8
In this type, the subjunctives were in the if clause is used for all persons: if I were, if he were, if we were, if you were,
etc. The third type of conditional sentence is past-unreal condition. This
conditional sentence indicates past time and indicates an unreal and unfulfilled situation. In this conditional sentence, the past perfect is used in
the if clause, and would have, should have, could have, and might have are used in the main clause.
3. The Form of Conditional sentence
As stated in chapter I, the writer has limited the discussion only at conditional sentence type 2, but it is necessary to know the basic forms of
each types of conditional sentence.
Table 2.1 The Basic forms of three types of conditional sentence
6 MEANING OF
THE “IF CLAUSE”
VERB FORM IN THE “IF CLAUSE”
VERB FORM IN THE “RESULT
CLAUSE” EXAMPLES
True in the present future
Simple present Simple present, Simple future a
If I have enough time, I write to
my parents every week. b
If I have enough time tomorrow, I will write to my parents.
Untrue In the presentfuture
Simple past would + simple form
c
If I had enough time, I would write
to my parents. in truth, I do not have enough time, so I will
not write 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 yesterday. In truth, I
did not have enough time, so I did not write to them.
After the writer distinguishes three types of conditional sentence, the writer presents the form of conditional sentence type 2 further.
6
Betty Schrampfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, London:
Prentice-Hall Inc, 1989, p. 347
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.
