Conditional Sentences and Relative Clauses
Understanding Conditional Sentences
First Conditional
Form: if + present simple + will/can/shall/may/might/must + infinitive
Use: To talk about a possible future action or situation.
- If they ask for an explanation, they will understand the reason.
- You must pay attention if you want to understand the lesson.
- If they go to the interview, they might get the job.
Second Conditional
Form: if + past simple + would/could/might + infinitive
Type A: Hypothetical but possible in the present/future
Example: If she asked her friends for help, they would help her.
Type B: Hypothetical, unreal, or even impossible in the present or future
Example: If her sister wasn’t blind, she would take them to the gallery.
Third Conditional
Form: if + past perfect (had + past participle) + would have + past participle
Use: Unreal past situations (situations that did not happen).
Examples:
- If you had asked me, I would have told you.
- If you had worked harder, you would have passed the test.
Defining Relative Clauses
- No commas are used.
- The relative pronoun is frequently omitted when it is the object of the clause.
Examples:
- This is the man (whom) I saw.
- The man (who) lives next door is…
- The people who live next door are English.
- He took the job which paid the highest salary.
- Animals that live in apartments deserve more space.
- I know a man whose wife won 20 million euros in the lottery. (Use whose instead of his, her, their.)
- I know a good restaurant where you can eat very cheaply.
These are called “contact clauses” because the two clauses are in direct contact.
Examples:
- Jackie is the girl (who) you met last Friday.
- They didn’t have the book (that) I wanted.
- The pronoun that is commonly used in defining clauses and can replace who, whom, or which.
Example: A person that (who) teaches is a teacher.
- That can never be preceded by a preposition. Use whom instead.
Example: She is the girl to whom I was talking.
Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Example: London, which has over 6 million inhabitants, is the capital of the United Kingdom.
- It is parenthetical, enclosed in commas.
- In prepositional forms, the relative pronoun is always preceded by the preposition.
Examples:
- Mr. Chadwick, to whom I spoke on the phone, is arriving on Monday.
- Tiger Woods, who studied at Stanford University, has won many major golf prizes.
- The pronoun that cannot be used in non-defining clauses.
When the relative pronoun refers to the entire idea contained in the preceding clause, use which (preceded by a comma). This clause is always non-defining.
Example: We often work in groups, which is very stimulating.
Used to + Infinitive
Used to expresses a past habit or state that is now finished.
Example: John stopped smoking two years ago. He doesn’t smoke anymore. He used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day.
- Used to + infinitive refers to past habits and states that are now finished.
- Used to has no present form. For present habits, use the simple present tense.
Examples:
- Did you use to play football at school?
- I didn’t use to like opera, but now I do.
Be Used To / Get Used To + Gerund (-ing)
- Be used to + -ing: To be accustomed to something; it is not strange or new.
- Get used to + -ing: To become accustomed to something.
Example: Jane is American but she has lived in Britain for three years. When she first drove a car in Britain, she found it very difficult because she had to drive on the left instead of on the right. Driving on the left was strange and difficult for her because she wasn’t used to it. She wasn’t used to driving on the left. But after some time, driving on the left became less strange. So, she got used to driving on the left. Now after three years, it’s no problem for Jane. She is used to driving on the left. She had to get used to driving on the left.
- If a person is used to something, it is not strange or new. It is familiar.