1.She was sent to prison only because she refused to pay the fine; if she (pay) the fine she (not be) sent to prison.
2.Why didn’t you say that you were short of money? If I (know) I (lend) you some.
3.The job is much worse than I expected. If I (realize) how awful it was going to be I (not accept) it.
4.It was rather a dull game so I left before the end; if I (wait) another five minutes I (see) Chelsea scoring a really exciting goal.
5.It’s a pity he never patented his invention. If he (patent) it he (make) a lot of money.
6.He asked his parents for a loan but he didn’t say what he wanted the money for, so they refused. I think if he (tell) them that he wanted to open a restaurant they (agree).
7.The launching of the rocket was delayed half an hour by bad weather. If the weather (be) good they (launch) it at 8.30 instead of at 9.00.
8.Why did you throw away those newspapers? I hadn’t finished with them. I’m sorry. If I (know) you were still reading them I (not throw) them away.
9.He says he refused the job, but that was nothing to do with the salary. He
(refuse) even if they (offer) him twice as much.
10.When the director asked her to play the lead she agreed though she didn’t know anything about the play. I think that if she (read) the play first she (refuse) the part.
11.The burglar made quite a lot of noise getting into the house; but fortunately for him the family were watching TV play. If they (play) cards they certainly (hear) him.
Exercise 17. Choose one of the following situations and write down what you would have done. Explain why you would have behaved in this way.
1.Fifteen-year-old Sue won two tickets for a trip round the world. She gave them to her grandparents.
2.Mrs. Cornfield hit the dog that jumped at her and made her dress dirty.
3.John didn’t take his car to the garage although he noticed that it used too much petrol.
4.Joe drove home along a lonely country road last night. At the side of the road somebody was repairing his car. Joe didn’t stop, he drove on.
Exercise 18. Write conditional sentences based on the given fact.
1.He didn’t give me his number, so I couldn’t telephone him.
2.As the sun was in the right direction, the photographs came out very well.
3.The shop didn’t pack the goods properly, so they got damaged.
4.He wasn’t able to answer all the questions, so he didn’t pass the examination.
Exercise 19. Begin your response with “But if I had known … “.
Example: There was a test yesterday. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t study.
Response: But if I had known (that there was a test yesterday), I would have studied.
1.Your friend was in the hospital. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t visit her.
2.I’ve never met your friend. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t introduce me.
3.There was a party last night. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t go.
4.Your friend’s parents are in town. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t invite them to dinner.
5.I wanted to go to the soccer game. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t buy another ticket.
6.I was at home last night. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t visit me.
7.Your sister wanted a gold necklace for her birthday. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t buy her one.
8.I had a problem. You didn’t know that, so you didn’t offer to help.
Exercise 20. Change the following statements into conditional sentences.
1.I didn’t buy it because I didn’t have enough money. But … I would have bought it if I’d had enough money.
2.I won’t buy it because I don’t have enough money. But …
3.You got into so much trouble because you didn’t listen to me. But …
4.The woman didn’t die because she received immediate medical attention. But
…
5.Jack came, so I wasn’t disappointed. But …
6.Ann didn’t pass the entrance examination, so she wasn’t admitted to the university. But … .
7.We ran out of gas because we didn’t stop at the service station. But …
8.There are so many bugs in the room because there isn’t a screen on the window. But … .
Exercise 21. Translate the sentences.
1.Если бы он не вмешался, все было бы иначе. Зачем он это сделал?
2.Если бы вы сказали об этом раньше, план был бы изменен.
3.Если бы вы отправили ему телеграмму, он бы встретил нас на станции.
4.Если бы он получил ваше письмо, он бы приехал раньше.
5.Если бы я знал, что Смиты были тогда в Париже, я бы зашел к ним.
6.Если бы старик не купил галерею, его картина не получила бы премию.
7.Если бы мы взяли такси, мы бы не опоздали на поезд. Теперь нам придется ждать два с половиной часа.
8.Если бы он перестал заниматься французским, его бы не послали во Францию. Он уже три года живет в Париже, не так ли?
9.Если бы вы вмешались в их разговор, вы бы все испортили. Хорошо, что Джон помешал вам это сделать.
10.Если бы вы не начали спорить, он бы не рассердился. Теперь придется его успокаивать.
11.Если бы вы попросили у него разрешения, он разрешил бы вам не присутствовать на собрании. Почему вы этого не сделали?
12.Мы бы могли купить машину в прошлом году, если бы ты получал больше.
13.Мы бы не пошли вчера в ресторан, если бы знали цены.
14.Если бы Смиты меня не пригласили, я бы пошел на вчерашнюю вечеринку.
15.Если бы ты посмотрел этот фильм, тебе бы он понравился. 16.Если бы он был более внимательным, он бы не попал в аварию. 17.Если бы у меня было достаточно денег, я бы купил эти туфли. 18.Если бы я не был таким уставшим, я бы не сделал такой ошибки.
Notice the use of progressive verb forms in the following examples. Even in conditional sentences, progressive verb forms are used in progressive situations.
(a) |
TRUE: |
It is raining right now, so we will not go for a walk. |
(b) CONDITIONAL: |
If it were not raining right now, I would go for a walk. |
|
(c) |
TRUE: |
I am not living in Chile. I am not working at a bank. |
(d) CONDITIONAL: |
If I were living in Chile, I would be working at a bank. |
|
(e) |
TRUE: |
It was raining yesterday afternoon, so I did not go for a walk. |
|
|
If it had not been raining, I would have gone for a walk. |
(f) |
CONDITIONAL: |
|
(g) TRUE: |
I was not living in Chile last year. I was not working at a bank. |
|
|
|
If I had been living in Chile last year, I would have been working |
(h) CONDITIONAL: |
at a bank. |
|
Exercise 22. Change the following statements into conditional sentences.
1.It is snowing, so I won’t go with you. But … if it weren’t snowing, I would go with you.
2.The child is crying because his mother isn’t here. But … .
3.You weren’t listening, so you didn’t understand the directions. But … .
4.Joe got a ticket because he was driving too fast. But … .
5.I was listening to the radio, so I heard the news bulletin. But … .
6.Grandpa is not wearing his hearing aid because it’s broken. But … .
7.You were sleeping, so I didn’t tell you the news as soon as I heard it. But …
8.I’m enjoying myself, so I won’t leave. But … .
Exercise 23. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tenses.
1. If I stay till May, I (work) here for 20 years.
2.If she (arrive), he will phone me.
3.If it (rain) this morning, we would have stayed at home.
4.If I had not got married, I still (live) abroad.
5.If I (not/wear) a raincoat, I would have got wet.
6.– Why are you in such a bad temper?
-Because I’ve been waiting for 40 minutes in an icy wind. If you (wait) for
40 minutes in an icy wind you’d be bad – tempered, too.
7.If the lift (work), I wouldn’t have come up the stairs.
8.If we (not/drive) very quickly, the accident wouldn’t have happened.
9.If it (not/rain) we would go to the beach.
10.They wouldn’t have been drowned if they (wear) life-jackets. 11.If it (rain) now, I would stay at home.
USING COULD, MIGHT, AND SHOULD
(a) If I were a bird, I could fly home. |
In (a): could fly = would be able to fly |
(b) If I could sing as well as you, I |
In (b): could sign = were able to sign |
would join in the opera. |
|
(c) If I’d had enough money, I could |
In (c): could have gone = would have |
have gone to Florida for vacation. |
been able to go |
(d) If I don’t get a scholarship, I might |
In (d): I might get = maybe I will get |
get a job instead of going to gradu- |
|
ate school next fall. |
|
(e) If you were a better student, you |
In (e): you might get = maybe you |
might get better grades. |
would get |
(f) If you had told me about your prob- |
In (f): I might have been = maybe I |
lem, I might have been able to help you. |
would have been |
(g) If John should call, tell him I’ll back |
In (g): If John should call indicates a |
around five. |
little more uncertainty or |
|
doubt than If John calls, but the |
|
meaning of the two is basically |
|
the same. |
(h) If there should be another world war, the |
In (h): If there should be indicates |
continued existence of the human race |
more uncertainty or doubt than |
would be in jeopardy. |
if there were. |
|
|
Exercise 24. Complete the following.
1.I could go to Arizona over vacation if I had enough time.
2.I could buy ________ .
3.I would buy ________.
4.I could have bought _________.
5.I would have bought _________.
6.If I could speak _________.
7.You might have passed the test __________.
8.If you should need to get in touch with me later _________.
9. If it should rain tomorrow _________.
10.I could have finished my work on time _________.
Exercise 25. Supply the correct forms of the missing verbs. Use could have or might have in the main clause.
1.If I ………. (manage) to repair my car earlier, I could have driven (drive) you to London.
2.If I ………. (know) last week that she was ill, I ………… (visit) her.
3.If you ………. (not want) to drive straight home, we ………… (miss) all this traffic.
4.If you ……….. (ask) politely, I ……….. (help) you.
5.If the weather forecast ………. (be) different, we ………… (stay) at home.
6.We ………. (be) at the airport for hours, if we …………. (not know) that the flight was delayed.
7.I ……… (make) a bad mistake, if I ………… (not read) the instructions.
8.We ……….. (have) an accident, if our car ……….. (not be) properly serviced.
9.If he ……….. (fasten his seatbelt), he ……….. (not be) hurt.
10.She ……….. (not hear) the news, if she ……….. (not turn on) the radio this morning.
11.If they ……….. (see) us, they ………… (laugh).
12.If you ……….. (tell) me you needed money, I ……….. (lend) you some. 13.I ………. (save) some food for you, if I …………. (know) you were going to
be late.
14.They ………. (play) better, if they ………… (have) more training.
Exercise 26. Translate the sentences into Russian.
1.Why didn’t you ask me? I could have looked it up in the reference book.
2.It’s a pity I’ve got to leave tonight. We could call on the Andersons together.
3.If you had seen the film, we could discuss it now.
4.If you should see him, tell him everything.
5.If anybody should ask for me, say I’ll be back in a quarter of an hour.
6.If Catherine should fail to come, all of us would be disappointed.
Exercise 27. Translate the sentences.
1.Если бы сказали об этом раньше, план мог бы быть изменен.
2.Если бы он был здесь, он смог бы успокоить ее.
3.Если бы ты спросил его, он мог бы что-нибудь предложить.
4.Если бы он не вмешался, все могло бы быть иначе. Зачем он это сделал?
5.Случись так, что Тимоти позвонит, постарайтесь убедить его присоединиться к нам.
6.Если вы его попросили, он мог нам помочь.
7.Если бы вы спросили его, возможно он что-нибудь бы добавил.