Conditionals

3) We can use conditional clauses without if.

Unless we hurry, we’ll be late.

Suppose you won a lot of money, what would you do?

We use this structure when there is a possibility that the situation in the if-clause will happen in the future.

If I go out, I’ll buy a newspaper. (Perhaps I will buy a newspaper, perhaps I won’t.)

If we have enough time, we’ll visit Robert. (Perhaps we will have enough time, perhaps we won’t.)

We also use this structure when there is a possibility that the situation in the if-clause is true in the present.

If you’re hungry, I’ll make you something to eat. (Perhaps you are hungry, perhaps you aren’t.)

We use this structure to talk about unreal present or future situations.

If I had a lot of money, I’d travel round the world. (But I do not have a lot of money.)

If I didn’t feel so tired, I’d come out with you. (But I feel very tired.)

If the weather was nice, I’d go to the beach. (But the weather is not nice.)

We also use sentences like these to talk about unlikely present or future situations.

If she really loved you, she wouldn’t be so horrible to you.

If I won a lot of money, I’d take a long holiday.

a) We often use were instead of was after if, especially in a more formal style. 

If the weather were nice, I’d go to the beach. 

I’d come out for a walk with you if I weren’t so busy. 

We often use if I were you to give advice. 

If I were you, I’d apply for the job.

b) We can use the modal verbs might or could instead of would in the main clause. 

If I won a lot of money, I might stop working. (=…I would perhaps stop working.) 

I could repair the car if I had the right tools. (= I would be able to repair the car …)

We use this structure to talk about unreal past situations. 

If the weather had been nice yesterday, I would have gone to the beach. (But the weather was not nice.) 

If I’d studied hard, I would have passed the exam. (But I did not study hard.) 

If you hadn’t missed your bus, you wouldn’t have been late for school. (But you missed your bus.)

We can use the modal verbs might and could instead of would in the main clause. 

If you had taken the exam, you might have passed it. (= … you would perhaps have passed it.) 

I could have repaired the car if I’d had the right tools. ( = I would have been able to repair the car….)

We use this structure to talk about habits and general truths (here if = whenever). 

If I have a big lunch, it makes me sleepy. (= Whenever I have a big much …) 

If you mix yellow and blue, you get green. (=Whenever you mix yellow and blue ….)

1) The whole machine would fall to pieces if you (remove) that screw. 

2) I usually take some aspirin if I (get) a headache. 

3) I (take) a taxi if I had realized that it was such a long way. 

4) If you (not like) this one, I’ll bring you another. 

5) You put on weight if you (not get) enough exercise. 

6) If you (not believe) what I say, ask your mother. 

7) If I (win) a big prize in a lottery, I’d give up my job. 

8) I (feel) terrible if I don’t get 8 hours’ sleep a night. 

9) If I had realized that the traffic lights were red, I (stop). 

10) If he (go) on telling lies, nobody will believe a word he says. 

11) If flowers don’t get any water, they (die). 

12) She will be absolutely furious if she (hear) about this. 

13) What will happen if my parachute (not open)? 

14) If he worked more slowly, he (not make) so many mistakes. 

15) If you had told me that he never paid his debts, I (not lend) him the money. 

16) It (make) me feel nervous if I drink too much coffee. 

17) If someone (give) you a helicopter what would you do with it? 

18) If I tell you a secret, you (promise) not to tell it to anyone else? 

19) You (not get) into trouble if you had obeyed my instructions. 

20) If I (be) sent to prison, will you visit me?