Conditional Forms

Conditional Forms

1. Clauses

   • A clause is a part of a sentence that typically has its own subject and verb.
   • Conditional Clause
     • This is a clause that describes something possible or probable, depending on something else happening and generally begin with if or unless

2. Conditions can be categorized as real / unreal

   • REAL
     • we do not know if the condition is, will be, or was true. Here are some examples: If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay in.
     • We cannot use will for future time in a condition
     • We sometimes use unless at the beginning of a condition: Unless it rains tomorrow, I'll go for a walk.
   • UNREAL
     • unreal conditions for present and future time, the condition is not true, or probably will not be true. We use a simple or continuous verb formation.
     • If Jane was coming to the party, you could tell her the news.
     • For past time (the condition was not true), we use a perfect verb formation in the condition: If Jane had come, you could have told her the news.

3. different types of conditional constructions

   • Zero Conditional (Certainty)
     • Form:
       • if + present simple tense (for the condition) and verb stem in the present simple tense in the main clause (for the result).
       • If people don’t eat (condition), they get hungry (result).
       • It doesn’t matter if the if clause is placed at the start of the sentence or in the middle of the sentence. Note that it’s possible to replace if with when in a zero conditional.
     • Use:
       • We use this conditional construction when the result is always true for this type of condition. The result is certain. It’s a fact. There is no thought given to the future or past.
   • First Conditional (Real Possibility)
     • Form
       • if + present simple (for the condition) and will + verb stem in the main clause (for the result)
         • If I see Fang tomorrow, I'll tell her about the party.
     • Use
       • There is a good possibility that the condition will happen at a future time. I may not see Fang tomorrow, but I might. There is a good possibility that the condition will happen.
   • Second Conditional (Unreal possibility)
     • Form
       • if + past simple (for the condition) and would + verb stem in the main clause (for the result)
         • If I married Taylor Swift, I’d be the happiest person on earth.
     • Use
       • We are talking about a specific condition in the future (although we use the past tense in the condition) but there is not a real possibility that this condition will ever happen. It’s all a bit of a dream, an unreal possibility that this condition will ever happen.
       • Note that we sometimes use the second conditional, with the same structure, to talk about certain situations in the present. These are when the condition is pretty impossible and far from a true situation, and therefore the result won't come to fruition.
   • Third Conditional (NO possibility)
     • Form
       • if + past perfect (for the condition) and would + have + past participle in the main clause (for the result)
         • If I had seen Chen, I would have asked him. (but I didn’t see him at all, so I wasn't able to talk to him)
     • Use
       • Here the focus is on the past. We are speaking about a condition in the past that didn't happen. We use it to describe a situation or event that didn't happen, and we imagine the result of the situation. There is no possibility for this condition, and therefore no possibility of the result happening. Not then and not now.

4. Teaching conditional forms

   • Students' ages and levels will be the critical factors in deciding whether they are ready for a particular conditional construction. Then you can wait your time, see how well the learning is embedded in their memory banks, and then decide to try another type of construction.
   • 1. Awareness
     • When they are ready, start by raising their awareness of conditionals. Get them to notice the use of conditionals in written pieces/activities you are using in class. Make up your own pieces containing the odd conditional, for whichever conditional form you plan to teach. Point attention to the construction and get them to have a go at the meaning. They can then try and mirror the construction with other situations. Don't get too hung up about tenses at this time.
   • 2. Start at the beginning
     • Some teachers start with the first conditional, leaving the zero conditional till last. We don’t know why. We have always started with the zero conditional as it’s good fun getting them to think about certainties in life: If you heat ice, it melts. Once they’ve come up with lots of suggestions, including some you have written on the board, see if they can work out the structure and tenses for a particular conditional structure. Then it’s time to practice them.
   • 3. Practice
     • You can use lots of activities to embed the learning of conditionals
       • Matching exercises: matching the condition with the result and matching the result with the condition.
         • Cloze activities: where they try to insert a selection of if-clauses into a piece that has six or seven blanks in it.
       • Partnering activity: one student states the condition, and the other completes it with some sensible result. Then they reverse roles.
         • Student surveys: Students can survey each other about what they will and would like to do in the future, using the appropriate conditional forms.
       • Wish lists: emphasizing the unreal conditionals, students can interview each other and make up wish lists for their partners.
         • Advice columns: Students can write letters of advice to each other or famous figures, such as the President or Prime Minister, using the conditional.
         • Probability Discussions: Guessing the probability of certain events, using the conditional, e.g. If Manchester United are on form, they’ll win the match.