Conditional Sentences Presented by:

Mohamed Akharraz

A – spell blind birdB – b-l-i-n-d-b-i-r-dA – Wrong. It’s b-l-n-d-b-r-d

Why?

You:…………………………………………………..

Warm up activity ( jokes)

Because if it had two i’s, it wouldn’t be blind.

A – what would happen if I cut off your left ear?

B – I wouldn’t be able to hear. A – And what would happen if I cut off your

right ear? B – I wouldn’t be able to see. A – Why? You:

…………………………………………………….

Because my glasses would have fallen off.

A - What’s a cannibal? B – I don’t know, sir. A – Well, if you ate you mother and father,

what would you be? B – An orphan, sir?

Form Real conditionals a – generic conditionals b- habitual conditionals c - inference conditionals e - future conditionals Unreal conditionals a - hypothetical conditionals. c- counterfactual conditionals Variations in Form in Unreal Conditionals Problems that ESL/EFL students have with conditional

sentences. Suggested ideas to teach conditional sentences

Overview/outline

The most type of conditional sentences has two clauses: a main clause and a subordinate clause ( with if or a similar word).

E.g. If the weather is fresh tomorow, we will go to the beach.

Condition Result

The form of Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences refer to present,

past and future. They are divided into two

main categories: real and unreal

conditionals.

Real conditionals are simply the conditionals in which the condition and the result can be fulfilled: real conditionals can be subdivided into four categories:

A- Generic Conditionals. B- Habitual Conditionals. C- Inference Conditionals. D- Future Conditionals.

Real Conditionals

GC expresses a fact that appears to be a scientific truth.

Examples: If the gas is heated, it expands. If you cross an international date line, the

time changes.

Generic Conditionals

Expresse situations or events, in the present or past, as being the the usual but not inevitable result of a condition being met.

Examples If I am in a bad mood, I visit my friends. If he had buiness in Agadir, he (usually)

stayed in a hotel. ( if in the two sentences can be replaced by whenever).

B- Habitual Conditionals.

In inference conditionals, the proposition in the result clause is inferred from the proposition in the if-clause. Inference conditionals say « if x, then y follows ».

Consider these examples: 1- If we can save the bald eagle from

extinction, we can certainly ensure the survival of other endangered animals. ( we infer our ability to save other species from our ability to save the bald eagle).

C- Inference Conditionals.

If Jane and Bill left before rush hour, they probably had a quick trip home.

Meaning: ( the inference here is about a past situation. The speaker

is inferring Jane and Bill’s quick trip home from the condition of their having left before rush hour. If the conditional was fulfilled, the result followed).

If that’s call’s for me, it’s my wife.

Future conditionals express predicted future results of conditions, which are often, but not necessarily, in the future. They have special uses.

1 – Expressing future results: If you don’t leave now, you will miss the plane.

(plan) Also, different probabilities for the predicted

outcome can be expressed depending upon the modal used in the result clause:

Examples: A – If you start now, you should get there on time. ( good

probability) B- If you start now, you may get there on time. (possibility) C – If you start now, you might get there on time. ( weak

possibility)

D- Future Conditionals.

1 - Special uses: Expressing instructions, questions

and suggestions. Examples: If I’m late, don’t wait. If you should see him, tell him I want to talk to

him. (BE) If you see him, tell him I want to talk to him. ( AE) If he calls, what do I tell him? If you intend to do it, you ought to do it soon. If she agrees to our proposal, we should close the

deal. If she doesn’t, we should refuse to continue negotiating.

Practice

Answers

Unreal conditionals are conditionals in which the

proposition in the if-clause is an imagined condition

and the proposition in the result clause is its

imagined outcome.

Like real conditionals, unreal conditonals can

express present, past and future time.

There are two types of unreal conditionals:

1- Hypothetical conditionals.

2- Counterfactual conditionals.

Unreal conditionals

1- Hypothetical conditionals expresse speculations about imagined possible events or states in the present or future. They contrast with future conditionals, which express future results of real plans or contingencies.

Consider these examples: 1a) If I found a wallet on the subway, I would return it to the

owner. 1b) If you drove to the city on Monday, you would miss all the

weekend traffic. In the example (1a), the speaker imagined a hypothetical

situation that could happen in the future. In the example (1b), the speaker knows that the speaker he/she

is addressing is travelling to the city sometime in the future. This utterance expresses a hypothetical plan for doing so that has the advantage of avoiding weekend traffic.

1- Hypothetical conditionals.

Hypothetical conditionals that comment or speculate on present states are illustrated in these examples:

If you had the photographs with you, I could see

my grandson.

If I knew Mohamed’s phone number, we could

call him.

If I understood this chapter, I would explain it

to you

Many counterfactual conditionals about the past events that did not obtain:

Example If I have seen you at the mall, I would have said hello. If you had locked the side door before we left for the movie,

the burglar would not have gotten in. Counterfactual conditionals can also express speculations

about impossible states or situations in the present. Example If I were a president, I would build more universities in

Agadir.

2- Counterfactual conditionals.

Substutions of would have+ past partciple for the past perfect.

E.g. If I would’ve had a little more time, I would’ve told him about it.

If it would’ve been a real fight, the refree would’ve stopped it.

This change is becoming extremely common in spoken American English.

Ellipsis of If and Subject-Aux inversion. Ellipsis of if is possible in hypothetical and counterfactual

conditional sentences. e.g. If I had known you were coming, I’d have baked a cake. Had I known you were coming, I’d have baked a cake. e. g. If I were in your position, I wouldn’t say anything. Were I in your position, I wouldn’t say anything.

Variation in form in unreal Conditionals

Exercise

Answers

Problems that ESL/EFL

1 - Using local cutlure about superstitions:

E.g. If your ears ring, somebody is talking about you.

2 - Using dream information ( Let’s Talk)

E.g. If you dream about frogs, it means that you are looking for your true

love.

If you dream about your grandparents, it means that you want advice

about something.

3 – you may give Ss if-statement and ask them to think about the result.

e.g. If I won a lottery, I

…………………………………………………………................

Suggested ideas to teach conditionals

Thank You