50 b. Student’s answer: If mother think it is going to rain, she is going to
bring an umbrella. P. 12 c. Intended answer: If mother thought it was going to rain, she would
bring an umbrella. Sentence [19b] means that there is still possibility. Yet, from the sentence
[19a] it can be seen that there is a certain fact. Therefore, the conditional sentence should be in sentence [19c].
[22] a. Question: We don’t visit you very often, because you live so far away.
b. Student’s answer: If you don’t live so far away, we will visit you very often. P. 16
c. Intended answer: If you didn’t live so far, we would visit you more oftenif you live nearby, we would visit you more often.
Sentence [22b] was using conditional sentences type 1 which meant that there was still any possibility. Whereas, in sentence [22a] there was a certain fact
which was untrue in the present. Therefore, the correct answer should use conditional sentence type 2.
[26] a. Question: That book is too expensive, so I’m not going to buy it. b. Student’s answer: If that book were not too expensive, I would
being go to buy it. P. 21 c. Intended answer: If the book weren’t so expensive, I would buy
itif the book were cheaper, I would buy it.
51 From sentence [26b], it can be seen that the student had already known
that the sentence should use the conditional sentence type 2. The problem was he gave incorrect answer by giving the incorrect grammatically order. Modal
auxiliary is always followed by base verb. Therefore, sentence [26b] was considered incorrect.
[28] a. Question: My mother doesn’t buy me new shoes, because I don’t get a good mark.
b. Student’s answer: If I get a good mark, my mother will buy me new shoes. P. 19
c. Intended answer: If I got a good mark, my mother would buy me new shoes.
The student’s answer in sentence [28b] was incorrect, because he chose the wrong type of conditional sentences. It was not suitable with the fact given in
sentence [28a]. Therefore, sentence [28b] was incorrect. [29] a. Question: I have to work tomorrow evening, so I can’t meet you.
b. Student’s answer: If I had not had to work tomorrow evening, I could meet you. P. 40
c. Intended answer: If I didn’t have to work tomorrow evening, I wouldcould meet you.
Sentence [29a] showed that the action has not been done. Yet, in sentence [29b], it showed that the fact of it did not happen in the past. Thus, sentence [29b]
was incorrect because it used conditional sentence type 3.
52
c. Conditional Sentences Type 3
Conditional sentences type 3 used past perfect tense in the “if clause” and “would have + simple present” in the “result clause.” This type is used to show
the impossible things in the past. It means that this sentence had been done in the past and it was impossible.
1 Part A
In this part of the test, the participants were required to fill in the blanks with the given verb. Their task was changing the given verb into the correct form
based on the pattern of conditional sentences type 2. This part was aimed to check the participants’ ability to recognize the conditional sentences type 2. The fact of
conditional sentences type 2 was untrue in the present or future, so the tense and the adverb of time should be paid more attention. In fact, some of them still make
the errors. [3] a. Question: I wasn’t tired last night. If I … be tired, I … go home
earlier. b. Student’s answer: I wasn’t tired last night. If I had been tired, I
would had gone home earlier. P. 57
c. Intended answer: I wasn’t tired last night. If I had been tired, I would have gone
home earlier. Sentence [3b] had a clue that it did not happen in the past. In the “if clause,
sentence [3b] was correct, but in the “result clause” it was grammatically incorrect. It was the same as sentence [26b]. Modal auxiliary is always followed
by a base verb. Therefore, sentence [3b] was considered as the incorrect answer.
53 [6] a. Question: Ken got to the station in time to catch his train. If he …
miss it, he … be late for his interview. b. Student’s answer: Ken got to the station in time to catch his train. If
he missed it, he would be late for his interview. P. 47 c. Intended answer: Ken got to the station in time to catch his train. If
he had missed it, he would have been late for his interview. The problem of sentence [6b] was the incorrect pattern. It used conditional
sentence type 2. Thus, the fact of that sentence would be different from the fact given before.
[8] a. Question: Why didn’t you say that you were short of money? If I … know, I … lend you some.
b. Student’s answer: Why didn’t you say that you were short of money? If I knew, I would lend you some. P. 38
c. Intended answer: Why didn’t you say that you were short of money? If I had known, I would have lent you some.
Sentence [8b] had the same problem with sentence [6b]. It used the incorrect pattern without considering the fact given before. Therefore, sentence
[8b] was considered incorrect. [11] a. Question: I didn’t recognize him at first because he was wearing
dark glasses; if he … be, not wear them, I … recognize him immediately.
54 b. Student’s answer: I didn’t recognize him at first because he was
wearing dark glasses; if he was not wear them, I would have recognized
him immediately. P. 29 c. Intended answer: I didn’t recognize him at first because he was
wearing dark glasses; if he had not been wearing them, I wouldshould have recognized
him immediately. From sentence [11b], it can be seen that there were some incorrect
answers. The first was the incorrect verb which follows “was.” In fact, “to be” can only be followed by verb –ing and verb three. The second was in conditional
sentences, “was” is not used. The third, in the “result clause” this sentence had already used the correct pattern, but in the “if clause” it still used the incorrect
pattern. In other words, the pattern in the “if clause” and in the “result clause” was not suitable. Therefore, sentence [11b] was considered wrong.
[12] a. Question: She was sent to the prison only because she refused to
pay the fine; if she … pay the fine, she … not, be sent to prison.
b. Student’s answer: She was sent to the prison only because she refused to pay the fine; if she payed the fine, she would not have
been sent to prison. P. 43
c. Intended answer: She was sent to the prison only because she refused to pay the fine; if she had paid the fine, she would not have
been sent to prison.
In sentence [12b], it can also be found some incorrect answers. The case was almost the same as sentence [11b]. The “result clause” was correct, but in the
55 “if clause” there were some incorrectness. The first was the past form of verb
“pay.” The second, it should use past perfect tense. 2
Part B
In this part of the test, the participants were required to make conditional sentences type 3 based on the given facts. This part was aimed to check the
participants’ ability to produce conditional sentences type 3 based on the given fact.
[16] a. Question: The accident happened because the driver in front stopped so suddenly.
b. Student’s answer: If the driver in front didn’t stop so suddenly, the accident wouldn’t have happened. P. 35
c. Intended answer: If the driver in front hadn’t stopped so suddenly, the accident wouldn’t have happened.
Sentence [16b] had the incorrect pattern. It used the pattern of conditional sentence type 2 in the “if clause” and pattern of conditional sentence type 3 in the
“result clause. Therefore, it was not suitable between them. Whereas, it should use the pattern of conditional sentence type 3 in both clauses.
[18] a. Question: Margaret wasn’t injured in the crash because she was wearing a seatbelt.
b. Student’s answer: If Margaret wasn’t injured in the crash, she had been wearing a seatbelt. P. 53
c. Intended answer: If Margaret hadn’t been wearing seat belt, she would have been injured.
56 From sentence [18b], it can be seen that there was illogical conditional
sentence. Based on the fact in the sentence [18a], it consists of the cause and the result. Therefore, sentence [18b] was not suitable with the fact. The “result
clause” of the correct conditional sentence should be “was not injured”, but in sentence [18b] the “result clause” was “wearing seatbelt.” Besides, the pattern of
the conditional sentence used was incorrect. [21] a. Question: I didn’t get a taxi because I didn’t have any money on
me. b. Student’s answer: If I had any money on me, I would have got a
taxi. P. 42 c. Intended answer: If I had had some money, I would have got a taxi.
Basically, the pattern in sentence [21b] was already correct. Although the pattern was already correct, this sentence was still considered wrong. In sentence
[21b], the student forgot the word “any”, which should be changed into some. “Any” is used for negative sentences and “some is used for positive sentences
Murphy, 1985: 168. [24] a. Question: I was able to buy the car only because Jim lent me the
money. b. Student’s answer: If Jim had not lent me the money, I would have
been able to buy the car. P. 37 c. Intended answer: If Jim hadn’t lent me the money, I wouldn’t have
been able to buy the car.
