Reviewing – Conditionals

Exercise 88. Read the following letter. For each number, write a sentence, using if. Write your sentences below the letter.

Dear Alison,

It was great to hear from you. Thanks for the congratulations and good wishes. I’ll pass them on to Charlie when I see him at the weekend. Of course we’re very excited about getting married, and frantically busy too, needless to say.

You ask how we met. Well, it’s quite a funny story. Do you remember I failed one of my final exams? That meant I had to spend part of the summer in college. (1) And that meant I couldn’t go on holiday with my family. The travel company refused to give us a refund because we cancelled too late. (2) I was pretty fed up about it. Then something nice happened. I think the travel agent felt sorry for me, because he had failed his final exam when he was a student. (3) Anyway, he had a cancellation on a tour which started later in the summer. So he was able to transfer my booking. (4) I was really pleased. My father was too, as transferring the booking meant that his money wasn’t being wasted. (5). So, I went on this tour. And I met this young man. He was on his one too. He told me his girlfriend should have been with him, but they’d had a row and she’d refused to come. (6) We were the only ones traveling alone, so we found ourselves going round the sights together. (7) He hadn’t read about the places we were visiting and I spent most of my time telling him about them. (8) And that was it really. We found we’d fallen in love. Wasn’t it lucky I failed that exam? That’s how I met my future husband. (9)

Now I must rush off and do some shopping. Will you come and stay soon? It’d be lovely if you could meet Charlie. Write soon. What have you been up to recently?

Lots of love,

Cherry

Example: 1. If she hadn’t failed one of her final exams, she wouldn’t

have had to spend part of the summer in college.

2. …

Exercise 89. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tenses.

A. A terrible accident happened last week. The children were knocked down by a car. They are in the hospital and their condition is critical. I cannot help thinking that if the driver (be) more careful, this tragedy (happen) I admit that on the other hand if the children (not/play) in the street, the car (not/hit) them. If drivers (be) more careful and children (be) aware of the dangers of the road, there certainly (be) fewer accidents.

B. I didn’t know that Barbara is so ill. If I (know) about her condition, (visit) her earlier. I really feel bad about it. I still cannot understand why nobody told me anything about her illness. If they (inform) me, I (try) to help.

C. My English teacher keeps saying that if I (try) hard, I eventually (overcome) my difficulties. She says that I certainly (succeed) if I really (want) to. I finally promised her yesterday to start working hard. She assured me that I (do) well if I (not/give up). And she is right.

D. I feel very lonely and worried. If my parents (be) here, I (feel) safer. They are responsible and full of confidence. I am sure that if they (come) now, they (solve) all my problems. I told them that I would call them. I tried to manage without them for the past few days. I really cannot do it any more. If the things (not/change) soon, I (ask) them to comeback from Kent as soon as possible.

Exercise 90. Complete the sentences with the words in brackets.

1. I’m broke, but I (have) plenty of money now if I (not/spend) so much yesterday.

2. That child had a narrow escape. She (hit) by a car if her mother (not/pull) her out of the street.

3. - Why were you late for the meeting?

- Well, I (be) there on time, but I had a flat tire in the way.

4. - Did you know that Bob got 100% on the test?

- Really? That surprises me. If I didn’t know better, I (think) he

cheated.

5. - How did you do on the test?

- Not so well. I (do) much better, but I misread the directions for

the last section.

6. - Do you really mean it?

- Of course! I (not/say) it unless I (mean) it.

7. - When did Mark graduate?

- He didn’t.

- Oh?

- He had to quit school because of some trouble at home.

- Otherwise, he (graduate) last June.

8. - I hear Dorothy had an accident. Was it serious?

- No. Luckily, she wasn’t driving fast at the time of the accident.

- If she (drive) fast, I’m sure it (be) a more serious accident.

9. Tom’s hobby is collecting stamps from all over the world. If he (travel) to a new country, he always (spend) time looking for new stamps. That’s how he acquired such a large collection of valuable stamps.

10. Now we’re lost! If you (write down) Mary’s directions this (not/happen)

11. Why don’t we emigrate? If we (live) in Australia, at least the weather (be) better.

12. I’m afraid that Smith is a hardened criminal. If we (not/punish) him this time, he only (commit) more crimes.

13. Thanks to Dr. Jones, I’m still alive! If it (not/be), I (be) dead for certain!

14. I’m sorry I can’t lend you any money. You know that if I (have) it I (lend) it to you.

15. Don’t be afraid. If you (touch) the dog, it (not/bite).

16. In those days, if you (have) a job, you (be) lucky.

17. It’s always the same! If I (decide) to leave the office early, my boss (call) me after I’ve left!

18. What a terrible thing to happen! Just think, if we (not/miss) the plane, we (kill) in the crash.

19. Did you enjoy your meal? If you (finish) eating, I (clear away) the plates.

Exercise 91. Rewrite each sentence so that the meaning stays the same.

Example: Working so much will make you tired. If…

If you work so much, you will get tired.

1. I regret drinking so much last night! If only…

2. What would you do if there was an earthquake? Supposing…

3. If you do the shopping, I’ll cook lunch. You…

4. What would you do if you found some buried treasure? If you were to…

5. If Pauline hadn’t been interested, the project would have been abandoned. But for…

6. If by any chance you find my wallet, could you let me know? If you should…

7. I might be late. If so, start without me. If I…

8. The fire was brought under control thanks to the night-watchman. If it hadn’t …

9. Dick is in prison because a detective recognized him. If a detective…

10. If Jane hadn’t refused to work overtime, she would have got promotion. If it hadn’t…

11. If you left out that chapter, you can’t really say you read the whole book. Unless…

12. If you want my advice, I’d think twice about buying a car like that. If I…

13. It won’t make any difference if City score first, United will still win. United will still win…

14. If the paining is finished by Saturday, we’ll pay you extra. Finish…

15. If you refuse to stop eating sweets, you can’t expect to lose weight easily. If you won’t…

16. Without your help, I wouldn’t have found the house. If you…

17. Getting up early makes me feel hungry. If…

Exercise 92. Complete each sentence with a suitable word or phrase.

Example: If you had really wanted to come, you … a few hours early.

If you had really wanted to come, you could have left a few hours early.

1. I’ll lend you my radio as…you bring it back before Saturday.

2. ... the phone bill today, the phone will be cut off.

3. I shall call off the sale … to pay me the whole amount in cash.

4. If I … your tools, I wouldn’t have been able to fix the car.

5. If you’d told me you were coming, I … something to eat.

6. If you took more time over your work … so many mistakes in it.

7. Those wires look a bit dangerous; … I were you.

8. If you’ve finished, … home.

9. If Sue had known her sister was coming, she … to such trouble.

Exercise 93. Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word in capitals.

Example: Don’t take this job if you don’t really want it. UNLESS

Don’t take this job unless you really want it.

1. I wasn’t tall enough to reach the shelf. TALLER

2. I won’t sell the painting, not even for $ 1000 IF

3. If the ship sank, what would you do? WERE

4. If you should notice what’s on at the cinema, let me know. HAPPEN

5. If you hadn’t encouraged me, I would have given up. BUT

6. Although it is a good car, it is expensive. IF

7. If you insist on smoking so much, of course you feel ill. WILL

8. I don’t have any scissors so I can’t lend you any. IF

9. But for Helen, the play would be a flop. WERE

Exercise 94. Make sentence chains with if to show how things could have been different.

1. He worked hard - passed exams – went to the university – studied languages – learnt Chinese – went to China – went climbing in Tibet – tried to climb Everest – disappeared in a snowstorm. If he hadn’t worked hard, …

2. He bought a bicycle – went for a ride in the country – fell off – woke up in the hospital – met a beautiful nurse – wrote a best-selling novel about her – got rich – married the beautiful nurse and had three charming children – lived happily ever after. If he hadn’t bought a bicycle, …

3. Mary’s mother went out that evening – Mary cooked for herself – got interested in cooking – opened a very successful restaurant – had Prime Minister as customer – PM ordered mussels – mussels poisoned PM – PM died – Mary went to prison for life. If Mary’s mother hadn’t gone out that evening, …

Exercise 95. Put in the right conditionals.

THE SECRET OF A LONG LIFE.

Grygori Pilikian recently celebrated his 114^th birthday and reporters visited him in his mountain village in Georgia to find out the secret of a long life. “The secret of a long life,” Grygori said, “is happiness. If you (be) happy, you will live a long time.” “Are you married?” a reporter asked. “Yes,” Grygori replied. “I married my third wife when I was 102. If you are happily married, you (live) for ever. But for my third wife, I (die) years ago.” “What about smoking and drinking?” a reporter asked “Yes, they are important.” Grygori said. “Don’t smoke at all and you (feel) well. Drink two glasses of wine a day and you (be) healthy and happy.” “If you (can/live) your life again, what (you/do)?” a reporter asked. “I would do what I have done. If I had had more sense, I (eat) more yoghourt!” he chuckled. “Supposing you (can/change) one thing in your life, what (you/change)?” another reporter asked. “Not much,” Grygori replied. “so you don’t have any regrets?” “Yes, I have one regret,” Grygori replied. “If I (know) I was going to live so long, I (look after) myself better!”

Exercise 96. Explain what you would do in these situations. Work in pairs, in groups, or as a class.