Oxford English Grammar Course Basic

section 18 if

if
grammar summary
most tenses are possible in sentences with if.
He wont come tomorrow if he came yesterday.
If that was Mary, why didnt she stop and say hello?
If youve been to Paris, youve seen the Eiffel Tower.
Oil floats if you pour it on water.
If youre happy, Im happy.

Note the following three important structures:

present tenses for future:
With if, we use present tenses to talk about the future.
Ill phone you if I have time. (noT if I will have time.)
if + past, would
We can use past tenses with if to show that something is not real or not probable now.
(We normally use would in the other part of the sentence.)
If I had more money, I would buy a car now.
if + past perfect, would have
To talk about unreal past events things that did not happen we use if + past perfect.
(We normally use would have + past participle in the other part of the sentence.)
Im sorry you had all those problems. If you had asked me, I would have helped you.

These three structures are often called first, second and third conditional.
The structure with two present tenses (e.g. If youre happy, Im happy) is sometimes called
zero conditional, for no very good reason.

We can use unless to mean if not, except if.

You cant come in unless you have a ticket. (= if you dont have a ticket.)

If you were the only girl in the world, If you can keep your head when all about you
and I were the only boy . . . are losing theirs, . . . youll be a man, my son.
(Song by Clifford Grey, British songwriter, born 1937) (Rudyard Kipling, British short-story writer, novelist
and poet, 18651936)

If you can find something that everyone If you can keep your head when all about you are
agrees on, its wrong. losing theirs, you just dont know whats going on.
(Mo Udall, American politician, 19221998) (British Army saying)

If God did not exist, it would be necessary to

invent him.
(Voltaire, French writer, 16941788)
If the automobile had followed the same
development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-
Royce would today cost $100, get a million
miles per gallon, and explode once a year,
killing everyone inside.
(Robert X. Cringely, InfoWorld magazine)
If one morning I walked on top of the water
across Potomac River, the headline that
afternoon would read President Cant Swim.
(Lyndon B. Johnson, American politician, 19081973
President 19631969)
If the human mind was simple enough to
understand, wed be too simple to understand it.
(Emerson Pugh, American writer on technology)

If 243

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Oxford English Grammar Course Basic

if: position; unless

1 level

An if-clause can come at the beginning or end of a sentence. When it comes first, it is often separated by a comma (,).
If I have time, Ill clean up the garden. Ill clean up the garden if I have time.

1 use if to put these sentences together in two ways.
Joe works at Browns. He probably knows Annie.
If Joe works at Browns, he probably knows Annie.
Joe probably knows Annie if he works at Browns.
1 I cant sleep. I get up and read.

2 You take books from my room. Please tell me.

3 Youre hungry. Why dont you cook some soup?

4 Shes been travelling all day. She must be tired

5 We catch the first train. We can be in London by 9.00.

We can use unless to mean if not, except if.

You cant come in unless you have a ticket. (= You cant come in if you dont have a ticket.)
Unless Im very tired, I go to bed about midnight. (= Except if Im very tired )

2 rewrite these sentences with unless.
Children cant go in if they are not with an adult.
Children cant go in unless they are with an adult.
If you dont give me my money, Im going to the police.
Unless you give me my money, Im going to the police.
1 You cant park here if you dont live in this street.

2 If you are not over 15, you cant see this film.

3 I dont drive fast except if Im really late.

4 If Im not going fishing, I get up late on Sundays.

5 We usually go for a walk after supper if there isnt a good film on TV.

6 I see my mother at weekends if Im not travelling.

7 If its not raining, I play tennis most evenings.

8 I cant help you if you dont tell me the truth.

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Oxford English Grammar Course Basic

if: future Ill phone you if I hear from alice.

1 level
Most tenses are possible in sentences with if. But after if, we normally use a present tense to talk about the future.
If it is sunny tomorrow, well eat in the garden. Ill phone you if I hear from Alice.
Ill be sorry if I dont pass this exam.

1 choose the best verb to complete the sentence.
Ill buy you a sweater if I find a nice one. (find, hold, pay)
If it rains, we ll have the party indoors. (think, play, have)
1 Ill be glad if I a letter from Jack tomorrow. (expect, get, decide)
2 Olivia back your bike if she remembers. (come, bring, sell)
3 If you like, I you Japanese lessons. (bring, hold, give)
4 If Alex , tell him Im out. (phone, stop, write)
5 Well stop and see you in Dublin if we time. (give, think, have)
6 Ill give you 100 if you smoking. (stay, stop, break)
7 I very surprised if Angela marries Jack. (be, stand, find)
8 If you sing, I , I promise. (not learn, not laugh, not drive)
9 If you cook lunch, I supper. (eat, drink, cook)
10 The government will do what it likes if nobody it. (stop, speak, find)

2 Put in the correct verb forms.
If it rains , we ll have the party inside. (rain; have)
1 I happy if I my exam. (be; pass)
2 If you now, you the train. (leave; catch)
3 John says he as a taxi-driver if he money. (work; need)
4 If I free tomorrow evening, I you on Friday. (not be; see)
5 Mary Chinese next year if she time. (study; have)
6 I you to the station if I find my car keys. (drive; can)
7 If he her, he a happy life. (marry; not have)
8 you work if the doctor you that you must? (stop; tell)
9 If you to your father very politely, he us his car? (talk; lend)

3 make sentences with if.
Im afraid the bus will be late.
( get to work late again) If the bus is late, Ill get to work late again.
( lose my job) If I get to work late again, Ill lose my job.
1 ( not find another job) If I lose my job,

2 ( lose my flat)
3 ( move back to my parents house)
4 ( get very bored)
5 ( go swimming every day)
6 ( look very good)
7 ( meet interesting people)
8 ( go to lots of parties)
9 ( have a wonderful time)

In some answers, both contracted forms (for example Im, dont) and full If 245
forms (for example I am, do not) are possible. Normally both are correct.

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