UNIT
21
Second, third and mixed conditionals
SECOND CONDITIONAL • If clauses type 2 are used when we imagine a hypothetical situation and its possible results in the present or the future. These sentences describe events and actions that are not real, just imagined. They use the verb structures below: if + Past simple (if clause)
would / wouldn’t + Base form (main clause)
If I had more time (but I don’t have it) If he didn’t pracitce every day (but he practices)
I’d go running more often. (imaginary result) he wouldn’t be so good at playing.
• In If clauses type 2, the verb be should always be were / weren’t, even in the 1st and 3rd person singular; however, was is commonly used as well now. If I were in your shoes, I’d report it to the police. (OR: If I was in your shoes...) • When using modal verbs in the second conditional you can use could, might and should + Base form (affirmative, negative or interrogative forms) both in the if clause and in the main clause. Study these examples: If I could sing as well as you I’d take part in a contest. (or: If I were able to sing...) If she didn’t live so far away I might visit her more often. (or: I’d be able to visit...) If I should choose a different place to live in, I’d move to San Francisco. (or: if I had to choose...) If I lost my job I should find another one. (or: I would have to find...) THIRD CONDITIONAL • If clauses type 3 refer to an imaginary event that never took place in the past: we’re just imagining a different past situations, but in fact we can’t change things as they went. Here’s the verb structure: if + Past perfect (if clause)
would / wouldn’t have + Past participle (main clause)
If I had known you were here (but I didn’t know...)
I would have had lunch with you. (...but I didn’t)
• As already seen for If clauses type 2, we can use compound modals (could have / should have + Past participle) in if clauses type 3, but you can also use would have been able to or would have had to: We could have visited the museum if it hadn’t been closed. If my battery hadn’t gone flat I could have called you. (or: I would have been able to call you) I should have gone to the police if I hadn’t found where my ID was. MIXED CONDITIONALS • In some cases we can think of an imaginary present situation resulting from an imaginary past situation. In this case there is a mix of second and third conditional. • Mixed conditionals can only be made as IF clause type 3 + main clause type 2:
1
if + Past perfect (if clause)
would / wouldn’t (main clause) (or: could / might / should) + Base form
If I hadn’t left university (imaginary past) If she hadn’t worked hard (but she did work hard...)
I’d have a better job now. (imaginary present) she wouldn’t own her company.
Match the two parts of these sentences and put a tick next to either C (Second conditional) or D (Third conditional). Look at the example below. 0 C We wouldn’t be so happy C 3 D a I’d known you were here. 1 If there were more power stations C D b I could have fallen into the hole. 2 I would have made pizza if C D c if we were homeless. 3 What would you do C D d I’d buy an electric car. 4 If you hadn’t warned me C D e if I had known the answer. 5 If I met an alien C D f if you were in my shoes? 6 I wouldn’t have asked you C D g I’d ask him to take me away.
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