadn’t missed my flight yesterday, I will be on the beach now.
If I hadn’t missed my flight yesterday, I would be on the beach now.
If Alex __________ (not / be) so afraid of confrontation, he __________ (challenge) his manager’s decision at yesterday’s meeting.
weren’t / would have challenged
You may use my research data __________ you acknowledge the source
provided that / even if / unless
provided that
WITHOUT
If I didn’t have my colleagues’ support, I would feel completely overwhelmed now.
Without my colleagues’ support, I would feel completely overwhelmed now.
If she wouldn’t be so competitive by nature, she wouldn’t have turned yesterday’s friendly quiz into a serious argument.
If she weren’t so competitive by nature, she wouldn’t have turned yesterday’s friendly quiz into a serious argument.
Maya wouldn’t be working late tonight if she __________ (not / agree) to cover her colleague’s shift yesterday.
hadn’t agreed
I wouldn’t accept that job __________ they doubled the salary. Nothing could persuade me to work there.
as long as / even if / unless
even if
BUT FOR
If the technician hadn’t intervened, we would still be locked out of the system.
But for the technician’s intervention, we would still be locked out of the system.
Unless you don’t submit the form by Friday, your application won’t be considered.
Intended meaning: submitting the form by Friday is necessary.
Unless you submit the form by Friday, your application won’t be considered.
If I __________ (be) better at remembering names, I __________ (not / introduce) our biggest client as “that guy from finance” last night.
were / wouldn’t have introduced
Complete the sentence with an expression meaning “regardless of whether”.
The committee will publish its findings __________ the minister approves.
whether or not
Begin with HAD
If she had taken that internship, she would be living in Berlin now.
Had she taken that internship, she would be living in Berlin now.
Provided that you would keep it confidential, I’ll tell you what happened.
Intended meaning: keeping it confidential is a straightforward future condition.
Provided that you keep it confidential, I’ll tell you what happened.
Complete both sentences and explain the difference in their timelines.
A. If you __________ (follow) the instructions yesterday, the system __________ (work) now.
B. If you __________ (understand) how the system works, you __________ (not / delete) those files yesterday.
A. had followed / would be working — an unreal past action affects the present.
B. understood / wouldn’t have deleted — a general or current lack of understanding explains a past action.
Join the sentences using otherwise. Make the unreal past consequence explicit.
You reminded me about the deadline. As a result, I submitted my application on time.
You reminded me about the deadline; otherwise, I wouldn’t have submitted my application on time OR ...otherwise, I would have missed the deadline
Two transformations
Rewrite the sentence twice:
If he weren’t so stubborn, he would have apologised after yesterday’s argument.
1) Were he not so stubborn, he would have apologised after yesterday’s argument.
2) But for his stubbornness, he would have apologised after yesterday’s argumen
Correct both sentences.
A. Had I knew how expensive the city was, I wouldn’t be struggling to pay the rent now.
B. But for you helped me yesterday, I would still be trying to solve the problem.
A. Had I known how expensive the city was, I wouldn’t be struggling to pay the rent now.
B. But for your help yesterday, I would still be trying to solve the problem.
“But for the fact that you helped me yesterday …”.