IV. Brush up your grammar

A. Grammar Folio:

Conditional Sentences

If - constructions

Condition	Subordinate clause Придаточное	Principal clause Главное	Translation
Type 1	If I have more time Present Simple	I’ll come over will + infinitive	бы
Type 2	If I had more time Past Simple	I would come over would + infinitive	бы
Type 3	If you had gone there Past Perfect	you would have seen him would + have + V3	бы

1. Type 1

Придаточные условные предложения I типа выражают реальные условия выполнения действия. Глагол-сказуемое придаточного предложения употребляется в Prsent Simple а главного – в Future Simple.

If I stay at my present job, I will get a raise.

Если я останусь на своей теперешней работе, то получу прибавку.

2. Type 2

Условие, содержащееся в условном придаточном предложении II типа, рассматривается говорящим как маловероятное, предположительное или нереальное. В придаточном предложении условия употребляется Past Simple, а в главном – сочетание глагола would (could, might) с инфинитивом без частицы to.

If I knew her number, I would send her a fax.

Если бы я знал её номер, я бы отправил ей факс.

Если сказуемое придаточного предложения выражено глаголом to be, то для всех лиц и чисел может употребляться форма were.

If I were you, I would talk to him. -

Если бы я был на вашем месте, я бы поговорил с ним.

3. Type 3

Придаточные условные предложения III типа выражают нереальное условие совершения действия в прошедшем времени. В придаточном предложении употребляется время Past Perfect, а в главном – сочетание глаголов would (could, might) с перфектным инфинитивом.

If I had known his background, I would never have employed him.

Если бы я знал, какова его квалификация, я никогда бы не нанял его.

Время придаточного условного предложения определяется наличием в нём обстоятельства времени или по контексту.

4. Type 2 and Type 3 mixed

Придаточные условные смешанного типа бывают двух видов:

а. условие относится к прошедшему, а следствие к настоящему или будущему времени:

If you had visited our company last year, you would know it better now.

Если бы вы побывали в нашей компании в прошлом году, вы бы теперь лучше её знали.

б. условие относится к неопределённому времени, а следствие к прошедшему:

I would have invited them, if I liked them. – Я бы пригласил их, если бы они мне нравились.

Кроме союза if, придаточные предложения условия могут соединяться с главным при помощи других форм, например:

whether – если

provided that, on condition that – при условии, если; при условии, что;

supposing that – предположим (допустим), что

unless – если … не;

Большинство альтернатив союзу if употребляются гораздо реже (так, whether используется в английском языке в четыре раза реже, чем if), носят более формальный характер и встречаются чаще в письменной речи. Conditionals (условные предложения) часто используются для проведения деловых переговоров.

B. Exercises

1. Combine phrases from columns A to B to make conditional sentences.

Type 1

Pattern: If you pay in dollars, we’ll deliver within seven days.

A	B
1 get a bank loan today 2 finish everything tonight 3 deliver by end of the month 4 raise funds on favorable terms 5 invest in new technology 6 sell assets that are obsolete	a) improve productivity b) raise money internally c) give you a bonus d) pay all the transport costs e) pay less interest on a loan f) give you the day off tomorrow

2. Open the brackets using the first conditional. Translate the sentences

into Russian.

1. If the meeting (to finish) late, I (to spend) the night in London.

2. If sales (to go) well this year, we (to increase) our profits.

3. I (to feel) very disappointed if I (not to get) promotion this year.

4. They (to pay) him if he (to finish) his work.

5. They (to pay) him unless he (to finish) his work.

6. Unless they (to start) working harder, they (to lose) again.

7. If you (to ring) 0800756, they (to give) you some more information.

3. Combine phrases from columns A to B to make conditional sentences

Type 2

Pattern: They would be disappointed if you postponed payments.

A	B
1 They would be disappointed 2 We could expand more rapidly 3 I would be grateful 4 Many people would be out of work 5 I wouldn’t argue 6 I would take the job	a) if I were you b) if I was offered it c) if we broke off the negotiations d) if we had the finance e) if this factory closed down f) if you helped me with this problem

4. Open the brackets using the second conditional. Translate the sentences

into Russian.

1. If he (to have) more spare time, he (to help) us.

2. If the General Manager (to be) here, he (to answer) your questions.

3. If our boss (to possess) more vision, skill, and determination, he (to lead)

the organization to success.

4. Unless they (to offer) more, I (not to accept) the job.

5. What you (to do) if you (to be) in his place?

6. Just imagine what the company (to be) like if we (not to have) financial

management.

7. If I (to be) you, I (to change) the financial policy of the company.

5. Discuss the following questions in pairs:

What would you do if:

1 you saw two colleagues having an argument? I wouldn’t get involved.

2 a colleague criticized you?

3 you saw a colleague sleeping at his working place?

4 your boss never listened to your ideas?

5 your boss asked you to work till midnight?

6. Combine phrases from columns A to B to make conditional sentences

Type III

Pattern: The company would have obtained money at lower cost if the

financial manager had taken into account the cost of capital.

A	B
1 Her presentation would have been better 2 He would never have solved the problem 3 Nothing would have happened 4 Jack would have finished his work last week 5 We wouldn’t have wasted so much time yesterday 6 We could have signed the contract yesterday	a) if everybody had come on time b) if all the documents had been in order c) if she had been more prepared d) if it hadn’t been for his experience and skill t) if you had followed the instructions f) if it hadn’t been so difficult

7. Open the brackets using the third conditional. Translate the sentences into

Russian.

1. If we (to know) that the company was in financial difficulty, we (not to do)

business with them.

2. They (to go) out of business years ago if they (not to invest) in new

technology.

3. If we (to have) the right figures, we (can) avoid a costly error.

4. If we (to follow) his advice, we (to lose) a great deal of money.

5. The secretary (to send) the telex yesterday if the manager (to ask) her to

do it.

6. If the management of the company (to select) proper funding vehicles last

year, it (to earn) enough revenue to stay in business.

7. If the firm (to introduce) a new product, it (to increase) the company’s future

cash flows.

8. Choose the right variant:

1. If I pass my entrance exams successfully this summer,

a. I will enter the University in the department of Financial Management.

b. I would enter the University in the department of Financial Management.

c. I would have entered the University in the department of Financial

Management.

2. If my husband earns enough money for his new project,

a. we’ll spend our summer vacation in Greece.

b. we would spend our summer vocation in Greece.

c. we would have spent our summer vocation in Greece.

3. If I were you,

a. I will prefer debt financing.

b. I would prefer debt financing.

c. I would have preferred debt financing.

4. We would have a competitive advantage

a. if the management of the company invests in developing new production

techniques

b. if the management of the company invested in developing new production

techniques.

c. if the management of the company had invested in developing new

production techniques.

5. Mary, our new colleague, would be very happy

a. if you help her with her calculations

b. if you helped her with her calculations

c. if you had helped her with her calculations

6. If we controlled our expenses a bit better,

a. we can save a lot of money

b. we could save a lot of money

c. we could have saved a lot of money.

7. If the financial department had worked harder last year,

a. the company will become the market leader.

b. the company would become the market leader.

c. the company would have become the market leader.

8. The company wouldn’t have got into trouble

a. if it takes on less debt

b. if it took on less debt

c. if it had taken on less debt.

9. Unless they start working harder,

a. they will lose again

b. they would lose again

c. they would have lost again

10. We’ll miss the annual meeting

a. unless we hurry.

b. unless we hurried.

c. unless we had hurried.

11. Unless they offered more,

a. I won’t accept the job

b. I wouldn’t accept the job

c. I wouldn’t have accepted the job

12. Unless you had studied the theory of the business cycle,

a. you will never pass that test

b. you would never pass that test

c. you would never have passed that test.