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Mixed Conditional Sentences Guide

This document discusses mixed conditional sentences, which contain clauses that refer to different times. There are two types: 1) Present result of past condition, where the "if" clause uses past perfect tense to refer to an unreal past condition, and the main clause uses present conditional tense for the present result. 2) Past result of present or continuing condition, where the "if" clause uses simple past tense for a present/continuing condition, and the main clause uses perfect conditional tense for the past result. Examples are provided for each type to illustrate their structure and function.

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133 views2 pages

Mixed Conditional Sentences Guide

This document discusses mixed conditional sentences, which contain clauses that refer to different times. There are two types: 1) Present result of past condition, where the "if" clause uses past perfect tense to refer to an unreal past condition, and the main clause uses present conditional tense for the present result. 2) Past result of present or continuing condition, where the "if" clause uses simple past tense for a present/continuing condition, and the main clause uses perfect conditional tense for the past result. Examples are provided for each type to illustrate their structure and function.

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Esther
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MIXED CONDITIONAL SENTENCES (self-study)

It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times, and the resulting sentence is a
"mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types of mixed conditional sentence:

A. Present result of past condition:

1. Form
The tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE


If + past perfect Present conditional
If I had worked harder at school I would have a better job now.
If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.

2. Function
In these sentences, the time is past in the 'if' clause, and present in the main clause. They refer to an unreal past
condition and its probable result in the present. They express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the
past and in the present:
'If I had worked harder at school' is contrary to past fact - I didn't work hard at school, and 'I would have a better job now' is
contrary to present fact - I haven't got a good job.
If we had looked at the map (we didn't), we wouldn't be lost (we are lost).

Examples:

 I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job.


 If you'd caught that plane you'd be dead now.
 If you hadn't spent all your money on CDs, you wouldn't be broke.

B. Past result of present or continuing condition.

1. Form
The tense in the If-clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE


If + simple past Perfect conditional
If I wasn't afraid of spiders I would have picked it up.
If we didn't trust him we would have sacked him months ago.

2. Function
In these sentences the time in the If-clause is now or always, and the time in the main clause is before now. They
refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past result:

 'If I wasn't afraid of spiders' is contrary to present reality - I am afraid of spiders, and 'I would have picked it up' is
contrary to past reality - I didn't pick it up.

 'If we didn't trust him' is contrary to present reality - we do trust him, and 'we would have sacked him' is contrary
to past reality - we haven't sacked him.

Examples:
a. If she wasn't afraid of flying she wouldn't have travelled by boat.
b. I'd have been able to translate the letter if my Italian was better.
c. If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.
d. If the elephant wasn't in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden on him by now.

Useful link for self-study: http://www.helpforenglish.cz/cz/gramatika/vedlejsi-


vety/podminkove/c2007051002-Smisene-kondicionaly--mixed-conditionals-.html
EXERCISE
http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional10.htm

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