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Cond-Diagnostic

Conditional Diagnostic Quiz: a tool to help you identify specific points that need review

• Quiz 1: beginning – intermediate
• Quiz 2: intermediate – advanced 

Pres-Future Real

Present & Future Real Situations: cause-effect facts & predictions

• cause - effect facts
• predictions
• intent
• request
• indirect request (whimpertive)

If there are no bees, flowers will not be pollinated. (future - cause effect prediction)

If I am going to help, you need to give me your full attention. (intent)
If I am to help, you need to give me your full attention.

If you will step this way please. (request)
If you will only try a little harder, you will succeed. (indirect request)

Pres-Past Real

Present & Past Real Situations: cause-effect habits & customs

• If  . . . then
• present tense – habits
• past tense – old habits

If I go shopping, I take a cloth bag. 
If we went shopping, the store gave us a bag. 
Whenever, we go shopping, we walk.

Present Unreal

Present Unreal Situations: strategizing with hypothetical statements

• If  . . . then
• could, might,

If I moved my pawn forward, then I could take his bishop.

Past Unreal

Past Unreal Situations 1: analyzing with hypothetical statements

• If  . . . then
• could have, might have, may have

If the second engine hadn't caught fire, the plane could have made an emergency landing.

PastUnreal2

Past Unreal Situations 2: analyzing an accident

• If ...then
• past + participle
• could have, might have, should have 

If the night watchmen had had binoculars, they would have been able to spot the iceberg earlier.
The captain could have steered directly into the iceberg causing less damage.
The Titanic should have had more lifeboats.

Could/Should have

Should / Could have: late advice

• If ...then
• past + participle
• could have, might have, should have 

Passengers could have taken other smaller trans-atlantic ships.
The captain could have chosen a more southern trans-atlantic route.

The owners should have supplied enough lifeboats for everyone .

MixedTenses

Mixed Tenses: hypothetical situations in mixed time frames

• past actions affect present actions
• conditional statements with clauses

If you had fed the dog, she wouldn't be hungry now. (regret)

If I had known (that) your dog was / is agressive,  I wouldn't have offered to feed it. (noun clause – existing truth – The dog was agressive then and still is now.)

If I had known (that) your dog was ill,  I would have offered to help it. (noun clause – earlier truth – The dog was ill at that time.)

ImpliedConditions

Implied Conditions: a real or unreal situation?

• conditions may be favorable
• conditions will be / were unfavorable

Jack will cut the grass if he has time. (present)
(He doesn't know if he has time yet - maybe.)

Jack would cut the grass if he had time. (present)
(He doesn't have time.)

Wishes

Wishes: expressing wishes and regrets

• request
• regret
• longing
• outrage

We wish to go with you. (direct request / demand)
I wish I were home in my country.  (a private thought; longing)
I wish I could go with you. (an excuse or an expression of regret)
I wish you would let me pay for dinner. (pretend regret, or upset)
I wish you'd turn that TV off!  (low expectation request; anger)
   

WishAgreement

Wish Agreement: tense agreement in conditional statements

• Hypothetical wish – Past Agreement
• Hypothetical wish – Present Agreement
• A   wish (that may become true)

My father wished he had gone to college. (I regret he didn't.)
My father wished that I would go to graduate school. (I did.)
I wish father had understood my appreciation.(I regret he didn't.)
I wish my son understood hIs grandfather's efforts. (He doesn't.)
I wish my son would understand the importance of hard work. (He might one day.)

If / Unless

If / Unless: expressing conditions for desirable outcomes

• if
• only if   (with aux. verb change)
• unless
• otherwise

If you cook your turkey like this, you will have a tender turkey.
(if this condition is met)
Only if you cook your turkey like this, will you have a delicious dinner.
(under this condition - emphasizes this specific condition) .
Unless you cook your turkey like this, you will have a tough turkey.
(if this condition is not met)
Cook your turkey like this. Otherwise, you will have a tough turkey.
(if using other methods)

If / Whether

If / Whether:  is it a condition or an alternative?

• if - whether
• after a preposition
• before an infinitive
• in indirect questions
• In an initial clause
• informal vs. formal phrasing

I don't know if my cell phone will work here.
I don't know whether my cell phone will work here.
I don't know whether my cell phone will work if I use it here.
       (alternative - whether or not)                           (condition)

Omitting-If

Omitting if: giving advice in hypothetical situations

• omitting if
• were I you
• had I been you
• should you

If I were/was you, I wouldn't get involved.
Were I you, I wouldn't get involved.
Had I known, I would have said something.
Should you see him again, call me immediately.

If / In Case

If / In Case: a conditioned action vs. a prepared action

• if  vs. in case
• in case
• in the event
• should
• unless

Keep some extra batteries and bottled water In case there is an earthquake.
Get away from falling objects if there is an earthquake.

Would

Would: stating preference, request, habit or excuse

• would you rather have X or Y  (preference)
• would you like  (preference)
• would (used to)
• would you(request)
• would have(make an excuse)
• would rather have (past preference)

Would you like some coffee?
Would you rather have tea or coffee?

On Sundays, we would visit our relatives

I would have stopped smoking, but it was too difficult.
I would rather have found an easy way out, but I didn't.

Will / Would

Will / Would: expressing intent, expectation, refusal and disappointment

• will  intent
• will   expected or scheduled activities
• wouldn't  refusal
• would have  expectation lost

Next month, I will get a raise in salary. (I am  determined to do so.)
Next month, I will get a raise. (It's scheduled in my contract.)

My boss wouldn't give me a raise though I asked.
I would have gotten a raise, but our profits went down.