Conditionals

Introduction

Conditionals are sentences in which one's statement depends on a certain situation/condition in order for it to be fulfilled/true. Conditionals usually have the following structure:

· if (or the dependent) clause, which always sets up a condition

· result (or the independent) clause, which is what happens when a condition is fulfilled.

The following is a simple example of a conditional sentence:

If you study hard, you will get an A in your final exam.

Please note:

• when the if clause begins a sentence, we usually put a comma just before the result clause.
• either of the clauses can appear at the beginning or at the end of a conditional sentence. Compare the preceding example with the following:

· there might be other qualifying words in the conditional sentence that might make it even harder to identify the if and the result clauses. As in the following example:

Well, if you study hard, as it is required of all of you, especially those who want to major in English, you will get an A in your final exam - no doubt about it.

· one sentence can have two conditions that lead to one result. As in the following example:

Well, if you study hard, as it is required of all of you, and if you practice seriously, especially those who want to major in English, you will get an A in your final exam - no doubt about it.

· when one is certain that a specific condition will be fulfilled, s/he can use when, instead of if, in the dependent clause. See the following example:

We use conditionals in our everyday language. It can be hard to detect conditionals in speaking since our sentences tend to be longer when we speak than when we write. This can even be worsened by instances where a speaker puts two or more conditions that lead to one or more results. For example, listen here.

Real vs Unreal Conditionals

Conditionals can be either real or unreal. Real conditionals describe situations we encounter in real life, whereas, on the other hand, unreal conditionals describe situations that are a creation of one's imagination. Please note that in the unreal conditionals, it is inappropriate to use "was" as a being word in the if clause - it is not considered grammatically correct. In written English or in testing situations, one should always use "were." However, in everyday conversation, "was" may be used. Listen to this example: Listen

Below are some brief notes on conditionals:

Present Real Conditional: The Present Real Conditional is used to talk about what you normally do in real-life situations - the f/actual truth. Both "if" and "when" are used in the Present Real Conditional. Using "if" suggests that something happens less frequently. Using "when" suggests that something happens regularly. Listen to the following examples: example 1; example 2; example 3 (not for sensitive viewers): Example 3. The last part in the audio is the present unreal conditional.

    “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own     language, that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela.

Present Unreal Conditional: The Present Unreal Conditional is used to talk about what you would generally do in imaginary situations. Only "if" is used with the Present Unreal Conditional because you are discussing imaginary situations. "When" cannot be used. Listen to the following examples: Example 1

Past Real Conditional: The Past Real Conditional describes what one used to do in particular real-life situations. It usually suggests that one's habits have changed and they do not do what they used to do. Both "if" and "when" are used in the Past Real Conditional. Using "if" suggests that something happened less frequently. Using "when" suggests that something happened regularly. 

Past Unreal Conditional: The Past Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the past. One can describe what they would have done differently or how something could have happened differently if circumstances had been different - regrets and wishes. Only "if" is used with the Past Unreal Conditional because the speaker is discussing imaginary situations. "When" cannot be used.
Listen to the following example: Example 1, 

Future Real Conditional: The Future Real Conditional uses a Condition Clause and a Result Clause - the Condition Clause is in the present tense; and the Result Clause is in the future tense. Other modals besides "will" may be used, such as "might" or "can" or "must". It describes what one thinks they will do in a specific situation in the future. It is different from other Real Conditional forms because, unlike the present or the past, one does not know what will happen in the future. Although this form is called "real", the speaker is usually imagining or guessing about the future. It is called "real" because it is still possible that the action might occur in the future. The Condition Clause may begin with "If" or "Unless", and "When": "if" suggests that the speaker does not know whether something will happen or not; "when" suggests that something will definitely happen at some point - the speaker is simply waiting for it to occur. Listen to the following examples:
exampl 1; example 2; example 3

Future Unreal Conditional: The Future Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the future. It is not as common as the Future Real Conditional because English speakers often leave open the possibility that anything MIGHT happen in the future. It is only used when a speaker needs to emphasize that something is impossible. The future Unreal Conditional can only be used with the "if" clause. I wish to suggest that one should actually mention the imaginary future time to which they are referring. Listen to the following examples: Example 1

Continuous Conditional: One can use continuousness to talk about imaginary situations. Unreal Conditional + Continuous form of a verb is used to discuss imaginary situations which could be happening at this/that very moment.  Continuous Unreal Conditionals can be in the Present, the Past or Future. Here is an example of a past continuous real conditional. 

Mixed Conditionals: Sometimes Unreal Conditional sentences can be mixed. This means that the time in the if-clause is not the same as the time in the result. Listen to the following examples: Example 1, example 2.

Sources: Most of the information on this page was adopted from The EnglishPage website.

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Direct and InDirect Speech

Direct/Quoted speech is saying exactly what someone has said. It appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we put the words spoken between inverted commas ("___") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW, or telling someone later about a previous conversation.

Indirect/Reported speech is enclosing what the person said. It doesn't use quotation marks and doesn't have to be word for word.

Indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past. When we use indirect speech, we don’t use inverted comas. We should change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs for example say, ask, and we may use the word that to introduce the reported words.

Hopes, Intentions, Promises

When we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate reporting verb followed by a that-clause or a to-infinitive:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
He said, "I'll pay you the money tomorrow."	He promised to pay me the money the next day. He promised that he would pay me the money the next day.

Other verbs used in this pattern include: hope, propose, threaten, guarantee, and swear.

OrdersWhen we want to report an order, we can use a verb like tell with to-clause:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
The doctor said to me, "Stop smoking!"	The doctor told me to stop smoking.
"Get out of the car!" said the policeman.	The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.

Other verbs used are: command, order, warn, ask, invite, advise, beg, teach, and forbid. <<See also section on Verbs followed by infinitive and Verbs followed by gerund>>

Requests

When we want to report a request, we can use a verb like ask with for-clause:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
The child asked, "Can I have a car?"	The child asked for a car.

Suggestions

Suggestions are usually reported with a that-clause. That and should are optional in these clauses.

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
“I think you should go to the dentist", said my mother	My mother suggested that I should go to the dentist.

Other verbs used are: insist, recommend, demand, request, and propose. Note: Suggest can also be followed by a gerund: I suggested postponing the visit to the dentist.

Questions

-          Question words are reported by using ask (or another verb like ask) + question word + clause. <<See also section on Tense Change>>

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
She asked me, “Where do u live?”	She asked me where I lived.
He asked me, "What is your name?"	He asked me what my name was.

Tag or Yes/No questions: This type of question is reported by using ask + if / whether +clause:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
He asked me, "Are you Eastern or Western?"	He asked me whether I was Eastern or Western.

Rules

There are rules in converting direct to indirect speech. The tense usually has change because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past).

Tense Change

As a rule when we report something someone has said you go back a tense (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right)

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present Simple: He said, “It is hot.”	Past Simple: He said it was hot.
Present Continuous: She said, “I’m eating an apple.”	Past Continuous: She said she was eating an apple.
Present Perfect Simple: She said, "I've taught English since 1999."	Past Perfect Simple: She said she had taught English since 1999.
Present Perfect Continuous: He said, "I've been teaching English for two years."	Past Perfect Continuous: She said she had been teaching English for two years.
Past Simple: She said, "I taught English."	Past Perfect: She said she had taught English.
Past Continuous: She said, "I was teaching earlier."	Past Perfect Continuous: She said she had been teaching earlier
Past Perfect: She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived."	Past Perfect: (No Change) She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous: She said, "I had already been teaching for ten minutes."	Past Perfect Continuous: (No Change) - She said she'd already been teaching for ten minutes.

Note:

-          We can use the Present Tense in indirect speech if we want to say that something is still true.

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Present Simple: He said, “My name is James.”	Past Simple: He said his name was James. or Present Simple: He said his name is James.

Modal Change

Modal verb forms also sometimes change

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Will: She said, “I will teach English.”	Would: She said she would teach English.
Can: She said, "I can teach English online."	Could: She said she could teach English.
Must: She said, "I must teach English."	Had to: She said she had to teach English.
Shall: She said, "What shall we learn today?"	Should: She asked what we should learn today.
May: She said, "May I open the window?"	Might: She asked if she might open the window.

If it use modal, such as: could, would, should, might and ought to in direct speech, then we don’t need to change it.

Time Change

If direct speech sentence contains an expression of time, we must change it to fit in with the time.

Time in Direct Speech	Time in Indirect Speech
this (morning/noon/evening)	that (morning/noon/evening)
Today	yesterday
these (days)	those (days)
Now	then
(a week/ a month/ a year) ago	(a week/ a month/ a year) before
last weekend	the weekend before last/ the previous weekend
Here	There
next (week/month/year)	the following (week/month/year)
Tomorrow	the next/following day

Verbs

Some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups.

Verbs followed by if or whether + clause:

Ask	Remember	see
Know	Say

Verbs followed by a that + clause:

Add admit agree announce answer argue boast claim comment complain

Confirm consider deny doubt estimate explain fear feel insist mention

observe persuade propose remark remember repeat reply report reveal say

state suggest suppose tell think understand warn

 Verbs followed by either a that + clause or a to + infinitive:

Decide Expect

Guarantee Hope

promise swear

threaten

Verbs followed by either a that + clause containing should (but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):

Advise beg demand

Insist prefer propose

recommend request suggest

Verbs followed by object + to + infinitive

Advise ask beg

Command forbid instruct

invite teach tell

warn

Adopted from the English Baby page.