Difference between revisions of "WS:conditionals"

From Creolista!
Jump to: navigation, search
(The first conditional)
(The first conditional)
Line 14: Line 14:
 
=The first conditional=
 
=The first conditional=
  
If we finish in time, we <u>can go</u> to the 7:30pm <abbr title="séance, s'emploie pour le cinéma.  Cf. Showtime (cable network)">showing</abbr>.
+
<ol>
 +
<li>If we finish in time, we <u>can go</u> to the 7:30pm <abbr title="séance, s'emploie pour le cinéma.  Cf. Showtime (cable network)">showing</abbr>.</li>
 +
<li>If she's flying in late Monday, she <u>may want</u> us to start later on Tuesday morning, so she can recover from jet lag.</li>
 +
<li>If I have my daughter, I <u>Ø  leave</u> work early to pick her up.  (general truth)</li>
 +
<li>If I have my daughter Friday evening, I will have to leave work early to pick her up. (more specific)</li>
 +
</ol>
  
 
=The second conditional=
 
=The second conditional=
 
=The third conditional=
 
=The third conditional=

Revision as of 15:03, 17 April 2013

In general, the standard EFL grammars have divided the conditional mode in English into 3 types on the basis of both syntax and semantics:

(It was not simply done to encourage students to learn the ordinals from 1st-3rd :)

Quickly, in the part of the sentence that does not include the condition (which is often introduced by if), the following modals are frequently found

  • The first conditional = Ø, can, will, may, shall V
  • The second conditional = d, could, would, should, might V
  • The third conditional = primarily , coulda', woulda', shoulda' (and mighta') Ved

The first conditional

  1. If we finish in time, we can go to the 7:30pm showing.
  2. If she's flying in late Monday, she may want us to start later on Tuesday morning, so she can recover from jet lag.
  3. If I have my daughter, I Ø leave work early to pick her up. (general truth)
  4. If I have my daughter Friday evening, I will have to leave work early to pick her up. (more specific)

The second conditional

The third conditional