Conditional sentences talk about things that might happen, or might have happened. Conditional sentences all have a dependent "if" clause and a main clause. When the if clause comes first, it is followed by a comma. "Then" is usually omitted before the main clause, but it is always implied.
If I'm bored, (then) I go to the mall.
If I was bored, (then) I'd go to the mall.
As the sentences above show, "If I'm bored" is the "if" clause, and "I go to the mall" is the main clause.
When the main clause is first, there is no comma and then is not used. The meaning is the same.
I go to the mall if I'm bored.
I'd go to the mall if I was bored.
In conditional sentences, either clause or both clauses can be negative.
If I'm not bored, I stay home.
If I'm not bored, I won't go to the mall.
Questions with conditionals are formed by putting the main clause into a question.
- If you are not bored, are you going to go to the mall?
- If you were bored, would you go to the mall?
There are three types of conditionals that we will focus on in the first half of the unit: real conditionals, unreal conditionals, and wishes.
Real Conditionals
Real conditionals talk about things that might actually happen. In real conditionals, the verb in the if clause is in the present, even if it has future meaning.
If you arrive on Saturday, call me.
Real conditionals can also be formed with the present continuous in the if clause:
If you're arriving on Saturday, call me.
If it's snowing, I might walk in the park.
Here are some examples of real conditionals. Pay attention to where the if clause and the main clause is.
Present and Future Real Conditionals
| If Clause | Main Clause | |
| If + Simple Present | (then) | Simple Present |
| If I'm bored, | (then) | I go to the mall. |
| If I'm not bored, | (then) | I'll stay at home. I'm going to play the piano. |
| If I am bored, | (then) | I may go to the mall. |
Unreal Conditionals
Unreal conditionals talk about things that could happen if things were different, but won't actually happen. When an unreal conditional if clause contains the verb be, use were for all subjects.
If it were sunny, I'd walk to school.
Unreal conditionals can also be formed with the past continuous in the if clause.
If I were leaving now, I might walk to work.
Wishes
In sentences with wish, the wish clause is the main clause. The that clause is the one that depends on the main clause (it cannot stand alone). Here are some examples of the that clause in use:
Wishes about the Present and Future
| Wish Clause | That clause |
| simple present | (that + ) past form |
| I wish | (that) I were taller. |
| (that) I had a sister. | |
| (that) you could take me with you. | |
| (that) you were coming to my recital. | |
| (that) teach me how to play chess. |
In that clauses with the verb be, were is used for all subjects.
Could and would (the simple past of can and will) are often used in the that clause. As you can see in the examples above, that is optional -- sometimes it is omitted. However, the meaning of that is always implied.
Exercise
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