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Present & Future Real Conditionals

Stating facts and predictions

 

bee pollen  pesticide
A bee covered with pollen – A person spraying pesticide
 

 

Present & Future Conditional Statements
PRESENT

In a present conditional sentence, the if–clause  states a particular activity or situation (a condition). The result-clause states a fact or observation as the result of the situation in the if–clause. The present tense is used in both clauses.

PRESENT CONDITION FACTUAL EFFECT

If people use pesticides in their gardens,  

they harm bees.   cause-effect fact 

If a bee collects pollen from a flower,

the bee also collects pesticide with the pollen.

If a large number of bees die,

the colony collapses.
FUTURE

In a future conditional sentence, the result-clause states a prediction as the result of the situation in the if- clause.  The simple present tense is used in the if–clause, and a modal (will, can, may, might, shall) is used in the result-clause.
FUTURE CONDITION PREDICTED EFFECT

If there are no bees,      cause-effect prediction

flowers will not be pollinated.

If we can find out why bees are dying, 

we can save the bees. 

If we don't find a solution,  

bees may disappear.   
 

 

colony – a group of bees and the queen
collapse – fail, die off
harm – hurt
pesticide (n.) – a chemical substance used to kill insects and small animals that destroy crops

See Grammar Notes for terms.

 

 

 

 

Conditional Clauses

Punctuation

bee collecting pollen
A bee pollinating a flower

 

 

 

 

Initial or Final Clause Position
INITIAL-POSITION  

commaWhen the if–clause (the dependent clause) comes before the result clause (the independent clause), a comma separates the clauses.
CONDITION CLAUSE EFFECT CLAUSE

If you want local bees to survive,

use less toxic pesticides. 

If you don't believe me,  

ask any beekeeper.
FINAL -POSITION

no commaWhen the if–clause comes after the result clause, no comma is used.

EFFECT CLAUSE CONDITION CLAUSE

Use less toxic pesticides

 if if you want local bees to survive.

Ask any beekeeper

 if if you don't believe me. 
 

survive (v.) – to continue to live after an accident, war, or illness
toxic (adj.) – poisonous, or harmful
beekeeper (n.) – a person who takes care of bee hives (boxes where bees live)

 

 

 

Conditional Clause

Should & Happen in the If-Clause

 

 

 

Should / Happen
IF ... SHOULD

Should + verb is used in the if–clause to express that something is unlikely to happen: in case that, in the event that, if by chance.
CONDITION CLAUSE EFFECT CLAUSE

If you should see my phone,

please let me know.

If  she should come by, 

call me.

If you should happen to arrive early,  

wait for me.

IF ... HAPPEN TO

Happen + infinitive is also used in the if–clause to express that something is unlikely to occur.
CONDITION CLAUSE EFFECT CLAUSE

If  you happen to see my phone,

please let me know.

If  she happens to come by,

call me.  (unlikely)

 

 
 

Also see: Omitting If  If / In case

 

 

 

 

 

Conditional Clauses

Will  in the If–Clause

 

 

 

Request vs. Wish
REQUEST

Will in the result clause expresses a future condition . However, will in the if–clause expresses a request for someone¹ to do something. "If you are willing to…"
IF CLAUSE EFFECT CLAUSE

If you will step this way please,  

(I will show you to your table.) 

If  you will kindly wait a moment please.

(then I will help you.)

If  you will give me a moment,

I'll be right with you.

If he* will walk this way, please.

1st or 3rd person is not used
WISH

Will in the if–clause expresses an indirect request or a wish, a situation slightly more likely to happen (optimistic) than when using If only (a regretful wish).

IF CLAUSE PREDICTED EFFECT

If  he will just try a little harder,

he will succeed.  (wish)  / If only he would try harder... (regret) 

If  she will only listen a moment,

I could explain myself.    / If only she would listen ... (regret) 

If  you will just take moment to think it over,

you will understand better.  (wish)  / If only you would take ... (regret) 

 

 
 

you – only second person singular or plural is used in this if-clause
will (v.) – being willing, determined, sure to do something;  will (future modal verb)  versus
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.

 

 

 

 

Conditional Clause

Won't in the If-clause

 

 

 

Refusal — If you won't
NEGATIVE CONDITION

Won't in the if-clause (the condition clause) expresses the idea of being "unwilling" to do something. 
IF…WON'T PREDICTED EFFECT

If you won't work harder, (are unwilling)

then you will continue to fail.  

If you won't eat your broccoli, (are unwilling)

then you won't get dessert.
NEGATIVE CONDITION WORDING

A similar meaning may be expressed with unwilling (adj.) and refuse (v.) in the if–clause.
IF…UNWILLING PREDICTED EFFECT

If you are unwilling work harder,

then you will continue to fail.  

If you refuse to work harder,  

then you will continue to fail.  

 

will (modal) – future intent  We will leave tomorrow.
will (v.) – being willing, determined, sure to do something; She willed herself not to cry.

 

 

 

 

Future Hypothetical

Clause Shortening

 

 

 

If I am to…
FULL CLAUSE

Be going to  in the if–clause expresses future intent, the result-clause states the condition for completion of the intent.  (The speaker is asking for cooperation.)
INTENT CLAUSE ADVICE CLAUSE

If I am going to help,

you need to give me your full attention.

If bees are going to be saved,

we must stop using toxic chemicals. (passive voice)

If you are going to arrive there on time,

you had better leave now.

If he is going to be home by 9:00 (intent),

he ought to start walking by 8:30. (requirement)
SHORTENED CLAUSE

If . . .  am to + verb  in the if–clause is shortened to just the auxiliary before an infinitive verb. The if–clause expresses intent and the result-clause states the condition for completion of the intent.
INTENT CLAUSE ADVICE CLAUSE

If I am to help,

you need to give me your full attention.

If bees are to be saved,

we must stop using toxic chemicals.

If you are to arrive there on time,

you had better leave now.  

*If he is to be home by 9:00,

I will drop by /  he ought to start walking at 8:30. (condition)
 

 

 

 

Expressions with If
FULL CLAUSE

If it (be) necessary in the if–clause expresses a condition of requirement. (also if any good, if ever, if anything)

If  [it is] necessary, scientists will work overtime

If [there is] any good that comes of this, it will be a miracle.

Rarely, if [it is] ever, are bees out at night.

I'm not upset.  If [there is] anything , I am relieved.

If [you are] in doubt, ask for help.
SHORTENED IF CLAUSE

If necessary, If anything, if ever, if in doubt are other common expressions  that may be shortened.  subject + be is omitted.

If necessary, scientists will work overtime.

If any good comes of this, it will be a miracle.

Rarely, if ever, are bees out at night.

I'm not upset.  If anything, I am relieved.

If in doubt, ask for help.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Mistakes

Errors and Solutions

 

 

 

ERROR SOLUTION

*If you will need something, just ask.    

Will is used in an if-clause as a request. (See expressions.)

If you need something, just ask.   (future chance of need) 
If you are going to need something, give us 24 hours to get it. (future intent - requirement) 
*If you will need something, . . .   (Need cannot be used in a request.)
 

*I'll come pick you up if you will be done early.   

Will is used in an if-clause as a request.

I'll come pick you up if you are done early.  (future chance of being done) 
 

If he will success, he can find it.
 

If he wills success, he can find it.   (Will can be used as a lexical verb meaning "to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of will".)
 

*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.

 

 

 

 

Grammar Notes

Traditional Grammar and Linguistic Description

 

Advanced

 

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION

In traditional grammar, a a conditional clause is an adverbial clause (related to the verb).

If-clauses " also called adverb clauses present possible conditions. The main clause expresses result." (UUEG 17-6, 20-2)

A real conditional relates a cause-effect relationship of a true situation.
An unreal conditional relates a cause-effect relationship of an untrue situation, hypothetical condition, or an imaginary present, past or future.

An if clause refers to a condition — something which must happen so that something else can happen.   (Swan 257)
if  is a conjunction  "We use special structures with if when we are talking about unreal situations — things that will probably not happen, situations that are untrue or imaginary… We use past tenses and would to 'distance' our language from reality." (Swan 258)

Conditional construction: if-clause—protasis; matrix (main) clause— apodosis (CaGEL 8 §14)

if  — preposition that takes a content clause as its subordinate complement.  (PP + finite clause)

open: If you come on Sunday, we'll have dinner together.
open: If you came on Sundays, you always had dinner with them.

remote: if you came tonight, we would have dinner together.  (preterite, irrealis)
remote: if you had come tonight, we would have had dinner together.  (past preterit, irrealis)

If I was / were…  preterit verb form. Irrealis (CaGEL 3 §1.7)
   

REED-KELLOGG DIAGRAM  TREE DIAGRAM

We take an umbrella if it is raining.

We take an umbrella if it is raining.      

Clause; Subject / Predicate; Finite / Nonfinite; NP –noun phrase; N – noun; VP – verb phrase; V – verb; Comp – complement; Det – determiner; Adj –  adjective; AdjP – adjective phrase; PP – prepositional phrase; P – preposition; Sub – Subordinator

 

Resources

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Tense Agreement

bee

 

 

 

 

 

A World Without Bees

When Professor Gordon Frankie wants to impress school children with the importance of bees, he lays out an array of foods such as berries, grapes, pears, and chocolate alongside a couple of dried-out tortillas and rice cakes and asks them which foods they prefer. "The kids go for the fruits and chocolate," he said.

 

"Then I tell them: In a world without bees, the only choice they'd have would be the dried-out tortillas or rice cakes, since wheat and rice are self-pollinated. Even chocolate, from the cacao plant, depends on the pollination of bees. That gets their attention."  The exact cause of Colony Collapse Disorder is not known.

 

 

 

 

  1. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Click the "check all" button at the bottom of the practice to reveal the answers after you finish.
  3. Click the individual "check" buttons #1-10 to compare responses as you go.

 

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pesticide (n.) – a poison that kills a particular or several kinds of insects

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How should the sentence be punctuated?


10.
How should the sentence be punctuated?


 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

Bee Society

 

Use "if" expressions.
  1. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.

 

11.


abandon (v.) – to leave someone, especially someone you are responsible for

12.


swarm (n.) – a large group of flying bees
disturb (v.) – to bother
hive (n.) – box or location in which bees live

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harm (v.) – hurt or endanger

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benefit (v.) – to receive advantages and improvements in our life from their work

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20.
What does the if-clause express in this sentence?

21.


sting (n.)– the painful bite of an insect