11-3 Complex Conditional Structures

Now that you have reviewed conditional forms and learned to use them to express a variety of statements about the past, present, and future in Grammar 11-1 and 11-2, this lesson will focus on some more complex conditional structures.

As you have seen in previous lessons, conditional clauses are generally introduced using the subordinating conjunction if. Grammar 11-1 also described how to use some other conjunctions like even if and unless to make more specific kinds of conditional statements. This lesson will add three more conjunctions that can be used to introduce conditions when you need to communicate specific conditions or set limits on a situation.

As long as can be used to add emphasis to the condition. It is generally used to introduce present or future real conditions but can also be used for present and past unreal conditions.

Providing or provided (that) can also be used to add emphasis to the condition. The meaning is essentially the same as as long as. Note that providing (that) is more common in spoken language while provided (that) is slightly more formal and more commonly used in written language.

Using on (the) condition makes the conditional statement more formal. It is often used to introduce conditions that have been negotiated or agreed upon. On (the) condition is followed by a that- noun clause with the main verb in its base form no matter what time is being referred to.

When you form conditionals with certain fixed expressions, it is possible to omit the subject and verb from the conditional clause. Note that usually, the verb being omitted is ‘be’.

Here are the four most common fixed expressions used in this way.