Present and perfect conditional tense

There are two basic types of English conditionals - the present conditional and perfect conditional tense. The present conditional tense Statement: I would be Negative: He would not be Question: Would you say? Neg. uestion: Would she not practise? Short forms: I'd do, He wouldn't ask, Wouldn't we go? Use !e use the present conditional tense in English "# would be$do etc.% to speculate about present or future situations that could theoretically happen. This form is used when the action is either impossible or when we do not thin& that the action will happen. E'amples: He would be here. "(ut he can)t. #t is not possible.% I would travel by plane. "#f # wanted to go on holiday. (ut # do not want to go.% #n the first person singular and plural should instead of would is also possible. (ut it is not very common in modern English. I should/would be really glad. "#f you could help me%. We should/would send the fax. "(ut we do not &now how to do it%. hould* however* can also e'press a recommendation or advice. #n this respect* it is similar to ought to. I should study tonight. I ought to study tonight. "+r # will fail the e'am tomorrow.% He should drive carefully. He ought to drive carefully. "+r he will crash one day.% !ou should speak loudly. !ou ought to speak loudly. "# can)t hear you.% "ould and #ight are conditionals of can and #ay. They are used to speculate about the present or future. "ould indicates theoretical possibility* might indicates possibility , uncertainty. he could co#e with us to#orrow. "#t is possible. She will be free.% he #ight co#e with us to#orrow. "!e hope that it is possible* but we are not sure.% "ould is also the past form of can and e'presses possibility* ability or permission in the past. -ossibility: he could travel in our car. "#t was possible because we had a free seat for her.% .bility: he could play again in the last #atch. "She was able to play because she was not ill anymore.% -ermission: he could co#e with us last weekend. "/er father allowed her to go.% The perfect conditional Statement: I would have been Negative: He would not have been Question: Would you have practised?

Neg. uestion: Would she not have written? Short forms: I'd have been, He wouldn't have given, Wouldn't we have written? !e ma&e the perfect conditional tense with would and the perfect infinitive "have , past participle%. #n the first person singular and plural should instead of would is also possible. (ut it is not very common in modern English. Use !e use the perfect conditional tense in English "# would have been$done etc.% to speculate about the past situations which were theoretically possible* but did not happen in fact. E'amples: I would have done it. "(ut # didn)t do it%. I would have told her. "(ut she didn)t want to listen.% he wouldn't have #arried #e. "(ecause she didn)t li&e me.% Compare: he would lend #e so#e #oney now. "She is willing to lend me the money. # will as& her.% he would have lent #e so#e #oney last year. "She was willing to lend me the money* but # didn)t as& her.% Similarly: I would do it. Will you help #e? ' I would have done it. $ut you didn't help #e. hould* could and #ight are used in the same way. !ou should finish it soon. ' !ou should have finished it. Why did you give up? We #ight have dinner. I a# hungry. ' We #ight have had dinner. $ut we didn't eat anything. %hey could fly to#orrow. ' %hey could have flown last week. $ut they stayed at ho#e. hould , have , past participle "should have finished% is used to e'press regrets or recommendations concerning the past. He shouldn't have refused it. It was a good offer. "#t is a pity that he refused it.% &ight "#ight have had% and could 'could have flown( are used to speculate about the past. !e say that something was possible* but we &now that it did not happen. He #ight/could have died. $ut they rescued hi#. He #ight/could have won. $ut he didn't buy a lottery ticket. Compare #n English we can also speculate with #ay. #n this case we do not &now if the action really happened or not. He #ay have died. "#t is possible that he died. (ut maybe he is still alive.% He #ay have won. "#t is possible that he won. (ut maybe he lost.%