Concise ESL Support

Conditional and Hypothetical Constructions

Usage	“If” clause verb form	Main clause verb form
	“If” event ‘A’ occurs	then event ‘B’ happens*
Generally true	simple present e.g. If I feel hungry	simple present I eat
True for the future	simple present e.g. If I feel hungry (later)	simple future I will eat
Untrue now and future (hypothetical) I am not hungry now, but this is what I would do if that were the case.	simple past If I were hungry	would + verb name I would eat
Untrue in the past (hypothetical) I was not hungry in the past, but this is what I would have done if that were the case.	past perfect If I had been hungry	would + present perfect I would have eaten

* Clause order can be reversed. Event ‘B’ happens if event ‘A’ occurs—note the change in punctuation.

Conditionals

“If” is the most common word used to introduce adverbial clauses of condition (conditionals); other words that introduce these clauses are:

• Constructions with ‘if’;                 even if / only if
• Unless (means except if . . .)
• Whether or not
• Providing/provided (that)
• In case/in the event (that)

Hypothetical constructions

Usage	Wish	Clause
Wish + a noun clause	simple present + (that) e.g. I wish (that)	simple past I had more of money.*
Generally true	simple present + (that) e.g. I wish (that)	simple past I exercised more.
Statement referring to the past	simple present e.g. I wish (that)	past perfect I had paid attention to the teacher.
A promise, certainty, possibility or ability	simple present e.g. I wish (that)	modal (would/could) + verb name I would be a better student. I could study more effectively.