Nanda
Putri Ayu Lestari / 14615974 / 4SA02
Conditional Sentences.
Independent
and dependent clauses are the building
blocks of sentences. A single independent clause can be a sentence, by itself.
However, dependent clauses are used to make sentences more complete and more
interesting. Using conjunctions and proper punctuation, dependent and
independent clauses can be joined together to create interesting and complex
compound sentences that are fun and engaging to read.
An
independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own, by itself. It does
not need to be joined to any other clauses, because it contains all the
information necessary to be a complete sentences.
Independent clauses
have three components:
1.
They have a
subject - they tell the reader what the sentence is about.
2.
They have an
action or predicate - they tell the reader what the subject is doing.
3.
They express a
complete thought - something happened or was said.
An independent clause
can be as simple as a subject and a verb:
Example : Jim reads.
Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional
Clauses or If Clauses. They are used to express that the action in the main
clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the
clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional
Sentences.
Conditional
sentences are statements discussing known factors or hypothetical situations
and their consequences. Complete conditional sentences contain a
conditional clause (often
referred to as the if-clause) and the consequence. Consider the following
sentences:
Example
:
·
If a certain
condition is true, then a particular result happens.
·
I would travel
around the world if I won the lottery.
·
When water
reaches 100 degrees, it boils.
1.
How to Use First Conditional Sentences (type 1)
First conditional sentences are used to express
situations in which the outcome is likely (but not guaranteed) to happen in the
future.
It
is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.
Form: if + Simple Present,
will-Future
Look
at the examples below:
Example
:
·
If you rest, you
will feel better.
·
If you set your
mind to a goal, you’ll eventually achieve it.
Note: that we use the simple present tense in the
if-clause and simple future tense in the main clause—that is, the clause that
expresses the likely outcome. This is how we indicate that under a certain
condition (as expressed in the if-clause), a specific
result will likely happen in the future. Examine some of the common
mistakes people make using the first conditional structure:
Example
:
Incorrect : If you will
rest , you will feel better.
Correct : If you rest ,
you will feel better.
Explanation: Use the simple present tense in the if-clause.
Incorrect : If you set
your mind to a goal, you eventually achieve it.
Correct : If you set
your mind to a goal, you’ll eventually achieve it.
Explanation: Use the zero conditional (i.e., simple
present + simple present) only when a certain result is guaranteed. If the
result is likely, use the first conditional (i.e., simple present + simple
future).
2.
How to Use Second Conditional Sentences (type 2)
Second conditional sentences are useful for
expressing outcomes that are completely unrealistic or
will not likely happen in the future.
It
is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.
Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional
I (= would + Infinitive)
Consider
the examples below:
Example
:
·
If I inherited a
billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.
·
If I owned a
zoo, I might let people interact with the animals more.
Notice
the correct way to structure second conditional sentences is to use the simple
past tense in the if-clause and an auxiliary modal verb (e.g., could, should,
would, might) in the main clause (the one that expresses the unrealistic or
unlikely outcome). The following sentences illustrate a couple of the common
mistakes people make when using the second conditional:
Example
:
Incorrect : If I inherit a
billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.
Correct : If I inherited a
billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.
Explanation: When applying the second conditional, use the
simple past tense in the if-clause.
Incorrect : If I owned a
zoo, I will let people interact with the animals more.
Correct : If I owned a
zoo, I might let people interact with the animals more.
Explanation: Use a modal auxiliary verb in the main clause
when using the second conditional mood to express the unlikelihood that the
result will actually happen.
3.
How to Use Third Conditional Sentences (type 3)
Third conditional sentences are used to explain that
present circumstances would be different if something different had happened in
the past.
It
is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the
past.
Form: if + Past Perfect,
Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)
Look
at the following examples:
Example
:
·
If you had told
me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
·
If I had cleaned
the house, I could have gone to the movies.
These
sentences express a condition that was likely enough, but did not actually
happen in the past. The speaker in the first sentence was capable of leaving
early, but did not. Along these same lines, the speaker in the second sentence
was capable of cleaning the house, but did not. These are all conditions that
were likely, but regrettably did not happen.
Note: that when using the third conditional, we use
the past perfect (i.e., had
+ past participle) in the if-clause. The modal auxiliary (would, could, shoud,
etc.) + have + past participle in the main clause expresses the theoretical
situation that could have happened.
Consider
these common mistakes when applying the third conditional:
Example
:
Incorrect : If you would
have told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
Correct : If you had
told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
Explanation: With third conditional sentences, do not use
a modal auxiliary verb in the if-clause.
Incorrect : If I had
cleaned the house, I could go to the movies.
Correct : If I had
cleaned the house, I could have gone to the movies.
Explanation: The third conditional mood expresses a
situation that could have only happened in the past if a certain condition had
been met. That’s why we use the modal auxiliary verb + have + the past
participle.
Exceptions and Special Cases When
Using Conditional Sentences
As
with most topics in the English language, conditional sentences often present
special cases in which unique rules must be applied.
1.
Use of the Simple Future in the If-Clause
Generally
speaking, the simple future should be used only in the main clause. One
exception is when the action in the if-clause will take
place after the action in the main clause. For example, consider the
following sentence:
·
If aspirin will
ease my headache, I will take a couple tonight.
The
action in the if-clause is the aspirin easing the headache, which will take
place only after the speaker takes them later that night.
2.
“Were to” in the If-Clause
The
verb phrase were to is sometimes used in conditional sentences when
the likely or unlikely result is particularly awful or unthinkable. In this
case, were to is used to place emphasis on this potential outcome.
Consider these sentences:
·
If I were
to be sick, I would miss another day of work.
·
If she were
to be late again, she would have to have a conference with the manager.
·
If the
rent were to have been a penny more, they would not have been able to
pay it.
Note: that the
emphatic “were to” can be used to describe hypothetical scenarios in the
present, future, and past.
3.
Punctuating Conditional Sentences
Despite
the complex nature of conditional sentences, punctuating them properly is
really simple!
Here’s
the skinny:
Use
a comma after the if-clause when the if-clause precedes the main clause.
·
If I’d had time,
I would have cleaned the house.
·
If the main
clause precedes the if-clause, no punctuation is necessary.
·
I would have
cleaned the house if I’d had time.
Rules to used conditional sentences :
1. It’s important to use the correct structure for each
of these different conditional sentences because they express varying meanings.
2. Pay attention to verb tense when using different
conditional modes.
3. Use a comma after the if-clause when the if-clause
precedes the main clause.
The
expressions 'I wish' and 'If only' are used in English to
express wishes and regrets about things that may happen in the future or may
have happened in the past.
When I
wish and if only are used, they follow the structure of one of
these conditionals, depending on what we want to express. If we talk about a
regret about a present or future event, then we will use the structure of the
second type of conditional and the expressions I wish/if only are
followed by past simple:
Example :
·
I wish I
had enough money to travel to New York.
·
If only I
had enough money to travel to New York.
(That is, I don't have
enough money, and I am sorry for it because I can't go)
If the event we regret
happened (or failed to happen) in the past and is, therefore, impossible to
change, then we use the third type of conditional structure. This time the
expressions I wish/if only are followed by past perfect.
Example :
·
I wish I
had had enough money to travel to New York.
·
If only I
had had enough money to travel to New York.
(That is, I didn't have
enough money to travel, so I couldn't go and now I regret it).
