English - Conditional Sentence

Introduction

Conditional Sentence

Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In English, most sentences using the conditional contain the word if. Conditional sentences consists of two clause, namely : Main clause (Parent Sentence) and If clause.

There are three types of conditional sentence.
The types are :


1. First Type (Type 1)                                                    

          True in the present or future. It reveals to events that are expected to occur in the future and are likely to occur.

     Form :

      IF + S + Verb 1+O+adv,  S + Will + Verb1 + O+adv 
           If Clause                  Main Clause


     Example : - If  it rains, you will get wet.
                    If clause      Main clause

                  (In truth : It may not rain, so I won't get rain)

                         - If we have enough time, we will go to Jakarta.
                                      If clause                   Main clause

                            (In truth :  We may don’t have enough time, so we won't go to Jakarta)

 

  2. Second Type (Type 2)

          Untrue (contraty to fact) in the Present/Future. It states that the expected events occur now but it didn't happen.

      Form :
  
             IF + S + Verb2/were +O+advS + would/could + Verb1 + O+adv
                         If clause                          Main Clause

         Example : - If  we had enough time now, we would go to Jakarta.
                                                If clause                              Main clause
                            (In truth :  We do not have enough time, so we don't  go to Jakarta)

                - If you were here right now,  you would see a beautiful rainbow.  
                                      If clause                               Main clause
                            (In truth: You are not here, so you didn't see a beautiful rainbow)

       In Truth Form : Simple Present Tense 

 

3. Third Type (Type 3)

          Untrue in the past. It states that the expected events occured in the past, but it didn't happen.

      Form :

                   If + S + had + Verb 3,  S + would have + Verb 3
                                     If clause                    Main Clause

    Example :   - If we had studied hard, we would have won the competition.
                                          If clause                             Main clause

                            (In truth : We did't study hard, so we didn't won the competition)

                 - If you had told me your problem, I would have helped you
                                        If clause                                     Main clause
                             (In Truth : You didn't tell me your problem, so I can help you)

      In Truth Form : Simple Past

Task

Before make a condional sentence, we have know about the type first. We have to know the most different between three of conditional sentence types. We also have to right to choose the grammar, in order to we not misunderstanding what we mean is.

Evaluation

Inverted, only for Type 2 and Type 3.

Type 2
     Example :
                   If I were you, I would get much money.  InvertedWere I you, I would get much money
                       If clause            Main clause                             If clause            Main clause

Type 3
      Example :
                   If I had known your home I would have played with you. InvertedHad I known your homeI would have played with you
                             If clause                       Main clause                                                  If clause            Main clause

 


* The layout of the main clause can be in front of or the behind the if clause. The different lies not effect the meaning. 
                    

Credits

http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/conditional

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/conditionals.html

Sofendi.2012.English for Academic Purposes for the students of natural scienses.Palembang,Sriwijaya University