It’s time to talk about unreal conditionals. So let’s start with a few examples. This is my passport. Unfortunately there is only one stamp in it / when I took a trip to Mexico earlier this year. My other passport has lots of stamps; unfortunately this one has one. If I had more time, I’d travel more. Here’s a guitar. If I practiced everyday, I could be really good. And if I had more money, I’d buy more clothes. What did you noticed about all of those examples? If you listen closely, you’ve heard simple past in the IF-clause. If I had more time, if I practiced more, if I had more money. Even though I am talking about the present time, I’m using the simple past (tense). In by using the sample past in the if-clause, I’m creating an unreal condition.

 In the result clause, most often you’re going to have ‘would + the base verb’: I would travel more, I would be very good, I would buy more clothes.

And especially in the conversation, would is going to have contraction, not I would, but I’d, not you would, but you’d and so on.

In the result clause, you might also have could.

I believe in my original example, I said with the guitar, if I practiced everyday, I could be very good.

It’s just result, a little less certain, chose possibility.

I could also use might in the result clause, again suggesting less certainty of that result.

For example, if I had more time, I might spend all of it reading books.

Let’s take a closer look at these unreal conditionals in the present time.

Unreal Conditionals in the Present Time

These statements show situations in that are:

unreal

untrue

impossible or unlikely

Remember 

If statement  have two parts:

If clause = condition

main clause = result

 you can’t have result without condition.

Now two clauses can be switched and it doesn’t change the meaning.

Order of clauses

The "if" clause can come first in a statement , or it can follow the result:

If I had more time, I’d travel.

I’d travel if I had more time.

Note: Use a comma when the "if" clause comes first.

 if we’re speaking, there just be a pause in place of the comma.

As for      

Verb tenses:

Even thout we are speaking about the present time, we use the simple past in the "if" clause:

If i had more time, ...

If I practiced every day, ....

be careful

Using “be” in the Condition.

When we use a form of "be" to state a condition, you must use "were" for all person:

If he were famous, ...

If I were the president, ...

now in very informal English you will hear Americans use ‘was’, if he was famous, if I was the president, but that’s only the case of very informal English.

You really should use ‘were’ for all persons.

Verb in the Result Clause

Most often we use (would + base verb):

If I had more time, I would travel.

I would buy more clothes if I had more maney.

Note: the use of contractions in informal English:

I'd, you'd, she'd, ets.

(Might + base verb) expressesses an unlikely but possible result:

If I had more free time, I might spend all of it reading books.

I might never take a bus or taxi again if I had my own car.

(Could  + base verb) expresses either a possible result or someone's ability: If I practiced every day, I could be realy good on the guitar.

We could open a restorant if we knew more about running a business.

OK, do you understand everything so far? Then, I think you’re ready for an exercise.

Look at the statement on your screen, and change the verbs into the correct forms.

Exercise:

1. If David _ (have) a better sense of humor, he _ (have) more luck with women.

2. Brian _ (get) better grades in school if he _ (study) harder.

Note: Americans say "grades" not "marks". Teachers often use grades of A,B,C,D and F, with F being the worst.)

(Use "could")

3. You _ (take) a direct flight to Rome if you _ (be) willing to pay more money.

4. If school _ (not start) so early, Michelle _ (sleep) in.

(Use "might")

5. If we _ (have) the right tools, we _ (be) able to fix the TV ourselves.

If

Giving Advice

Weoften give advice using "If I were you, ...":

"If I were you, I wouldn’t cut my hair. It looks good the way it is. Why change it?"

Let’s try an exercise to practice giving an advice. I’ll read situation to you, and you think about what advice you give to the person in that situation?

Exercise:

Situation # 1.

Your friend George wants to buy a sports car, but he really shouldn’t spend so much money. He already has lots of bills to pay.

Your advice?

If I were you, ...

Possible answer are:

"George! If I were you, I wouldn't buy the sports car."

or

"George! If I were you, I would pay the bills first and then think about the sports car."

Situation # 2.

Your classmate isn’t happy with the grade she received from your English teacher. She thinks her essay deserves more than a C.

Your advice?

If I were you, ...

Possible answer are:

If I were you, I'd talk to the teacher.

or

If I were you, I'd ask the teacher why she gave you a C.

Now, not many textbooks talk about using progressive verbs in the conditionals. But you will see them sometimes. So let’s take a look / at how they are used.

Using Progressive Verbs

In the "if" clause:

(were + (-ing))

The cat must be awake. If it were sleeping, it’s eyes would be closed.

In the result clause:

(would be + (-ing))

 If Kelly earned more money, she wouldn’t be sharing a one-room apartment with two other women.

All right, that’s about it for this lesson. I’m going to end with one more example. This time about you.

if you didn’t want to learn English, you wouldn’t be watching these lessons. Did you notice that in the result clause I use the progressive verb.

You wouldn’t be watching these lessons; would + be + -ing.

You wouldn’t be watching these lessons if you didn’t want to learn English.

I hope you’ll continue to learn English with me. Check back because there is at least one more lesson on conditionals. As I said it’s very large topic, but by lesson by lesson it will become clear to you, and remember if you have a question or request, send it to me via e-mail.

Happy studies…! 

 Дженнифер показывает свой паспорт, в котором только одна печать, которую ей поставили во время ее поездки в Мексику. Она очень хочет путешествовать больше, но у нее нет на это времени.

Когда наши желания не могут быть осуществлены по некоторым  причинам, они становятся нереальными для нас.

Поэтому Дженнифер говорит: «If I had more time, I’d travel more.» – Если бы у меня было больше времени, я бы путешествовала больше.

Другой пример: If I practiced every day, I could be really good. – Если бы я практиковалась каждый день, я могла бы действительно хорошо играть (на гитаре).

А теперь к классическому женскому примеру: If I had more money, I’d buy more clothes. – Если бы у меня было больше денег, я бы купила больше одежды.

Первая часть предложения с if построена в прошедшем времени (Past Simple). И хотя мы говорим о настоящем времени, используя Past Simple в придаточном предложении с if, мы говорим о том, что это нереальное условие.

result clause= would+ base verb.

В  предложении, которое выражает результат, мы используем следующую конструкцию: would + первая форма глагола.

И зачастую мы сокращаем would, особенно в устной речи: I would = I’d, you would = you’d и т.д.

Other modals in the result clause: could and might. - В результирующем предложении мы можем также использовать could и might.

Например:

If I practiced every day, I could be really good.

Could показывает возможность чего-либо.

If I had more time, I might spend it reading books.

Might выражает очень малую вероятность чего-либо.

Нереальные условия в настоящем времени

Эти утверждения показывают, что ситуация:

нереальна,

неправдива,

невозможна.

Запомните:

 Придаточное условия может меняться местами с главным предложением без изменения смысла. Если предложение начитается с придаточного, то необходима запятая перед главным предложением. Если главное предложение стоит впереди, то запятая не нужна. Например: If I had more time, I’d travel. / I’d travel if I had more time.

Будьте внимательны используя глагол to be в придаточном нереального условия. Если Вы употребляете глагол to be, то используйте форму “were” для всех лиц: If he were famous, … If I were the president, … В Американском сленге Вы можете встретить употребление was вместо were, но это неправильная грамматическая форма и возможна только в неформальном общении.

Ну а теперь перейдем к упражнениям. Вам необходимо поставить глаголы в скобках в правильную форму (ответы Вы можете найти в самом видео уроке или спросить нас через форму комментирования):

2 Американцы используют существительное grades вместо marks, которое переводится как оценки.

В этих предложениях используйте could:

А в этом предложении используйте might:

Когда мы даем совет, мы зачастую используем следующую конструкцию: «Если бы я был на твоем месте,…» = «If I were you,…»

Например: If I were you, I wouldn’t cut my hair. It looks good the way it is. Why change it? – Если бы я была на твоем месте, я бы не стриглась. Все выглядит и сейчас хорошо. Зачем что-то менять?

Давайте попрактикуемся. Вам дана ситуация, на основе которой нужно дать совет.

Ситуация 1.Какой совет Вы ему дадите?

Ситуация 2.  Какой совет Вы ей дадите?

Вы не часто встретите использование продолженного времени в придаточных нереального условия. Но, тем не менее, в некоторых ситуациях мы должны использовать именно Past Progressive/Continues.

Например:  – Кошка должно быть проснулась. Если бы она спала, ее глаза были бы открытыми.

В главном предложении продолженное время будет выглядеть следующим образом:

Если бы Келли зарабатывала больше денег, то ей бы не пришлось делить однокомнатную квартиру с другими женщинами.

И закончим этот урок еще одним примером:

Если бы Вы не хотели учить английский, Вы бы не смотрели эти уроки.