Conditional Sentences

Conditional Sentences Introduction Ron Cowan, Ph.D. PP Slides: Yuri Vedrashko November 2006

Translate these sentences into your L1 • If you see my sister, you’llknow that she’s pregnant. • If you saw my sister, you’dknow she’s pregnant. • If you had seen my sister, you would have known that she was pregnant.

If a gas is heated, it expands • Ifshe plays bridge with him, they always lose big. • If we can save the bald eagle from extinction, we can certainly ensure the survival of all endangered species. • If it’s snowing out there, my car must be completely covered. • If he has an IQ of 182, then I’m another Einstein! • You will miss your airplane if you don’t leave now. • If you see him, don’t tell him anything. • If I had enough money, I would go to Paris. • Had I known you were coming, I would have done it.

If a gas is heated, it expands • If she plays bridge with him, they always lose big. • If we can save the bald eagle from extinction, we can certainly ensure the survival of all endangered species. • If it’s snowing out there, my car must be completely covered. • If he has an IQ of 182, then I’m another Einstein! • You will miss your plane if you don’t leave now. • If you see him, don’t tell him anything. • I would go to Paris if I had enough money. • Had I known you were coming, I would have done it.

Structure A conditional sentence has 2 clauses: • A first clause may begin with if to express a contingency (possibility) • A second clause may express a result that occurs if the contingency happens

General meaning If A occurs, then B happens

General types • Factual conditionals • Future conditionals • Imaginative conditionals

I. Factual conditionals A. Timeless • Generic • Habitual B. Time-bound • Implicit inference • Explicit inference

II. Future conditionals • Future result • Future conditionals with Other Speech Acts

III. Imaginative conditionals • Hypothetical • Counterfactual

Typical mistakes: • a. If I had studied harder, I would pass. b. If I had studied harder, I would have passed. • a. If I had your problem, I will kill myself. b. If I had your problem, I would kill myself. • a. If I had stood closer, I will recognize you. b. If I had stood closer, I would have recognized you. • a. If I had bought that book, I can pass that test. b. If I had bought that book, I couldhave passed that test. • a. If I had bought the car back then, I would save some money. b. If I had bought the car back then, I would have saved some money.

General types • Factual conditionals • Future conditionals • Imaginative conditionals

Click below for further exploration • Factual conditionals • Future conditionals • Imaginative conditionals

Conditional Sentences