Conditional sentences – P2
Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 14:18 GMT+7
Dr. Grammar says:
“What’s wrong with this sentence? If I am a millionaire, I go around the world.”
EXPLANATION:
Last verb tense lesson we looked at the first conditional. This week, we’re moving onto the second conditional.
How do we make it?
Full conditional sentences have two clauses, the condition and the result (or the main clause). The condition is made using an if clause, the result is made using would.
Positive
If + subject + past simple (+ object, adjunct etc), subject + would + V1 (+ object, adjunct etc)
e.g. If it rained, you would take a taxi.
If I were rich, I would buy a big house.
If they won the World Cup, it would be the first time ever.
Negative
Just follow the rules for forming past simple or would into a negative. e.g. If it didn’t rain, you wouldn’t take a taxi.
If I weren’t so poor, I would ask you to marry me.
If they won the World Cup, it would not be the first time ever.
Note: We often use so with a negative condition containing be + adjective
If you weren’t so lazy, you would be a good student.
Question
If + subject + past simple (+ object, adjunct etc), would + subject + V1 (+ object, adjunct etc)
e.g. If it rained, would you take a taxi?
If I were rich, would you marry me?
If they won the World Cup, would it be the first time ever?
You can also change the order of these clauses, but take away the comma:
e.g.I would take a taxi if it rained.
You wouldn’t marry me if I weren’t rich.
Would it be the first time ever if they won the World Cup?
Do we use ‘was’ or ‘were’ in the ‘if’-clause?
In traditional grammar we used ‘were’ for I and he/she/it in the if clause. In modern usage was and were are equally acceptable.
e.g. If I was/were a rich man, I would sit all day long in the sun.
If he wasn’t/weren’t so lazy, he wouldn’t be so poor.
In formal English, were is still more common than was.
e.g. If I were elected president, I would reduce taxes. The set expression If I were you…(not if I was you) is used to give advice.
If I were you, I’d give up smoking.
When do we use the second conditional?
We use the second conditional to talk about something hypothetically. This means we are not talking about it as a real possibility. We are just discussing it as an idea. For this reason we say that it is unreal. (Contrast this with the first conditional which is real: see last week’s lesson).
We do this in a number of situations:
1. To talk about something impossible.
If I were tall, I could play basketball with the other boys. (= I’m not tall).
2. To talk about something that we think is unlikely to happen (but not impossible).
If I could go to university, I would be able to get a good job (= I don’t think I will be able to go to university)
3. To suggest or discuss an idea without making an offer or promise.
a. If money weren’t a problem, would you marry me? (I’m not asking you to marry me right now, but I want to know how you feel about me).
b. If we were able to place a large order, would you consider lowering the price (= we are not promising a large order right now, but we want to know if there is some flexibility in the price)
4. To make a request more polite. If I gave you the money, would you buy some milk for me? (More polite than If I give you the money, will you buy some milk for me?)
Are there situations when we can use both the first and second conditional? Sometimes we can use the first or second conditional. Which one we choose depends on our attitude;
For example: do we feel optimistic or pessimistic about the event?
You are going to watch your team play football, but they are playing a team which is much better than your team. You hope they win.
I will be really happy if my team wins.
(first conditional = optimistic: I think our team have a good chance)
I would be really happy if my team won.
(second conditional = pessimistic: I think our team will lose) For example: are we making a direct request, or a softer, more polite request?
You are going to a party. You have a friend who wants to go with you. You ask the host about that.
Will it be all right if I bring a friend tonight? (= I intend to bring a friend; please say it’s OK)
Would it be all right if I brought a friend tonight? (= I’m thinking about bringing a friend; what do you think about that?)
Can we use other words in place of ‘would’?
We often use ‘could’ in place of ‘would’ to show that something is possible when the condition is satisfied.
If I was a millionaire, I would go around the world (= I would definitely go around the world).
If I was a millionaire, I could go around the world (= I would have the ability to go around the world).
Do we always have two clauses?
Once the condition is understood, we do not need to repeat the condition clause. We just use the main clause. For example:
If I were a millionaire, I would have a wonderful life. I could get up late every day. I wouldn’t go to work. Instead, I would play tennis and go swimming in my private swimming pool. I would go shopping 3 times a week and buy lots of clothes….
How can we learn to use these tenses?
By doing the exercises below!
So…
If I am a millionaire, I go around the world. X
If I were/was a millionaire, I would go around the world. √
EXERCISE:
Use the second conditional to make sentences for the three situations below:
1. I am imagining having a million dollars. I really want to buy a house in the mountains. 2. They do not have time for a holiday this year, but they really want to go to the beach.
3. The band does not have a drummer tonight. With no drummer, their music sounds terrible so they cannot play.
Answers:
There is not one right answer here, so look at a sample for help, but use the grammar rules to check whether you have made any mistakes.
1. If I had a million dollars, I would buy a house in the mountains. 2. They would go to the beach if they had time for a holiday
3. They would/could play tonight if they had a drummer.
FURTHER PRACTICE:
Music
Listen to the Beyonce song ‘If I were a boy’ and read the lyrics. Notice how she uses the second conditional. Why is she using the second conditional? Does she use was or were? When does she use would and when does she use could?
Conditional chains
If I were a millionaire, I would invent a time machine.
If I invented a time machine, I could travel back 1,000,000 years.
If I travelled back 1,000,000 years, I would see an amazing world.
If I saw an amazing world, I would not want to come back to the present.
If I didn’t come back to the present, I wouldn’t be able to create a time machine.
If I didn’t create a time machine, I wouldn’t be able to go back in time!!
This is a conditional chain. It is a really good way to practice using conditional structures. Try to write a story using a conditional chain, and see if you can make it funny! How about starting:
If I were a superhero…..
Why not show your friend how to do this, and take it in turns!
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CÂU ĐIỀU KIỆN LOẠI II I. Cách thành lập: Câu điều kiện có hai mệnh đề, mệnh đề điều kiện và mệnh đề kết quả (hay còn gọi là mệnh đề chính). Ở câu điều kiện loại II, mệnh đề điều kiện được thành lập với if đứng đầu câu và thì quá khứ đơn, còn mệnh đề kết quả được thành lập với would/ could. Tuy nhiên, có một số lưu ý sau trong cách thành lập câu điều kiện loại II: 1. Theo văn phạm truyền thống, ta dùng “were” cho tất cả các ngôi “I, he, she, it” trong mệnh đề điều kiện if clause. Còn theo cách dùng hiện đại, cả “was” và “were” đều như nhau. Tuy nhiên, trong tiếng Anh trang trọng, “were” vẫn được chuộng hơn “was”. 2. Thành ngữ If I were you (không phải If I was you) được dùng để đưa ra lời khuyên. II. Cách dùng: (ví dụ xem trên) Ta dùng câu điều kiện loại II để nói về điều gì đó có tính chất giả thuyết hoặc một giả định nào đó. Có nghĩa là điều chúng ta đang nói đến không phải là một khả năng có thật. Chúng ta chỉ bàn đến điều này như là một ý kiến hoặc ý tưởng nào đó thôi. Vì lý do này, ta có thể gọi đây là một điều kiện không có thật, ngược lại với câu điều kiện loại I là điều kiện có thật. Ta sử dụng câu điều kiện loại II trong rất nhiều tình huống: 1. Nói về điều không tưởng, hoặc không thể xảy ra. Chẳng hạn như “Nếu tôi cao, thì…” (nhưng thực tế là tôi không cao) 2. Nói về điều gì đó mà ta nghĩ rằng rất khó có khả năng xảy ra (nhưng không có nghĩa là hoàn toàn không thể). Chẳng hạn như “Nếu tôi đi học đại học, tôi sẽ…” (nhưng thực tế là tôi nghĩ rằng mình không đủ khả năng để vào đại học). 3. Đưa ra hoặc thảo luận một ý kiến nào đó mà không cần phải hứa hẹn gì cả. Chẳng hạn như “Nếu tiền bạc không phải là vấn đề lớn, liệu em có lấy anh không?” (thực tế là anh không hỏi cưới em ngay bây giờ, anh chỉ muốn biết em nghĩ gì về anh thôi). 4. Để lời đề nghị nghe lịch sự hơn. III. Lưu ý: • Trong một số tình huống ta có thể sử dụng cả hai loại câu điều kiện I và II, tùy vào thái độ của ta đối với sự việc đó. (xem ví dụ). • Ngoài ra, ta cũng có thể dùng “could” thay cho “would” để thấy rằng điều gì đó hoàn toàn có thể xảy ra một khi điều kiện được đáp ứng. • Một khi điều kiện được hiểu ngầm, ta không cần phải lặp đi lặp lại mệnh đề điều kiện nữa, chỉ cần dùng mệnh đề chính thôi. |
(To be continued)
This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).
