Conditional Sentences with If-Clause: Imaginary Situations

Conditional Sentences with If-Clause: Imaginary Situations

Use

• Use conditional sentences to talk about imaginary or hypothetical situations in the present.

• Use the simple past in the if-clause. Would is often used in the main clause

• If I found a million dollars, I would keep it. I wouldn’t take it to the police

• The contraction of would is ’d and is used with all subjects: I’d, you’d, he’d, she’d, we’d, they’d

• They’d be happy if they had time to take a vacation

Conditional Sentences with Might and Could

• Might can replace would in conditional sentences to express possibility.

  If I had extra money, I might take a vacation to Hawaii.

  
  

• Could can be used in the if-clause. It means “if someone were able to.”

  If I could travel anywhere, I’d go to Tahiti.

• Could can also be used in the main clause. It means “would be able to.”

  If we had more time, we could play another game of tennis

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Verb: Wish

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  Use wish for things you want to happen but probably won’t.

  wish in the present

  I don’t have much time. I wish I had more time.

  I have to study today. I wish I didn’t have to study today.

  I’m not rich. I wish I was/were rich.

  I can’t go to the mall. I wish I could go to the mall.

• in the future

• He won’t lend me his car. I wish he would lend me his car.

• Note: Was is usually used in informal spoken English with I.

  I wish I was a millionaire.