The Definitions of Conditional Sentence

9 Here are the forms of conditional sentence type 2: Table 2.2 Form of Conditional Sentence Type 2 7 Affirmative statements If Clause: Simple Past Result Clause: Would + Base Form of Verb If I knew his telephone number I would call him Negative Statements If I did not know his telephone number I would not call him YesNo Question Result Clause If Clause Would I call him If I knew his telephone number? Wh-Questions What Would you do If you knew his telephone number Short Answer Affirmative Negative Yes, I would No, I would not General variants of conditional sentence type 2 The followings are possible variants of conditional sentence type 2: 8 1. Using progressive verb form If it were not raining, I would go for a walk 2. Using could, might, and should If I were a bird, I could fly 7 Marjorie, Fuchs and Margaret Boner, Grammar Express for Self Study or the Classroom, England: Pearson Education Limited, 2003, p.280 8 Azar, op. cit., p. 353. 10 If you were a better student, you might get better grades I shouldn’t get to sleep at all if I lived next the noise 3. Omitting If Were I you, I wouldn’t do that 4. Verb form following wish I wish I could speak Japanese 5. Using as if She talked to him as if he were a child

4. The Use of Conditional Sentence Type 2

Every type of conditional sentence has a specific form and usage. The writer will try to describe the use of conditional sentence of type 2. a. It can describe improbable future event or situation. The condition is unlikely to be fulfilled because the future event is unlikely to happen. If the result of the test were positive, we would call you within two days. b. It can also describe a hypothetical current situation or event, i.e. one which is contrary to known facts. It is therefore impossible to fulfill the condition: If the police were confident of their case against Sykes, surely they wouldn’t hasitate to take him into custody? The police aren‟t confident of their case. 9 Beside, the second conditional is used to express a variety functions:  Giving advice If I were you, I would take her out of that school.  Polite request 9 Mark Foley and Diane Hall, Advanced Learners’ Grammar, Edinburg: Pearson Education Limited, 2003, p. 122