OPEN CONDITION – HYPOTHETICAL CONDITION

OPEN CONDITION: situations which are more or less real in the sense that they are likely / possible, or in some way inevitable

• If you leave now, you’ll get home earlier
• If you didn’t speak to her, I will have to
• If I use the motorway, I get home quicker 

• Alternatives to the word “If”
  • When
  • On condition (that) /As long as /Provided (that): can replace “if”when one situation dependes on another
  • Suppose / Supposing…? = What if …? (common in every day speech)
  • Unless…(+ positive verb) =  If not…
  • In cas: precaution
  • But for… = If it were not for / If it had not been for…
  • Otherwise = If this doesn’ / didn’t happen / hadn’t happened
• Other meanings of “if”
  • If = although
    • He’s a good doctor if a little brusque
  •  If + will / would (only possible when will/would are used in their modal sense
    • If you would give me a lift to the hospital, I’d bemost grateful
  • If + should (sth- unlikely; usual, if a little formal, in advice orders and suggestions)
    • If you should need any more of these tablets, don’t hesitate to come back to see me
  • If so / not: can substitute a clause
    • These tablets might cause n unpleasant reaction. If so, stop taking them

HYPOTHETICAL CONDITION: used for unlikely – improbable – impossible

•  If + past verb: hypothetical present / future
  • to express present / future: would (modal) + infinitive
    • If I were P.M., I would ban all private schools
  • to express past time: would (modal) + have + past participle
    • If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t have come to work today
• If + past perfect: hypothetical past
  • to express present or future
    • If I had taken the keys, they would be in my bag
    • If I had eaten that terrible food, I would be ill
  • to express past
    • If I had taken the keys, they would have been in my bag
    • If I had eaten that terrible food, I would have been ill