Transcript We use the first conditional to talk about actions or events in the

We use the first conditional to
talk about actions or events in
the future which are likely to
happen or have a real
possibility of happening.
If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home.
I think there is a real possibility of rain tomorrow. In this condition, I
will stay at home
If my father doesn't buy me a bike for my
birthday, I will be very unhappy.
I think there is a real possibility that my father won't buy me a bike. In
this condition, I will be unhappy
FORM
IF
condition
result
present simple WILL + base
verb
If
it rains
I will stay at
home.
Also, sometimes….
the conditional clause is in the present or
past tense and refers to a state or event in
the past. The result can be in the past,
present, or future.
• If she took that flight yesterday, she
arrived at 10pm.
• If she took that flight yesterday, she is
somewhere in town today.
• If she took that flight yesterday, we'll see
her tomorrow.
And there’s also…
A condition clause (protasis) in the present
tense refers to a future event, a current
event which may be true or untrue, or an
event which could be verified in the future.
The result can be in the past, present, or
future:
Examples
• If it's raining here now, then it was raining on the West
Coast this morning.
• If it's raining now, then your laundry is getting wet.
• If it's raining now, there will be mushrooms to pick next
week.
• If it rains this afternoon, then yesterday's weather
forecast was wrong.
• If it rains this afternoon, your garden party is doomed.
• If it rains this afternoon, everybody will stay home.
• If I become President, I'll lower taxes.
Possible variations of the basic
form
Sometimes instead of if + present + future, we may have:
a) if + present + may/might (possibility)
If the climate keeps warming, the Arctic might be warm enough for swimming.
b) if + present + may (permission) or can (permission or ability)
If your documents are in order, you may/can leave at once. (permission)
If it stops raining, we can go out." (permission or ability)
c) if + present + must, should or any expression of command, request or advice
if you want to look slim, you must/should eat less meat.
if you want to look slim, you had better eat less meat.
if you want to look slim, eat less meat.
Important points
We can use other modal verbs in place of
will.
• If it is sunny tomorrow, I might go to the
beach.
going to the beach is only a possibility
• If you come early, you can see my mother
before she leaves.
It is possible for you to see my mother
The two clauses are interchangable
If I have enough money, I will go to Japan.
conditional clause
I will go to Japan,
main clause
main clause
if I have enough money
conditional clause
Instead of if + present tense, we
can have:
a) if + present continuous, to indicate a
present actions or a future arrangement."
If you are waiting for a bus (present action), you'd better join the queue.
If you are looking for Peter, you'll find him upstairs.
If you're staying for another night (future arrangement), I'll ask the manager to
give you a better room.
b) if + present perfect
if you have finished dinner, I'll ask the waiter for the bill.
If has written the letter, I'll post it.
If they haven't seen the museum, we'd better go there today.
Certain modal auxiliary verbs (mainly will,
may, might, and could) are not usually
used in the condition clause (protasis) in
English:
• *If it will rain this afternoon, …
• *If it may have rained yesterday, …
This is the problem for Hebrew speakers!!
There are exceptions, however, in which
will is used exactly as in the first
example, namely when the action in the
if clause takes place after that in the
main clause:
•
•
(The weather forecast says it's going to rain.) Well, if it will rain, we
must take umbrellas.
If aspirins will cure it, I'll [I will] take a couple tonight instead of this
horrible medicine.
Other situations in which will can be used in
an if clause include when will is not being
used as an auxiliary verb, in other words
when it is being used modally to express
willingness, persistence, or a wish:
•
•
•
If you'll [you will] just hold the door open for me a moment, I can take this table out to
the kitchen.
If you will keep all the windows shut, of course you'll get headaches.
If you will excuse me, I think I will slip into something more comfortable
In colloquial English, the imperative is
sometimes used to form a conditional
sentence: e.g. "go eastwards a mile and
you'll see it" means "if you go eastwards a
mile, you will see it".
Issues to think about
• Problems for Hebrew speakers: translate
and discover
• Problem of the comma
• Incremental presentations.
Ideas for teaching
• Songs and stories where it is a repeated
structure
• Superstitions
• Giving advice
• Emergency procedures
• Chain stories