Types of Conditional Sentences

15 Azar summarized those types and the short explanations about their pattern and meaning in Table 2.1. Table 2.1: Summary of Basic Verb Form Usage in Conditional Sentences Azar, 1989: 347 MEANING OF THE “IF CLAUSE ” VERB FORM IN THE “IF CLAUSE ” VERB FORM IN THE “RESULT CLAUSE” EXAMPLES True in the presentfuture Simple present Simple present Simple future a If I have enough time, I write to may parents every week. b If I have enough time tomorrow, I will write to may parents. Untrue in the presentfuture Simple past Would + simple form c If I had enough time now, I would write to may parents. In truth, I do not have enough time, so I will not write to them. Untrue in the past Past perfect Would have + past participle d If I had had enough time, I would have written to my parents. In truth, I did not have enough time, so I did not write to them. e Mixed type Mixed conditional shows the action based on the context. This type uses mixed type of conditional sentences. Therefore, the pattern depends on the conditional sentences used in the sentences. We can see the examples as follow. 1 If I am as clever as you say I am, I would have been rich by now. Type 1+3 2 If you knew me better, you wouldn’t have said that. Type 2+3 3 If I had had your advantages, I’d be better off now. Type 3+2 16 Besides, there are the differences between the tenses which are used in conditional sentences and the fact. In conditional sentences type 1, there is no change. Both the conditional sentences and the fact use the simple present. On the contrary, types 1 and 2 have different tenses between the tense in conditional sentences and fact. The differences are as follow. a If the fact is in the present, the conditional sentence uses the past form. b If the fact is in the past, the conditional sentence uses the past perfect form. 2 Modal Auxiliaries Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman 1983:138 describe modals formally as tenseless auxiliaries that take no subject-verb agreement and no infinitive to before the following verb. However, they acknowledge that modals do derive historically from ordinary verb forms inflected for either present or past tense because this historically-based relationship still has some semantic implications. Historical Historical Present Tense Past Tense Can could Will would May might Shall should must, had to Figure 2.1: The Historically-Based Relationship of the Modal Auxiliary Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman 1983:138 17 3 General Truth In conditional sentences, the truth and the conditional sentences may be different. In type 1, the fact in the conditional sentences is true in the present and future or there is possibility to be true in the future, so it uses the present forms. Examples: [1] If I do not study hard, I will fail in the test. The above sentence has two possible facts. The first fact is that it is true that I do not study hard, I will fail in the test, but there is another fact. The second fact is that there is possibility for me to fail in the test. [2] If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house. The fact is that I have no money. [3] If I had had enough time, I would have gone for picnic. The fact is that I had no enough time. 4 Connectors In conditional sentences, connector is an important thing. The related connectors which are usually used in conditional sentences are: a Only if and Unless “Both only if and unless mark conditions that are exclusive; that is, no other condition will bring about the stated result. If and if … not, on the other hand, express weaker or more neutral conditions in that they do not exclude the possibility that other conditions might also bring about the same result” Celce-