High School

99.1 Are these real or unreal conditional sentences?

1. If we had travelled together, we would have saved money. (Unreal)

2. If you're scared of spiders, don't go into the garden.

3. Where would you choose if you could live anywhere in the world?

4. If he recognized me, he certainly didn't show any sign of it.

5. She'll be furious if she finds out the truth.

6. You would know the answer if you had read the book.

7. You'll have to take a taxi home if you want to leave now.

8. If you had taken that job in Norway, you'd have been able to learn to ski.

99.2 Write sentences with similar meanings beginning "If..." All the sentences you write will be unreal conditionals.

1. I don't know enough about the machine, so I can't mend it myself.

If I knew enough about the machine, I would mend it myself.

2. He didn't prepare for the interview, so he didn't get the job.

If he had prepared for the interview, he would have gotten the job.

3. Not enough money is spent on cancer research, so a prevention has not been found.

If enough money were spent on cancer research, a prevention might have been found.

4. Andrew wanted to ask Frank Sinatra for his autograph, but he wasn't brave enough.

If Andrew had been brave enough, he would have asked Frank Sinatra for his autograph.

Now write sentences including "..., so..." or "..., but..." with similar meanings to these unreal conditional sentences.

5. If you'd listened to me, we wouldn't have gone the wrong way.

You didn't listen to me, so we went the wrong way.

6. If they hadn't found him in time, they wouldn't have been able to save his life.

They found him in time, so they were able to save his life.

7. If there were any truth in her allegations, I would resign.

There is no truth in her allegations, so I will not resign.

8. If I hadn't been so busy, I would have written to you earlier.

I was busy, so I didn't write to you earlier.

99.3 If necessary, correct these sentences.

1. If Jack had been honest, he would have returned the money.

2. The video pauses if you press this button.

3. If she had really wanted to see me, she would have come earlier.

4. If he didn't break the window, then who is responsible?

5. If Claire continues to work hard, she should pass the exams easily.

6. Steve would have been attacked if I hadn't come along.

7. I'd be able to visit Jim first thing in the morning if I stayed in Manchester overnight.

8. Speak to Jane if you want to book a room.

9. If you knew what it was going to be like, why did you come?

10. You'd be surprised if I told you how much this cost.

11. If I had suddenly announced that the holiday was canceled, the children would have objected.

12. We might soon be making a profit if all goes according to plan.

Answer :

99.1 Identifying Conditional Sentences

Let's identify whether these sentences are real or unreal conditionals:

  1. Unreal Conditional: "If we had travelled together we would have saved money."

    • This sentence describes a hypothetical situation in the past that did not happen, making it an unreal conditional.

  2. Real Conditional: "If you're scared of spiders, don't go into the garden."

    • This sentence is giving advice based on a real and possible condition.

  3. Unreal Conditional: "Where would you choose if you could live anywhere in the world?"

    • This describes an unreal or hypothetical scenario that is not true at present.

  4. Real Conditional: "If he recognised me, he certainly didn't show any sign of it."

    • This suggests a real conditional situation that could have happened.

  5. Real Conditional: "She'll be furious if she finds out the truth."

    • This sentence talks about a future possible situation, making it a real conditional.

  6. Unreal Conditional: "You would know the answer if you had read the book."

    • This scenario involves a past condition that did not happen, hence it's unreal.

  7. Real Conditional: "You'll have to take a taxi home if you want to leave now."

    • This sentence is about a likely situation or advice, thus a real conditional.

  8. Unreal Conditional: "If you had taken that job in Norway, you'd have been able to learn to ski."

    • It describes an unreal situation in the past because it didn't actually occur.

99.2 Writing Unreal Conditional Sentences

Now let's turn the given sentences into unreal conditionals:

  1. "If I knew enough about the machine, I would mend it myself."

    • This sentence describes a hypothetical competence that the speaker lacks.

  2. Unreal Conditional: "If he had prepared for the interview, he would have gotten the job."

  3. Unreal Conditional: "If more money were spent on cancer research, a prevention would have been found."

  4. Unreal Conditional: "If Andrew had been brave enough, he would have asked Frank Sinatra for his autograph."

Now transform them using ..., so... or ..., but...:

  1. You didn't listen to me, so we went the wrong way.

  2. They found him in time, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to save his life.

  3. There isn't any truth in her allegations, so I won't resign.

  4. I was so busy, so I didn't write to you earlier.

99.3 Correcting Sentences

We will now correct the sentences where necessary:

  1. Incorrect: "If Jack had been honest, he would return the money."
    Correct: "If Jack had been honest, he would have returned the money."

  2. Correct: "The video pauses if you press this button."

    • This sentence is fine.

  3. Incorrect: "If she would have really wanted to see me, she would have come earlier."
    Correct: "If she had really wanted to see me, she would have come earlier."

  4. Correct: "If he doesn't break the window then who is responsible?"

    • This sentence is fine for a hypothetical question about possible scenarios.

  5. Incorrect: "If Claire will continue to work hard, she should pass the exams easily."
    Correct: "If Claire continues to work hard, she should pass the exams easily."

  6. Correct: "Steve would have been attacked if I hadn't come along."

    • This sentence is fine as it correctly uses the past perfect to describe a hypothetical past.

  7. Correct: "I'd be able to visit Jim first thing in the morning if I stay in Manchester overnight."

    • This sentence is fine, indicating a real conditional for a future possibility.

  8. Correct: "Speak to Jane if you want to book a room."

    • This sentence is fine, giving practical advice.

  9. Incorrect: "If you know what it was going to be like, why did you come?"
    Correct: "If you had known what it was going to be like, why did you come? "

  10. Correct: "You'd be surprised if I told you how much this cost."

    • This sentence is fine, providing a hypothetical reaction.

  11. Incorrect: "If I had suddenly announced that the holiday was cancelled, the children had objected."
    Correct: "If I had suddenly announced that the holiday was cancelled, the children would have objected."

  12. Incorrect: "We might soon be making a profit if all will go according to plan."
    Correct: "We might soon be making a profit if all goes according to plan."

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