Conditionals – advanced

Conditionals – advanced

Now that you’re familiar with Conditionals O, I, and II, let’s look at the more advanced Conditionals.

The past conditional, also known as conditional III or the past unreal:

This conditional is used when someone wishes they had done something earlier to change a result they dont like.  They are often saying that they are sorry that the result is bad.  In this kind of conditional the truth is the opposite of the condition.

The pattern is:  past perfect in the if clause, and would have + past participle in the main clause.

Examples:
If you had called me last night, I would have come over right away.
(The truth is that you didn’t call me, and that’s why I didn’t come over.)

If Jenny had studied harder for the test, she wouldnt have failed it.
(The truth is that Jenny didn’t study very hard for the test, and that’s why she failed it.)

If Jason had set his alarm, he wouldnt have been late to class.
(The truth is that he didn’t set his alarm, and that’s why he was late to class.)

If they had been on time, they would have heard about the room change.
(The truth is that they were late, so they didn’t hear about the room change.)

 

To make any of these conditionals negative, put not, or another negative word such as never, hardly, hardly ever, seldom or rarely between the first two verbs.

Examples:
If he hadn’t been honest, he wouldn’t have told the police anything.
If she had never seen a kangaroo, she would hardly have known what they look like.
If her boyfriend hadnt lived in Vancouver, she would rarely have gone there.

 

With the word would and had, you can shorten them both to ‘d, and with have, you can shorten it to ve.

Example:
If we‘d been on time, we‘d have heard about the room change.
OR:  If we‘d been on time, we would‘ve heard about the room change.

But with the negative not (n’t), don’t shorten had or would:

Example:
If we hadn’t been on time, we wouldn’t have heard about the room change.

 

Remember that in all these examples if the if clause is before the main clause, there’s a comma ( , ) at the end of that clause.  If the if clause is after the main clause, then no comma is used.

Examples:
I wouldn’t have fallen asleep if the movie had been more interesting.
If I had won the lottery, I would’ve traveled around the world first class .
I would have lived in a better apartment if I had had more money.
If you had called me that night, I would have come over right away.

 

There are other modal verbs that can be used instead of would, such as could (ability) and might (possibility).

Examples:
If she had studied harder, she would have passed the test.
If she had studied harder, she could have passed the test.
If she had studied harder, she might have passed the test.

 

There are other ways to make conditional sentences, but these are more formal and less often used.

In Conditional I if can be replaced by should.  

Examples:
If you’re in town on the third, you can come to my party.
Should you be in town on the third, you can come to my party.

If it rains, we’ll have to cancel the picnic.
Should it rain, we’ll have to cancel the picnic.

BUT:  If the conditional is negative, do not use should.

Example:
If it’s not too expensive, I can come with you.
NOT:  Should it not be too expensive, I can come with you.

 

In Conditional III if can be dropped, but the verb must be inverted.

Examples:
If she had been on time, we could have seen the beginning of the movie.
Had she been on time, we could have seen the beginning of the movie.

If I had remembered her birthday, I would have bought her a present.
Had I remembered her birthday, I would have bought her a present.

If he hadn’t been so sick, he might not have stayed in bed all day.
Had he not been so sick, he might not have stayed in bed all day.

 

There’s one last thing about Conditionals O, I, and II.  You can use unless instead of if, but the sentence must be opposite.

Conditional O examples:
If I don’t get enough sleep, I feel tired the next day.
Unless I get enough sleep, I feel tired the next day.

If he is nice to her, she is nice to him.
Unless he is mean to her, she is nice to him.

Conditional I examples:
If you lend me some money, I can buy an iPhone.
Unless you lend me some money, I can’t buy an iPhone.

If you don’t tell me the truth, I won’t help you.
Unless you tell me the truth, I won’t help you.

Conditional II examples:
I told them that if we all worked together, we could finish by midnight.
I told them that unless we all worked together, we couldn’t finish by midnight.

If I were rich, I would send some money to my parents.
Unless I were poor, I would send some money to my parents.

 

Here is a review of all 4 conditionals:

General conditional  (Conditional O):

If it rains, I take my umbrella.
Unless it rains, I dont take my umbrella.

Future conditional  (Conditional I):

If it rains tomorrow, Ill take my umbrella.
Should it rain tomorrow, Ill take my umbrella.
Unless it rains tomorrow, I wont take my umbrella.

Present conditional  (Conditional II):

If it rained, I would take my umbrella.
Unless it rained, I wouldnt take my umbrella.

Past conditional  (Conditional III):

If it had rained, I would have taken my umbrella.
Had it rained, I would have taken my umbrella.

                       

Quiz: Conditionals I to III - exercise

  1. Question 1 of 15

    1.

    There’s a possibility that it will rain tomorrow. In case of rain, we’ll stay at home.

    • Nice!

    • Incorrect

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  2. Question 2 of 15

    2.

    I’m sad and sorry that I forgot my sister’s birthday.

    • Well done!

    • Not right

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  3. Question 3 of 15

    3.

    I’m giving advice about anyone who loses their keys.

    • Good job!

    • Afraid not

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  4. Question 4 of 15

    4.

    Every time I feel tired in the afternoon, I take a nap.

    • Great!

    • Not so good

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  5. Question 5 of 15

    5.

    The truth is she’s not very smart, so she doesn’t get good marks in school.

    • Way to go!

    • Incorrect

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  6. Question 6 of 15

    6.

    He doesn’t like it that he didn’t get accepted at Harvard. He thinks it’s because he didn’t work hard enough.

    • You got it!

    • No. Not correct

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  7. Question 7 of 15

    7.

    You’re giving a driver directions to a hotel.

    • Nice job!

    • Sorry. No

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  8. Question 8 of 15

    8.

    You’re sure your BFF will be tired when she arrives after driving all night.

    • Terrific!

    • Not it

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  9. Question 9 of 15

    9.

    We don’t have enough time to finish this project by Friday.

    • Yes. Right!

    • No. Wrong

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  10. Question 10 of 15

    10.

    Every time we have a test, the teacher hands it back the following day.

    • Well done!

    • Not so good

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  11. Question 11 of 15

    11.

    Sally’s parents worried about her because she didn’t call home very often.

    • That’s correct!

    • That’s not right

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  12. Question 12 of 15

    12.

    You’re giving your friend advice because she doesn’t like her hair style.

    • Good for you!

    • Wrong answer

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  13. Question 13 of 15

    13.

    Your friend had too much to drink at the party and then got in his car and had an accident.

    • Excellent!

    • Incorrect

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  14. Question 14 of 15

    14.

    Allen’s parents are giving him a reason to work hard and graduate from high school.

    • Sweet!

    • You missed it

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  15. Question 15 of 15

    15.

    Brandon doesn’t have enough money to take many trips.

    • Perfect!

    • Not so good

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Quiz: Conditionals O, I, II, and III - exercise

  1. Question 1 of 15

    1.

    If you ____________ more alert, you would have seen the danger.

    • Wonderful!

    • Not it

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  2. Question 2 of 15

    2.

    If I see him, I ____________ him your message.

    • Bravo!

    • Afraid not

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  3. Question 3 of 15

    3.

    Unless we ____________ right now, we won’t be finished in time.

    • Nice job!

    • Sorry. No

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  4. Question 4 of 15

    4.

    ___________ the truth in the beginning, you wouldn’t have lost your job.

    • You got it!

    • You missed it

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  5. Question 5 of 15

    5.

    The boss told her she ____________ a raise unless she did something terribly wrong.

    • Good for you!

    • Try again

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  6. Question 6 of 15

    6.

    ____________ you need my help, I’m going to go home now.

    • Awesome!

    • Wrong answer

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  7. Question 7 of 15

    7.

    Meet me at the food court ____________ lost.

    • Great job!

    • Not good

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  8. Question 8 of 15

    8.

    If they had started earlier, they ____________ on time.

    • Way to go!

    • Mistake

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  9. Question 9 of 15

    9.

    If you come to Vancouver, you ____________ Stanley Park.

    • Right you are!

    • Not so good

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  10. Question 10 of 15

    10.

    ____________ come on time, you wouldn’t have missed anything.

    • Excellent!

    • Too bad

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  11. Question 11 of 15

    11.

    If she had taken the train to Calgary, she ____________ the Rocky Mountains.

    • That’s right!

    • Not this time

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  12. Question 12 of 15

    12.

    When he was young, if he ____________ thunder, he would crawl under his bed.

    • Well done!

    • No. Not right

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  13. Question 13 of 15

    13.

    ____________ my keys, please phone me immediately.

    • Perfect!

    • Incorrect

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  14. Question 14 of 15

    14.

    If he comes late one more time, I ____________ him.

    • That’s so right!

    • Sorry. Wrong

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  15. Question 15 of 15

    15.

    She ________________ the lottery if she had remembered to buy a ticket.

    • Nicely done!

    • No way

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