44
2 Part B
In this part of the test, the participants were required to make conditional sentences type 1 based on the given facts. This part was aimed to check the
participants’ ability to produce conditional sentences type 1 based on the given fact. In this part, the student may produce the conditional sentences type 1 in both
negative and positive because it will not change the fact. In fact, some of them still make the errors.
[17] a. Question: I don’t eat breakfast, maybe I will get hungry. b. Student’s answer: I wouldn’t get hungry if I did eat breakfast. P.
9 c. Intended answer: I will get hungry if I don’t eat breakfast or I will
not get hungry if I eat breakfast. From question [17a], it can be seen that there was possibility on the result
of “I don’t eat breakfast.” The possibility was “I will get hungry” or “I will not get hungry.” The student’s answer in sentence [17b] was considered incorrect,
because he used the conditional sentences type whose fact was true in the present. In fact, the fact of sentence [17a] was still any possibility.
[20] a. Question: The water freezes in the temperature 0˚C. b. Student’s answer: If the temperature were 0˚C, the water would be
freeze. P. 31 c. Intended answer: If the temperature is 0˚C, the water will freeze.
Question [20a] shows the fact. To show the fact, conditional sentences type 1 is used. It was the predictable fact that in the temperature 0˚C, water will
45 freeze. In fact, in sentence [20b] the student gave the incorrect answer because it
showed that the water does not freeze. [23] a. Question: Bring the jacket or you will feel cold.
b. Student’s answer: Bring the jacket if you won’t feel cold. P. 8 c. Intended answer: If you don’t bring the jacket, you will feel cold or
if you bring the jacket, you will not feel cold. The question [23a] also had the possibility result. There were two
possibilities from the clause “you don’t bring the jacket.” Therefore, it should use conditional sentences type 1. The thing that made sentence [23b] incorrect was
that the student also wrote will not in the “if clause”, which was an incorrect pattern.
[25] a. Question: He has time and he will help me. b. Student’s answer: If he had no time, he would not help me. P. 14
c. Intended answer: If he has time, he will help me or if he doesn’t have time, he will not help me.
The fact of sentence [25a] was that he has time and he will help me. Therefore it can be two kinds of conditional sentences which both used the
conditional sentences type 1. In fact the student made an error in sentence [25b], because he used past perfect in the “if clause” and “would + simple present” in the
“result clause. In this case, he used incorrect pattern of conditional sentences. There was no such kind of pattern in conditional sentences.
[30] a. Question: John will come to the meeting, so I see him.
46 b. Student’s answer: If Jim did not come to the meeting, I would not
see him. P. 10 c. Intended answer: If Jim comes to the meeting, I will see him or If
Jim doesn’t come to the meeting, I will not see him. The pattern of the student’s answer in sentence [30b] in this question was
already correct, but it was not suitable with the given fact. The fact was Jim will come to the meeting, so it was true in the future. Therefore, the correct pattern
was conditional sentences type 1. If the student used the pattern of conditional sentences type 2, the fact would be Jim will come and I certainly meet him. It can
also be correct, because he used the positive form, but if it was changed into the negative form the meaning will be different. Therefore, the most appropriate
answer was using conditional sentences type 1. It was because, both in negative and positive forms, it will not change the meaning.
b. Conditional Sentences Type 2
Conditional sentences type 2 used simple past in the “if clause” and “would + simple present” in the “result clause.” This type is used to show the
impossible things in the present or future. It means that if a sentence uses this type of conditional sentence, the fact is impossible or does not happen in the present or
future.
1 Part A
In this part of the test, the participants were required to fill in the blank with the given verb. Their task was changing the given verb into the correct form
47 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 use of the
tense and the adverb of time should be carefully. In fact, some of them still make the errors.
[2] a. Question: If I taught that class, I ... give a lot of quizzes. b. Student’s answer: If I taught that class, I would have give a lot of
quizzes. P. 18 c. Intended answer: If I taught that class, I would give a lot of quizzes.
This student not only gave the incorrect pattern of conditional sentences type 2 in sentence [2b], but he also answered grammatically incorrect.
Grammatically, “have” is always followed by verb three. Then, the second problem was this question had already given a clue, which was in the first clause
“if I taught that class”. In the “if clause”, the tense used was simple past, so the “result clause” should be “would + simple form.”
[4] a. Question: It’s too bad Helen isn’t here. If she ... be here, she ... know what to do.
b. Student’s answer: It’s too bad Helen isn’t here. If she is here, she will know
what to do. P. 11 c. Intended answer: It’s too bad Helen isn’t here. If she were here, she
would know what to do.
From the student’s answer in sentence [4b], it can be seen that the student had used the correct pattern of conditional sentences, but it was not suitable with
48 the sentence before. The sentence before showed that the conditional sentence was
untrue in the present, so it should be used conditional sentences type 2. In this question, many students change “be” into “was.” In fact, in conditional sentences,
“was” is used in very informal speech but it is not generally considered grammatically acceptable Azar, 1989: 348.
[7] a. Question: If we had the choice, we ... live in the country. b. Student’s answer: If we had the choice, we would have lived in the
country. P. 13 c. Intended answer: If we had the choice, we would live in the
country. In question [7a], it can be seen that “had” was the verb of the first clause.
Therefore, it can be seen that this sentence was conditional sentences type 2, which the” result clause” should be “would + simple present.” From the student’s
answer in sentence [7b], it can be seen that he must be think that this “had” was the pattern of conditional sentences type 3.
[13] a. Question: George is fourteen, but he is in a full-time job. If he … be fourteen, he still … be at school.
b. Student’s answer: George is fourteen, but he is in a full-time job. If he is not fourteen, he still will be at school. P. 24
c. Intended answer: George is fourteen, but he is in a full-time job. If he were fourteen, he still would be at school.
Question [13a] was almost the same as question [4a]. There was a sentence before which told the real condition and it can be seen that the fact was untrue in
49 the present. Therefore, the conditional sentence should use the pattern of
conditional sentences type 2 [13c]. In fact, the student chose the pattern of conditional sentences type 1 [13b].
[14] a. Question: If the earth suddenly … stop spinning, we all … fly off it.
b. Student’s answer: If the earth suddenly stops spinning, we all will fly
off it. P. 15 c. Intended answer: If the earth suddenly stopped spinning, we all
would fly off it.
From question [14a], it was known that it was impossible sentence. Therefore, sentence [14b] was incorrect because the type conditional sentences
used was type 1. Whereas, if the conditional sentence was like in sentence [14b], the fact was there is possibility or maybe that is true that the earth stops spinning.
In fact the earth still spinning and will not stop. Thus, sentence [14c] is the most appropriate conditional sentence.
2 Part B
In this part of the test, the participants were required to make conditional sentences type 2 based on the given facts. This part was aimed to check the
participants’ ability to produce conditional sentences type 2 based on the given fact. However, some of them still make the errors.
[19] a. Question: Mother doesn’t think it is going to rain so she doesn’t bring an umbrella.
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.
