All experts agree that, wherever possible, children should learn to read in their own way.
Conditional clauses: If I had more money, …
8.25 When you want to talk about a possible situation and its consequences, you use a conditional clause.
Conditional clauses are used:
If they lose weight during an illness, they soon regain it afterwards.
Government cannot operate effectively unless it is free to take its own decisions.
If I saw him in the street, he’d just say Good morning.
If England had a hot climate, the attitude would be different.
If I could afford it I would buy a boat.
If he is right it would be possible once more to manage the economy in the old way.
The interval seemed unnecessary, unless it was to give them a break.
If I leave my job I’ll have no money to live on.
If I went back on the train it’d be cheaper.
Don’t bring her unless she’s ready.
8.26 Conditional clauses usually begin with if or unless.
You use if to say that a consequence of something happening or being the case would be that something else would happen or be the case.
If you do that I shall be very pleased. If I asked for something I got it.
They will even clean your car if you ask them to.
When an if-clause is put first, then is sometimes put at the beginning of the main clause.
If this is what was happening in the Sixties, then I’m glad I wasn’t around then.
Unless means except if. For example, You will fail your exams unless you work harder means You will fail your exams except if you work harder.
There can be no new growth unless the ground is cleared.
Nobody gets anything unless they ask for it.
Clauses beginning with unless usually go after a main clause.
modals and imperatives
8.27 When you are using a conditional clause, you often use a modal in the main clause.
You always use a modal in the main clause when you are talking about a situation that does not exist.
If you weren’t here, she would get rid of me in no time.
If anybody had asked me, I could have told them what happened.
Modals are explained in paragraphs 5.92 to 5.256.
Conditional clauses are often used with imperative structures.
If you dry your washing outdoors, wipe the line first.
If it’s four o’clock in the morning, don’t expect them to be pleased to see you.
Imperative structures are explained in paragraphs 5.4 and 5.35 to 5.39.
verb forms in conditional sentences
8.28 There are special rules about which verb form to use in conditional sentences.
People often describe conditional structures in terms of three, or sometimes four (see zero conditional below), categories:
I’ll scream if you say that again.
If I had more time, I would happily offer to help.
If I had tried a bit harder, I would have passed that exam.
Water boils if you heat it to 100°C.
Many conditionals do follow these patterns. There are, however, various other normal patterns of tense in conditional clauses, which are set out in the following paragraphs.
talking about things that often happen
8.29 When you are talking about something that often happens, you use the present simple or the present progressive in the conditional clause and in the main clause.
If a big dog approaches me, I panic.
He never rings me up unless he wants something.
If the baby’s crying, she probably needs feeding.
If an advertisement conveys information which is false or misleading, the advertiser is committing an offence.
talking about things that often happened in the past
8.30 When you are talking about something that often happened in the past, you use the past simple or the past progressive in the conditional clause. In the main clause, you use the past simple or a modal.
They sat on the grass if it was fine.
If it was raining, we usually stayed indoors.
If anyone came, they’d say How are you?
If they wanted to go out, I would stay with the baby.
I could not fall asleep unless I did an hour of yoga.
possible situations
8.31 When you are talking about a possible situation in the present, you usually use the present simple or the present perfect in the conditional clause. In the main clause you usually use a modal.
If anyone doubts this, they should look at the facts.
Unless you’ve tried it, you can’t imagine how pleasant it is.
If-clauses of this kind are sometimes used when you are offering to do something, or giving permission for something to be done. You use a modal in the main clause, and the subordinate clause consists of if, a pronoun, and want, like, or wish.