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Pour exprimer une condition, j’utilise les structures suivantes :
- The first conditional or future conditional: Expressing a future condition or a real possibility in the future
Form:
If + Subject + Present simple or continuous, Subject + Future simple or / be going to + base form or/ Imperative or / can, may, must + base form
Example: If he succeeds to the exam, he will go to the university.
If he succeeds to the exam, he can go to the university.
If you are working right now, I won’t stay but I will come back later.
If you call the doctor, he is going to come.
Omission of if:
Keep on working hard, and you may succeed.
Hurry up, or you will miss the meeting.
- The second conditional or unreal present: Imagining actions or situations that are unreal in the present but sometimes the actions or situations are possible in the future.
Form:
If + Subject + Preterit, Subject + Conditional Present (would / could / might + base form)
Example: If I had much money, I could send all my parents to Mecca.
If they didn’t disturb, the teacher would not send them out.
Omission of if: Were + subject (+ not) + verb or object or adjective
Ex: Were you at my place, what would you do?
Were his parents not rich, he wouldn’t drive such a nice car.
- The third conditional or unreal past: Imagining actions or situations that are unreal in the past or expressing regrets concerning past actions or situations
Form:
If + Subject + Past perfect (had + past participle), + Conditional Perfect or past (would / could / might + have + past participle)
Example: If he had worked hard, he wouldn’t have failed.
What do you think could have happened, if the firemen had not arrived on time?
Omission of if: Had + subject (+ not) + Past participle
Had he been careful, such a thing wouldn’t have happened.
Had you not attended the meeting, you couldn’t have given your opinion.
- Other ways of expressing conditions:
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- If ………. Not = Unless …………… affirmative
Example: If you don’t work hard at school, you won’t succeed.
Unless you work hard at school, you won’t succeed
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- If ...not = Subject + base form… otherwise
Example: If she doesn’t convince the students, they won’t elect her President.
She must convince the students, otherwise they won’t elect her President.
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- When + Simple present, Subject + Future simple
Example: When they have time, they will join us.
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- As soon as + Simple present, + Subject + Future simple or Imperative.
Example: As soon as you get the news, let me know.
As soon as she meets a doctor, she will have an idea about what is wrong with her.
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- As long as + Subject + present simple, Subject + future simple
Example: As long as you refuse to take risk, you won’t succeed.
