CONDITIONAL SENTENCES: Future Possible Conditionals (1)

Conditional sentences are sentences with an IF clause and a main clause. They are used to talk about past, present, or future possibilities that depend upon a condition stated in an IF clause. The simplest form of conditional sentence is called the future possible conditional. As its name suggests, this form of conditional sentence is used to talk about future possibilities. FUTURE POSSIBLE CONDITIONALS USAGE: Future possible conditionals are used to talk about future possibilities that depend upon future conditions. FORM: In future possible conditionals, the verb in the IF clause is conjugated in the simple present and the verb in the main clause is conjugated in the simple future.1

EXAMPLE SENTENCES (a) If it rains tomorrow, he will take an umbrella to work. (MEANING: The future possibility of his taking an umbrella depends upon the condition stated in the IF clause: "If it rains tomorrow.") (b) If I see you next week, I will give you your book back. (MEANING: The future possibility of my giving your book back next week, depends upon the condition stated in the IF clause: "If I see you next week.") (c) If I have enough time, I will help you with your report. (MEANING: The future possibility of my helping you depends upon the condition stated in the IF clause: "If I have enough time.") (d) If the Toronto Maple Leafs play well, they will win the Stanley Cup. (MEANING: The future possibility of their winning the Stanley Cup depends upon the condition stated in the IF clause: "If the Toronto Maple Leafs play well.") It is possible to invert the order of the IF clause and the main clause in a conditional sentence without any change in meaning. EXAMPLE SENTENCES (a) My friends will go skiing in November if there is enough snow. (MEANING: The future possibility of my friends going skiing depends upon the condition stated in the IF clause: "If there is enough snow.") (b) He and his fiance will get married in July if they have enough money. (MEANING: The future possibility of their getting married depends upon the condition stated in the IF clause: "If they have enough money.")
1

It is also possible to use the future with BEING GOING TO in the main clause of a future possible conditional: If it rains tomorrow, he is going to take his umbrella.

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WILLIAM L. MILNES Enseignement de langlais 2007

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES: Future Possible Conditionals (2)

Use either the simple present or the simple future to conjugate the verbs in parentheses. (a) If you ___________________ (finish) early, you will be able to come to the party. (b) If Susan ___________________ (come) to the party, she will meet my new roommate and fall in love with him.
(c)

They ____________________ (get) married during the summer if she finds a new job.

(d) If we buy a new car this spring, we _____________________ (drive) to British Columbia in July.
(e)

If Bill _________________ (fall) in love with Susan, he _________________ (have) to break up with Mary. But he ______________________ (lose) his job if he _____________________ (break) up with Mary, because he works for her father.

(f) If John Peters ____________________ (get) a raise, I will leave the company. (g) Susan ___________________ (leave) George if he _________________ (lose) his job.
(h)

If it __________________ (snow) on the weekend, we ____________________ (go) to the mountains. The police __________________ (arrest) him if he __________________ (continue) to drive at 150 kilometres an hour. If the boy with the green tuque ___________________ (throw) a snowball at me, I _________________________ (chase) him down the street.

(i)

(j)

(k) If the snowplough doesnt arrive soon, I ____________________ (call) the City.
(l)

If the student ________________ (fail) this course, he ___________________ (go) to summer school. If my computer __________________ (crash), I _____________________ (buy) another one. If I _________________________ (buy) a new computer, my girlfriend and I _____________________ (cancel) our Caribbean vacation. If we _________________ (cancel) our vacation, we __________________ (spend) the whole winter in Montreal.

(m)

(n)

(o) If you dont water your plants soon, they __________________ (die). (p) My mother and father ____________________ (rent) a car if theirs breaks down.
(q) (r)

My sister _____________________ (quit) her job if she doesnt get a raise. If I visit my grandmother, I ____________________ (have) a cup of tea with her.

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WILLIAM L. MILNES Enseignement de langlais 2007

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES: Future Possible Conditionals (3)

Use either the simple present or the simple future to conjugate the verbs in parentheses.
(a)

If the bank robbers ______________________ (succeed) in holding up the bank, they _______________________ (make) off with more than 10 million dollars. But if they __________________ (fail) and the police ___________________ (capture) them, they _______________________ (spend) more than 10 years in prison.

(b) The school teachers in Toronto ____________________ (go) on strike if the Board of Education _______________________ (refuse) to give them a pay increase. (c) Do you think that Cline Dion __________________________ (stay) in Las Vegas if no one ________________________ (come) to see her show?
(d)

If the river ____________________ (keep) rising, there ___________________ (be) a flood, and we ______________________ (have) to evacuate our homes.

(e) Peter says that if he __________________________ (hear) one more joke about his skiing accident, he _______________________ (lose) his temper. (f) The customer ________________________ (take) the company to court if he doesnt receive a refund. (g) My two cousins _________________________ (take) a trip to Columbia if my aunt and uncle _____________________ (let) them.
(h)

If you _________________________ (need) any help, I ___________________ (be) at the office until five oclock.

(i) If we dont finish on time, we ___________________ (have) to work overtime.

(j)

She ____________________ (dance) with you if you ________________ (ask) her.

(k) If the wind _______________________ (stop) blowing, it wont be as cold.

(l)

The children ___________________ (play) outside later if it ________________ (be) warmer. If the sun _______________________ (come) out, we ___________________ (go) for a walk in the park. If you _____________ (read) this book, you _____________________ (understand) why the country is having such difficulty getting out of the recession.

(m)

(n)

(o) Does he know that if he _____________________ (show) up late one more time, the boss _______________________ (fire) him? (p) If the President ______________________ (decide) to visit our city, the Municipal Council _____________________ (organize) a parade.
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WILLIAM L. MILNES Enseignement de langlais 2007

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES: Future Possible Conditionals (4)

One way to practise forming future possible conditionals is to create a chain of conditionals like the one below: If he goes to Florida next winter, he will spend a lot of time on the beach. If he spends a lot of time on the beach, he will get a bad sunburn. If he gets a bad sunburn, he will have to go to the hospital. If he has to go to the hospital, it will cost a lot of money. If it costs a lot of money, he will use his credit card. If he uses his credit card, he will go into debt. If he goes into debt, he will have to work overtime when he goes back to work. If he has to work overtime, he will start to hate his job. If he starts to hate his job, he will quit his job. If he quits his job, he will not have any income and he will not be able to pay off his debt. If he is not able to pay off his debt, he will lose his credit card. If he loses his credit card, he will not be able to go to Florida anymore. Classroom Activities and Exercises
(a)

The class creates a story by using a chain of future possible conditionals. A first student begins with a future possible conditional. The next student must use the main clause of the first students conditional as the "IF" clause of a new conditional. The third student does the same, and then the fourth student and the fifth student. The chain of conditionals goes around the class from student to student. Work with a partner to create a story using a chain of future possible conditionals. Try to make your story as coherent as possible and then recite it to the class. Write ten future possible conditionals that begin with the IF clause. Write ten future possible conditionals that begin with the main clause.

(b)

(c) (d) (e)

Write a short paragraph about future possibilities using one of the following IF clauses to begin: (1) If I win the lottery next week . . .
(2) (3)

If I have enough money to retire early . . . If Jean Chrtien decides to return to politics . . . If the economy goes into a recession . . . If Mario Dumont becomes the Premier of Quebec . . . If I go to a restaurant for dinner next week . . .
(8)

(4) If I take a trip next winter . . .

(5) (6) (7)

If Cline Dion flies with Air Canada . . .

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WILLIAM L. MILNES Enseignement de langlais 2007