Conditional sentences
Conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English as a second language.
Watch out:
1. Which type of conditional sentences is it?
2. Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)?
There are three types of conditional sentences.
type condition
I condition possible to fulfill
II condition in theory possible to fulfill
III condition not possible to fulfill (too late)
1. Form
type if-clause main clause
I Simple Present will-future or (Modal + infinitive)
II Simple Past would + infinitive *
III Past Perfect would + have + past participle *
2. Examples (if-clause at the beginning)
type if clause main clause
I If I study, I will pass the exam.
II If I studied, I would pass the exam.
III If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.
3. Examples (if-clause at the end)
type main clause if-clause
I I will pass the exam if I study.
II I would pass the exam if I studied.
III I would have passed the exam if I had studied.
4. Examples (affirmative and negative sentences)
type Examples
long forms short/contracted forms
+ If I study, I will pass the exam. If I study, I'll pass the exam.
I If I study, I will not fail the exam. If I study, I won't fail the exam.
-
If I do not study, I will fail the exam. If I don't study, I'll fail the exam.
type Examples
long forms short/contracted forms
+ If I studied, I would pass the exam. If I studied, I'd pass the exam.
II If I studied, I would not fail the exam. If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam.
-
If I did not study, I would fail the exam. If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam.
If I had studied, I would have passed the
+ If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam.
exam.
If I had studied, I would not have failed the
III If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the
exam.
- exam.
If I had not studied, I would have failed the
If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the exam.
exam.
* We can substitute could or might for would (should, may or must are sometimes possible, too).
I would pass the exam.
I could pass the exam.
I might pass the exam.
I may pass the exam.
I should pass the exam.
I must pass the exam.
1. What are adjectives?
Adjectives tell us something about a person or a thing.
2. What do adjectives modify?
Adjectives can modify nouns or pronouns/names.
person thing
Mandy is a careful girl. This is a nice car.
Mandy is careful. The car is nice.
She is careful. It is nice.
3. Where do adjectives go?
An adjective can be put before the noun. Then it is an attribute.
person thing
Mandy is a careful girl. This is a nice car.
An adjective can be put after the verb to be (is). This is called predicative position.
person thing
The girl is careful. This car is nice.
Adjectives can go after the following verbs:
appear
become
feel
get
go
keep
turn
When we speak about what something looks like, smells, sounds and tastes – we use the
adjective. Mind the difference between adjective and adverb.
I feel great.
She looks good.
It seems impossible.
The steak smells fantastic.
4. Can adjectives be used without nouns?
Yes, adjectives can be used without nouns. Mind the definite article the:
the rich = rich people
Here is an example from the fairy tale Cinderella:
“The good must be put in the dish, the bad you may eat if you wish.”
Here is another example with nationalities in the plural:
The Scottish live in the North of the United Kingdom.
5. Can two or more adjectives be used together?
Yes, if you use more adjectives you can put them in front of the noun:
a fat old cat
or you can put them after the verb (e.g. to be). In this case and is placed between the last two
adjectives.
It was cold, wet and windy.
6. Adjectives, ending in -ing and -ed
There are adjectives ending in -ing and -ed. These are participle constructions, used like
adjectives. Here are some examples:
A) Here the adjective is put before the noun:
Yesterday I read an amusing story in a magazine.
Doris has a boring job.
We watched the group of excited people.
B) Here the adjective is put after the verb:
I was not at all amused by the dicussion.
Children get bored very quickly.
The end of the film was really exciting for me.
without the definite article with the definite article – the
general words (indefinite) general words (definite)
Life is too short. I've read a book on the life of Bill Clinton.
I like flowers. I like the flowers in your garden.
names of persons on the singular,
relatives
family names in the plural
Peter and John live in London.
The Smiths live in Chicago.
Aunt Mary lives in Los Angeles.
public buildings, institutions, means of public buildings, institutions, means of transport
transport (indefinite) (definite)
without the definite article with the definite article – the
Mandy doesn't like school.
The school that Mandy goes to is old.
We go to school by bus.
The bus to Dresden leaves at 7.40.
Some people go to church on
The round church in Klingenthal is famous.
Sundays.
names of countries in the singular,
summits of mountains, continents, towns names of countries in the plural, mountain ranges,
Germany regions
France the United States of America
the Netherlands
Mount Whitney
the Highlands
Mount McKinley
the Rocky Mountains
Africa
the Alps
Europe
the Middle East
Cairo
the west of Australia
New York
single islands groups of islands
Corfu the Bahamas
Bermuda the British Isles
Sicily the Canaries
parks, lakes, streets names with of-phrase, names in plural, well-known
Central Park buildings, oceans, seas, rivers, musical instruments,
Hyde Park newspapers
the Statue of Liberty
Lake Michigan the Tower (of London)
Loch Ness the Great Lakes
42nd Street the Empire State Building
Oxford Street the Isle of Wight
the Atlantic (Ocean)
the Mediterranean (Sea)
the Nile
the Rhine
the Suez Canal
without the definite article with the definite article – the
the piano
the Times
months, days of the week (indefinite)
months, days of the week (definite)
The weekend is over on Monday
I always remember the Monday when I had an
morning.
accident.
July and August are the most
The August of 2001 was hot and dry.
popular months for holidays.
We use the seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) with or without the definite
article.
in summer
in the summer
The American English word fall is always used with the definite article the.
Sometimes we use the article and sometimes we do not. It often depends on the context. Watch
the following example:
1. The student goes to school.
2. The mother goes to the school.
In the first sentence we do not use the definite article, in the second we do. The student goes to
school for its primary purpose, so we do not use the article.
The mother might talk to a teacher, for example. She visits the school for a different reason.
That's why we use the definite article the in the second sentence.
1. The indefinite article – a
The indefinite article a is the same for all genders.
a boy
a girl
a cat
The indefinite article has no plural form.
a boy → boys
We use an if the following word starts with a spoken vowel.
the following word starts with a spoken
the following word starts with a spoken vowel
consonant
a boy an aunt
a school an old school
a girl an American girl
Mind the pronunciation of the following word.
The first sound we speak is [j], so we use a → a The first sound we speak is [ʌ], so we use an → an
unit uncle
2. Use of the indefinite article a/an
2.1. before phrases of time and measurements (per week/weekly)
We have English 4 times a week.
I go on holiday twice a year.
Our car can do 220 kilometres an hour.
Tomatoes are $2 a kilo.
2.2. before phrases of jobs
My father is a car mechanic.
2.3. with a noun complement
He is a good boy.
2.4. before phrases of nationality
Bruce Springsteen is an American.
2.5. half/quite
We need half a pound of sugar.
This is quite a good story.
1. What is the Gerund?
-ing form used as a noun
2. Form
infinitive + -ing
3. Examples
Gerund as Subject:
Going to parties is fun.
Gerund as Object:
I enjoy reading.
4. Gerund after the following verbs
admit
He admitted having driven too fast.
avoid
They avoid going on holiday on Saturdays.
carry on
If we carry on sleeping so badly, we may need help.
consider
Ralph is considering buying a new house.
delay
I delayed telling Max the news.
deny
She denies reading the book.
dislike
We dislike reading poems.
can't/couldn't help
He couldn't help falling in love with her.
enjoy
I enjoy playing chess.
finish
They finished working in the garden.
give up
Susan gives up playing ice-hockey.
imagine
He imagined driving a new car.
include
Your responsibility includes taking reservations on the phone.
involve
The project will involve growing plants.
justify
I cannot justify paying $100 for this ticket.
keep (on)
They keep on running.
mention
Did Alex ever mention playing baseball?
mind
I don't mind sleeping on the couch.
miss
They miss playing with their friends.
practise
She practised playing hockey.
regret*
Do you regret having mentioned it?
risk
You risk catching a cold.
suggest
She suggested flying to Cairo.
* After regret the to-infinitive is used when announcing bad news: We regret to inform you that
the flight to Munich has been cancelled.
5. Gerund after special phrases
to be busy
He is busy reading the paper.
don't mind
I don't mind telling them my opinion.
feel like
We feel like having a cup of tea.
how about
How about walking home instead of taking the car?
it's (no) good
It's no good talking to this girl.
it's no use
It's no use talking to the headmaster.
spend one's time
They spend their time reading.
there's no
There's no cheating anymore.
there's no point
There's no point in complaining further.
what about
What about going to the zoo?
worth
The book is worth reading.
1. Gerund after prepositions that stand alone
after
After having a shower, I waited for Steven.
before
The tablet must not be taken before getting up in the morning.
by
I manage it by working much longer than 40-hour weeks.
in spite of
In spite of studying a lot he didn't pass the exams.
on
What was her reaction on hearing the news?
without
He told the joke without laughing.
2. Gerund after Adjective + Preposition
afraid of
They are afraid of losing the match.
angry about/at
Pat is angry about walking in the rain.
bad at/good at
John is good at working in the garden.
clever at
He is clever at skateboarding.
crazy about
The girl is crazy about playing tennis.
disappointed about/at
He is disappointed about seeing such a bad report.
excited about
We are excited about making our own film.
famous for
Sandy is famous for singing songs.
fed up with
I'm fed up with being treated as a child.
fond of
Hannah is fond of going to parties.
glad about
She is glad about getting married again.
happy about/at
The children are not happy about seeing a doctor.
interested in
Are you interested in writing poems?
keen on
Joe is keen on drawing.
proud of
She is proud of riding a snowboard.
sick of
We're sick of sitting around like this.
sorry about/for
He's sorry for eating in the lesson.
tired of
I'm tired of waiting for you.
used to
She is used to smoking.
worried about
I'm worried about making mistakes.
3. Gerund after Noun + Preposition
advantage of
What is the advantage of farming over hunting?
chance of
There's a chance of catching a cold these days.
choice between
There's a choice between flying to London Heathrow or Stansted.
danger of
Peggy is in danger of making a mistake.
difficulty in
He has difficulty in texting.
doubt about
He is in doubt about buying the correct software for his computer system.
hope of
There's little hope of catching the new Corvette.
idea of
I like the idea of setting up a new email account.
interest in
There's no interest in writing letters.
method of
This is a simple method of finding solutions.
opportunity of
There's some opportunity of bringing her parents together again.
possibility of
These wheels offer the possibility of riding tubeless.
problem of
He has the problem of swimming too slow.
reason for
There's a real reason for winning the contest.
risk of
There's a risk of digging too deep.
trouble for
He was in trouble for stealing.
way of
This is a new way of building a wall.
4. Gerund after Verb + Preposition
accuse of
They were accused of breaking into a shop.
agree with
I agree with playing darts.
apologize for
They apologize for being late.
believe in
She doesn't believe in getting lost in the wood.
blame for
The reporter is blamed for writing bad stories.
complain about
She complains about bullying.
concentrate on
Do you concentrate on reading or writing?
congratulate sb. on
I wanted to congratulate you on making such a good speech.
cope with
He is not sure how to cope with getting older.
decide against
They decided against stealing the car.
depend on
Success may depend on becoming more patient.
dream about/of
Sue dreams of being a pop star.
feel like
They feel like going to bed.
get used to
You must get used to working long hours.
insist on
The girls insisted on going out with Mark.
look forward to
I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
prevent sb. from sth.
How can I prevent Kate from working in this shop?
rely on sth.
He doesn't rely on winning in the casino.
succeed in
How then can I succeed in studying chemistry?
specialize in
The firm specialized in designing websites.
stop sb. from
I stopped Andrew from smoking.
talk about/of
They often talk about travel(l)ing to New Zealand.
think of
Frank thinks of playing chess.
warn sb. against
We warned them against using this computer.
worry about
The patient worries about having the check-up.
Verb Examples
He began talking.
begin
He began to talk.
They continue smoking.
continue
They continue to smoke.
Do you hate working on Saturdays?
hate
Do you hate to work on Saturdays?
I like swimming.
like
I like to swim.
She loves painting.
love
She loves to paint.
Pat prefers walking home.
prefer
Pat prefers to walk home.
They start singing.
start
They start to sing.
These verbs can also be followed by a Gerund or an Infinitive without changing their meaning.
Mind the structure with the infinitive:
Gerund: Verb + -ing
Infinitive: Verb + Person (as object) + infinitive with to
Verb Examples
They advise walking to town.
advise
They advise us to walk to town.
They do not allow smoking here.
allow
They do not allow us to smoke here.
They encourage doing the test.
encourage
They encourage us to do the test.
They do not permit smoking here.
permit
They do not permit us to smoke here.
When recommend is followed by an infinitive, put that after recommend, then the object and
then the infinitive without to.
Verb Examples
They recommend walking.
recommend
They recommend that we walk.
There is sometimes a little change in the meaning of the sentences depending on the use of the
Gerund or the Infinitive. Here is an example with like.
Verbs change their meaning when they are followed by a
Gerund or an Infinitive
Some verbs have different meanings when they are follwed by a gerund or an infinitive.
forget
GERUND INFINITIVE
looks back in the past looks into the future
He'll never forget spending so much money on his
Don't forget to spend money on the tickets.
first computer.
go on
GERUND INFINITIVE
to continue with the same thing to change the activity
Go on reading the text. Go on to read the text.
mean
GERUND INFINITIVE
sth. has to be done to get a result intend to do sth.
You have forgotten your homework again. That I meant to phone your mother, but my mobile didn't
means phoning your mother. work.
regret
GERUND INFINITIVE
you did sth in the past and you are not happy about
to tell bad news and you are not happy about it
it
We regret to inform you that the flight has beeen
I regret being late for school.
delayed for another two hours.
remember
GERUND INFINITIVE
looks back in the past looks into the future
I remember switching off the lights when I went on Remember to switch off the lights when you go on
holiday. holiday.
stop
GERUND INFINITIVE
to stop with an activity to stop in order to do sth.
I stopped smoking. I stopped to smoke.
try
GERUND INFINITIVE
to test sth. to do sth. that is not easy
I tried taking an aspirin but it didn't help. Try to be quiet when you come home late.
The following words are a little more tricky.
like
I like reading books. = I like to read books.
There is normally no difference in meaning.
Use the Gerund when like is used in the sense of 'enjoy'.
Example: I like riding my bike.
Use the Infinitive when you do sth. in the sense of a habit.
Example: I like to do my homework in the afternoon. (I think, it is good to do my homework in
the afternoon).
Mind the following examples:
I like watching films.
I would like to watch the film.
be afraid
Use the Gerund when you worry about sth.
I'm afraid of having an accident.
In other cases there is no difference in meaning whether we use Gerund or Infinitive.
I'm afraid to go by bike on this road. = I'm afraid of going by bike on this road.
need
If we use a Gerund after need, then the sentcene has a passive meaning:
The window needs cleaning.
used to
The form to be used to + Gerund means that the person is familiar with sth.
He is used to smoking. (He still smokes.)
The form used to + Infinitive means that the person did sth. in the past.
He used to smoke. (He does not smoke any more.)
Attention!
He is used to smoke. (This sentence is wrong.)
Personal pronouns self/selves pronouns
I myself
you yourself
he himself
she herself
it itself
Personal pronouns self/selves pronouns
we ourselves
you yourselves
they themselves
