Practise your Tenses

@§ lf with situations which are real possibilities

Present IFuture An if-clause of tlús type is sometimes known
as the 'first conditional'.
If you hurry, I you'll get there in time.

Present it willit
Present
boiL
boils. or Future
usually starts
ually start to cry.
00°C.
s heated
is hungry, An if-clause can be used in stating general
rules or laws.

11 Ann and Celia are writers for television. They are discussing how
to continue a 'soap opera' ea story wlúch goes on week after
week). Underline the correct choices in the dialogue below.
Sometimes both choices are correct. Note that 0 = 'no word at
all'.

CELIA: The problem is, 1if/'/J Margaret 2will marry/marries Henry, 3if/'/J our viewers
4don't/won't like it.
ANN: Why not?
CELIA: Well, Henry's so lazy. As 1see it, 5if/'/J a person 6is/will be energetic, like Margaret,
7if/'/J she 8isn 't/won 't be the right kind of person for someone like Henry.
ANN: Maybe you're right. But often 9if/'/J people lOare/will be attracted to each other
11if/'/J they 12are/will be different from each other.
CELIA: OK.I've got an idea: 13if/'/J people 14always get/will always get interested
15if/'/J there 16is/will be some character they really dislike. Right? So let's make Henry
really unpleasant. Then 17if/'/J it 18looks/willlook as if Margaret is going to marry
Henry, 19if/'/J people 2D¡eel/willfeel sorry for her. And of course, 21if/'/J everyone
22is/will be happy 23if/'/J we 24save/'ll save her from Henry at the last moment.

56
 37 !f with situations which are unlikely or unreal

@1J Jfwith situations which are unlikely or lillTeal

An if clause of this type is sometimes known as the 'second
conditional'.

IPast 'Would'
If she went to work in France she 2would leam French very quickly.
(these things are unlikely to happen)
If 13were younger 1would apply for the job.
(1 am not younger, so these are not real possibilities)

'Would' Past
They would be very angry if they Jound out.
(these things are unlikely to happen)
1would take his remarks seriously if 1didn 't know him so well.
(but 1know him, so these are not real possibilities.)

1 With this type of if-clause, the 'past' form is usually the simple
past, but could also be past progressive: Jfyou were livÍngin
France, you would ha ve to go to school there.
2 Would can occur as 'd informally.
3 Note that Jf l/he/she/it were ... is still considered more correct
than Jf l/he/she/it was ... in formal writing. But Jf J/he/she/it
was ... is widely used.

11 Millford Football Club isn't doing very well. The manager is

dreaming of things that are unlikely to happen, or are not real
possibilities. Write down what he thinks, according to the
information given below. Decide whether the if-clause should go
in the first or the second half of the sentence.

1 We pay higher wages. We attract better players.

If we p-Cfi.d 11~~e.rwageó we WU1A W a ttn~
ct be.tt.er Q la ~er.-1.
LIVERPOOI.
o
3/71111011
9WonlLostlOrewllM.
1 E'Jaycd
LEAGUE TABLE
1 1 128
ID
MILLfORO
TEAM

2 We win more matches.

57
Practise your Tenses

3 We have our team from 1921-22. We win the cupo

4 We score a lot of goals.

~.
A~/( 1l1li
Diego Maradona plays for uso

5 Our goalkeeper doesn't have a broken lego

~oJ.~O

6 1am sensible. ~ (~~. I'm not working for this club.

7 Our players run much faster. They don't smoke.

8 Our striker is taller. He scores more goals with his head.

58
 38 if with situations which were possible in the past, but did not occur

~ ff with situations which were possible in the past,

but did not occur
An if-clause ofthis type is sometirnes called the 'third conditional'.

Would have and wouldn't have

Past perfect 'WouIdhave'
If 1had seen her 1would have spoken to her. are the same for all persons:
(but 1didn't see her, and 1didn't speak to her) J would ha ve helped her.
She would have done it.
They wouldn 'tha ve known etc.
'WouIdhave' Past perfect
She wouldn't have succeeded if she hadn't worked hard. Would have can occur as 'd have
(but she did succeed, and she did work hard) informally.

11 The Principal of the Express School of English is thinking about

his life, and the conditions that led him to do things. What does he
say to hirnself? Write sentences with an if-clause.

1 (J started the school after the bank lent me.f50,OOO.) Ifthe bank ~c:tdn't lent me
ISO, 000 1 WOlALdn't Hcwe ,6Wrte.d the school.

2 (J continued because the school was a success.) I

___ if the school a success.

3 (We won the Pacifica University contract, so we didn't have money problems.) Ifwe
________ the Pacifica University contract, we
money problems.
4 (J didn't retire, so we didn't go to live in Italy.) If I we

_____________ to live in Italy.

5 (We didn't build another language lab because there weren't enough students.) We
________ another language lab if _ enough
students.

6 (We didn't move to a better building because the rentfor this building was so low.) We

to a better building if the rent for this

building _____________ so low.

7 (Anyway, our teachers stayed with us because there was afriendly atmosphere.) Anyway, our
teachers with us if _
a friendly atmosphere.

liI Tell your neighbour about events or decisions which made a

difference to your life. Use ifwith the past perfect tense.

59
Practise your Tenses

~ Mixed conditional and time clauses

11 Two scouts, Alan and Bob, are sheltering from a storm. They are
discussing what has happened, and what to do now. Complete the
conversation with a suitable form of the verb in brackets.

ALAN: We Ccarry on) ) lA CQrr~ ~~.OYI~_with our walk when the weather (2clear up)

BOB: YesoBut if 1 Cknow) the weather was going to be this bad, 1

(4never set out)

ALAN: Well, it's a bit brighter now. If it (5stop) raining, we (6easily be)
- back at the camp by sunset.

BOB: 1 suppose things could be worse. Do you remember the hill-walk last year? We Chave
to) turn back almost as soon as we (8start)
_________ , when Charlie Dickson (9break)
his ankle.

ALAN: That's right. And that was after we COspend) ages preparing for
the walk.

BOB: Still, we were lucky that the accident happened so soon after we (llset out)
. Ifit C2happen) later, we C3have to)
carry Charlie for miles.

ALAN: Well just at this moment, 1couldn't carry anybody. If a helicopter (14come) _
over the top of that hill, 1 (15wave) to the pilot for a
lift.

BOB: There isn't much chance of that. Anyway, my problem is my feet. They're killing me! 1(16put)
some ointment on them if 1 (17have) _
any. But 1forgot to pack it.

ALAN: Me too. But the rain's stopped, so let's go. Just think! When we C8get)

---_ a good, hot meal at the camp tonight, we (l9te) glad

that we carne.

60
 meant
have
ran
said
sowed
carne
swore
wore
met
sawed
sewed
went
meet
saw
cut
cost
cast
sew
send
ate
tore
Base
made
blew
becarne
bore
rose
mean
lose
rise
have
bet
bent
arose
paid
lie
rode
ride
run
sow
sell
shrink
show
sat
stood
sent
forbade
beat
make
lost
awoke
bled
bound risen
run
havelain
read
bit
broke
bred
forecast
shine
stole
shook
shake
shone
shoot
stank
stink
froze
strike
swear
swept
swarn
swim
throw
won
tear
thrust
win
knit
haveled
wound arisen
seen
come
sworn
swurn
worn
met
set
eaten
won
meant
cut
cost
sat
cast
sent
torn
written
rung
drearntJdrearned
drew
smell
did
dealt
havesunk
crept
see
sink
shut
fled
burst
built
seek
sit
stand
drive
drank
felt
set
steal
flew
stick
fed
hid
hit
havetaken
hurt
kneltJkneeled
led
leantJJeaned
withdrew
wept
knew
let
left
wrote lost
become
borne
awoken
ridden
bent
bet
bound
bitten
bred
drearntJ
drawn
shrunk
done
dealt
sprung
built
fled
flown
stolen
stuck
forecast
shone
driven
felt
spun
shot
fed
told
thrust
understand
woke
wake
wear
wind
withdraw
write read
smeltJsmelled
wound
withdrawn
smeltJsmelled
have
broadcast
bumtJburned
sank
sold
shrank
showed
found
chose
stuck
fell
shot
struck
held
told
tell
think
threw
heard
laid
grew
took
take
lent
teach
rang
put
sprang
stung
spat
got
Past burst
found
frozen
given
heard
laid
leantJJeaned
lent
known
left
made
beaten
bled
blown
put
broken
burntJburned
said
sung
sold
shut
broadcast
spent
sownlsowed
stood
stung
shown
forbidden
shaken
drunk
chosen
fallen
spat
stunk
struck
thrown
hid/hidden
hit
held
swung
grown
hurt
understood
kneltJkneeled
understood
woken
leamtJJearned
learnt/learned
let
litJlighted
light
pay
lay
ring
began
brought
say
sleep
slept
dug
sing
sought
sang
bought
spend
speak
fought
spread
spring
caught
spent
spoke
spin
speed
forgot
clung
spit
forgave
gave
kept
hung crept
got
swept
gone
'bearspoiltJspoiled
weep is often
wept
perfect
simple
paid
begun
brought
sought
dug
spoiltJspoiled
spoil
sting
spun
sped
split
sweep
thought
swung
swing slept
sewn
spoken
spread
bought
fought
caught
sped
split
clung
forgotten
forgiven
thought
taught
kept
hung
leaptJJeaped
haveleaptJJeaped
participle, ed) 1used
litJJighted
havesawn(ed)
taught knit (e.g.
(ted) was inborn
the passive,
in 1980.with a different past
Irregular verbs
Base 61
( ed) means that the regular form in ed is an alternative to the irregular formo
 Practise your Tenses

~ Present perfect progressive: questions and

statements; negative statements
The present perfect progressive is used to describe continuous
or repeated actions extending from the past into the present (or
almost to the present). Questions using the present perfect
_continuous..rnayJJe..understooilas complaints or accusations:
Who 's been borrowing books without permission?
been
dreaming 's
etc.'ve been
I/We/You/They
has Has Have he/she/it
dreaming?
Vwe/you/they
mal) (formal) etc.
/lt

been
dreaming etc.haven't
hasn't
not I/We/You/They
has not Negative questions (e.g.Haven't1 been
mal) (formal)
/lt telling you ... ?, Why hasn't he been
working?) are not so common, and are not
practised below.

11 Several students live together in a nat. Gina is in charge of buying

the food. Read her conversation with Kate. Make the correct
present perfect progressive form from the words in brackets.

GINA: Kate, el look) rve been l.<Juki--ttg_ in the fridge. lt looks as if esomeone
use) a lot of food. ls it you, Kate? eyou do)
---- a lot of cooking?
KATE: No. (41 not use) the kitchen mucho (51 eat)
at the student cafeteria.
GINA: Well, what about Vera and Julie? (6they entertain)
their friends here? I'm sure I've heard them talking to friends late at night.
KATE: Well, 1think CVera discuss) politics with
her friends during the student elections. But I'm almost sure (8she not cook)
. You know how she hates cooking. And as for Julie, (9she stay)
out late with her friends most nights.
GlNA: Anyway, eOwe spend) _ a lot of money on food recently.
KATE: Well, it isn't surprising, is it? (11 Prices go up) all the time.
26
 15 Present perfect: mixed simple and progressive fonns

[ill Present peIfect: mixed simple and progressive

forrns
11 Mrs Ellis is writing to her son, Thomas, who is a student. Write the
most suitable present perfect form (simple or progressive) using
the words in brackets.

~ea.IC. TitO'»< {lA I

(I/t k) It ha-1 beet1 /JeuoroJ we.d.4 /Jtftce we !(v:,.¡-
-ha.c1 a leHor 111tn1< '(O'U.. (l We. /rape.) io i,etV(
-IJT.~ l/CM.. l(} 1. 'f (3 l1¡jT 't (Jl.( 1AjJ'1lt-~) fo WJ?
!1(ft( "¡C11..VW -Itaur 7111. 1,(cJz '!(JU '{ It ftM./J (If. al' W7J ~ n1. ea. n.) _
-lo t(,4.

(S / /JÚld) a fJM al fr¡ '1()U, w if.l /)(}"H( ~

/oud CJAd W(Vtn< tftJflteA. YUUfl ,1(I'.¡.i~ (6 Acwe) _

iA!. wu~t'l /Jp<J.l1f/J maf4..3in~ YO'l< 6Ae +0 ./Teat:l, a~d (7 we. puf)
ifr-Me. ..¡"" .¡.Ae ¡JtVrat roo.

Lile. ('90 iT(1) tZ/.J l{4uJ -AMe. 1nn JO'He/J

ntxT doo.rr1 wlo (9 11.~f enj~) 90-0cl -Aeatf-A

.11ecUl ft';f 1 (lO Itav-e fe) ~ UrirJ Ito~pd-af.
(" He lave) tl/ft O'p&ro.fitrn. al/.tI wiff -k
~ O"n( -e aJo 4. in /J crr:rn. meaAA. W ~,'I'.e, A c4 ~ tt:f (/ Z CtTm. e) _
___ iD 1M 1oJ? ~tn1 (HIel mdJ.. J 7/¡inJ¿ (lj?Ve n<tt-nCi1e)
iD loo~ a/-f« {¡f q.uife wetl.

(14 '!utl /ue) anlfT1t.Wt1 (JI m()J(1f. A?ldJt~?

Af'ftUl~dl'f ('s le ha.ue) 4~loot 11.tTW a.17.d
t/; af -drt! /Jam.e colleje. tJ/J fd(Jl.(.. (" tul. jef)
l1lW.;1 01 ,{~ .rre9,-<ftVtt¡ 11rnt1 IW:J 711f.(JiheA. 3Ltr-, o/

________
CC/U..rr/u~, /" e' .;J -fwo aA/J '1C/U7\.
'd f!.v/'eflt(J( j a?\. y ()'L(... (/1
(1ft(J'(tf!.., ~?11.eef) h' e 1tOT /J a1f )_

'fUU Ol! -n"T.

B'f 1111W ~ QW7 f/r/JT M<an1A ~itt.rfe etVb1.. ÚJ~ /..O]J¿ t'l lfdU.
do) we f.( Vt .;/, en1. . 2 a w.mfe /J (T(}"I{ •

{o t.Q o/ lave}
1'11 u f'1{ .

27