Back to: Communicative English Language Skills I
📘 Conditionals – If Clauses in English
Hello, future leaders of Ethiopia! 👋 Today, you’ll master one of the most practical grammar tools in English: conditional sentences. Why? Because you’ll need them when you say: → “If I pass this exam, I will join engineering.” → “If I had studied harder, I wouldn’t have failed.” → “If I were the president, I’d build more universities!” 😠 Let’s dive in—with clarity, precision, and lots of examples from your life!
1. 📌 What Are Conditionals?
Conditional sentences express a hypothetical situation** and its **result**. They always have:
- An if-clause (the condition)
- A main clause (the result)
✅ From your textbook (p. 24–25):
- If I meet Derartu Tulu, I will ask her about her training.
- If I had met her in 1992, I would have congratulated her.
2. 🔢 The 3 Main Types of Conditionals
2.1 🟢 Type I: Real Possibility (Present/Future)
Use: For situations that are real, likely, or possible now or in the future.
Structure:
If + present simple, will + base verb
- If you study hard, you will pass your exam.
- If it rains tomorrow, we won’t go to Unity Park.
- If I get a scholarship, I will study abroad.
💡 Note: “Will” can be replaced with can, may, might, should for different meanings.
2.2 🔵 Type II: Unreal Present or Future (Imaginary)
Use: For situations that are unreal, imaginary, or unlikely** right now.
Structure:
If + past simple, would + base verb
- If I were rich, I would build a hospital in my village.
- If she had more time, she would join the debate club.
- If I spoke French, I would apply for that internship.
❗ Important: Use “were” for all subjects with “to be” (even “I/he/she”):
→ If I were you… (NOT “was” in formal English)
2.3 🟣 Type III: Unreal Past (Regret or Criticism)
Use: For situations in the past that did not happen**, and we imagine a different result.
Structure:
If + had + past participle, would have + past participle
- If I had studied harder, I would have passed the entrance exam.
- If they had left earlier, they wouldn’t have missed the bus.
- If you had listened to your teacher, you would have understood Unit 2.
3. 📊 Quick Reference Table
| Type | Time | Reality | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | Now / Future | Real, possible | If + present, will + verb | If you submit on time, you will get full marks. |
| Type II | Now / Future | Unreal, imaginary | If + past, would + verb | If I had a laptop, I would attend online class. |
| Type III | Past | Unreal (didn’t happen) | If + had + past participle, would have + past participle | If he had practiced, he would have won the match. |
4. ❌ Common Mistakes (From Your Textbook Dialogues!)
❌ Wrong: “If I will meet Zidane, I will ask for a photo.”
✅ Correct: “If I meet Zidane, I will ask for a photo.” → Type I
❌ Wrong: “If I would have known, I would have come.”
✅ Correct: “If I had known, I would have come.” → Type III
❌ Wrong: “If I was you, I’d apologize.”
✅ Correct (formal): “If I were you, I’d apologize.”
5. 🧠 Practice Exercises (From Your Module + Extra)
Exercise 1: Choose the correct conditional form.
- If she _____ (study) harder, she would pass the class.
a) studies b) studied c) had studied - If you don’t water the plants, they _____ (die).
a) will die b) would die c) would have died - If I _____ (know) his number, I would have called him.
a) know b) knew c) had known - If we _____ (leave) now, we’ll catch the bus.
a) leave b) left c) had left
Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-a
Exercise 2: Complete using the correct conditional form.
- If I ______ (have) more money, I would buy a new phone.
- If you ______ (not help) me, I wouldn’t have finished the project.
- If it ______ (rain) tomorrow, the match will be canceled.
- If she ______ (be) me, she wouldn’t waste time on social media.
- had
- had not helped / hadn’t helped
- rains
- were
6. 💬 Teacher’s Final Words
My dear students: Conditionals are not just grammar—they’re the language of hope, regret, dreams, and responsibility. When you say, “If I had reviewed Unit 1, I’d be more confident now,” you’re reflecting. When you say, “If I work hard this semester, I’ll succeed,” you’re committing. So use them wisely—and keep them grammatically strong! 💪
Based on Communicative English Language Skills I (FLEn 1011), Units 2.2 & 4.4 – Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ethiopia (2019)