CONDITIONALS

Câu điều kiện là dạng câu diễn tả một sự việc có khả năng xảy ra với
điều kiện một sự việc khác xảy ra.
e.g. If it rains, we will stay at home.
Màu đỏ: If-clause
Màu xanh: Main clause

1. Zero conditional:
Form: If present simple, present simple
Use:
+ Sự thật hiển nhiên hoặc mang tính khoa học, chân lý.
e.g. If water reaches 100 celsius degrees, it boils.

+ Thói quen, hành động xảy ra thường xuyên.

e.g. I usually cycle on weekends if the weather is good.

*Có thể đảo vị trí của if-clause và main clause mà ý nghĩa của câu
vẫn giữ nguyên.

2. First conditional:
Form: If present simple, will + bare infinitive
Use:
+ Diễn tả điều kiện có thật hoặc có thể xảy ra ở hiện tại hoặc
tương lai và kết quả của nó.
e.g.
If you have a birthday party, you'll get loads of cool presents!

*Lưu ý:
● Ta còn có thể dùng If present simple, imperative để yêu cầu,
nhờ vả, khuyên nhủ, cảnh báo, ra lệnh,...
e.g. If you decide to have a birthday party, tell me!

● Ta còn có thể dùng các modal verb trong main clause tùy vào
mục đích sử dụng.
e.g. If we go out, we can usually get a babysitter.
 ● Ta còn có thể dùng should + V trong if-clause để diễn tả sự việc
xảy ra một cách tình cờ, ngẫu nhiên.
e.g. If you should bump into Carol, tell her I’m looking for her?

● Ta có thể dùng will trong cả if-clause hoặc với ý nghĩa ‘sẵn sàng
làm điều gì đó’ hoặc để chỉ các kết quả sau này.
e.g. If Clare will meet us at the airport, it will save us a lot of time. (If
Clare is willing to meet us)
If it will make you happy, I’ll stay at home tonight. (If it is true
that you will be happy as a result, I’ll stay at home tonight.)

3. Second conditional:
Form: If past simple, would + V
Use:
+ Điều kiện không có thật hoặc không thể/khó xảy ra trong hiện
tại hoặc tương lai và và kết quả của nó.
e.g. If you had a beard, you would look just like David Beckham!

+ Lời khuyên dành cho người khác.

e.g. If I were you, I would think very carefully about my future.

*Lưu ý:
● Luôn dùng “were” cho mọi ngôi ở if-clause.

● Ta còn có thể dùng might, could trong main clause tùy vào
mục đích sử dụng.
e.g. If we were older, we could go on holiday on our own.

● Ta còn có thể dùng could trong if-clause với ý nghĩa là

was/were able to.
e.g. If I could drive, I would buy a car.

4. Third conditional:
Form: If past perfect, would + have + PII
Use:
+ Điều kiện không có thật ở quá khứ và kết quả của nó.
e.g. If the dog hadn’t barked, we wouldn’t have known there was
someone in the garden.
 (The dog barked, so we knew there was someone in the garden.)

*Lưu ý:
● Ta còn có thể dùng might, could, should trong main clause tùy
vào mục đích sử dụng.
e.g. If I had done some revision, I might/could/should have passed
the exam.

5. Mixed conditional:
● Dạng 2 - 3
Form: If past simple, would + have + PII
Use: Tình huống hiện tại + Kết quả quá khứ
e.g. If I had a mobile, I would have called you last night. (= I don’t have
a mobile so I didn’t call you last night.)

● Dạng 3 - 2
Form: If past perfect, would + V
Use: Tình huống quá khứ + Kết quả hiện tại
e.g. If I had accepted that scholarship, I would be in Britain now. (= I
didn’t accept that scholarship so I’m not in Britain now.)

6. Inverted conditionals:

i động từ Loại 1 Loại 2 Loại 3

g từ to be Should + S1 + (not) + be + Were + S1 + (not) + be + Had + S1 + (not) been

Adj/N, main clause Adj/N, main clause Adj/N, main clause
e.g. Should I be late for the e.g. Were I you, I would not e.g. Had Tama not bee
meeting, my secretary will waste money on shoes. late tonight, all of us w
give you a call. have had a perfect pa

g từ thường Should + S1 + (not) + V1, Were + S1 + to V, main Had + S1 + (not) + PII,

main clause clause main clause
e.g. Should you not like e.g. Were she to call off the e.g. Had he studied ha
this shirt, I’ll give it to meeting again, the he could have passed
someone else. employees would be very final exam.
annoyed.

mixed:
Were + S1 + (not) + Adj/To V, main clause (loại 2 - 3)
 I you, I would not have let her go down that path alone.
I to have a chance, I would have chosen to become a professional actor.
Had + S1 + (not) + PII, main clause (loại 3 - 2)

he been more decisive, she could study abroad now.

Chloe accepted the proposal, she would be in Milan now enjoying her honeymoon trip.

7. Một số cấu trúc khác:

● Unless (= except if / if … not): trừ khi
e.g. Unless I get delayed, I’ll be there at six. (NOT Unless I don’t get
delayed, …)
= Except if I get delayed, …
= If I don’t get delayed, …

● In case (= because S might): phòng khi

e.g. Let’s take our umbrellas in case it rains.
= … because it might rain.

● as / so long as / provided (that): miễn là, chỉ cần

e.g. As long as / So long as / Provided (that) I’m happy, my parents
don’t care what job I do.

● Without: không có
e.g. Without his help, I wouldn’t have completed the plan.
= If he hadn’t helped me, …

EXERCISES
Ex1: Adam is a music student. He rents a room from Mr Day. Put in
the correct forms.
Mr Day: Can't you stop playing that trumpet? You're making an
awful noise.
Adam: Well, if I (0) don’t practise (I / not practise), I won't pass my
exam.
Mr Day: But why at night? It's half past twelve. If (1) _____________ (you
/ play) it in the daytime, (2) ____________ (I / not / hear) you because I'd
be at work. If (3) ________________ (you / tell) me about this trumpet
when you first came here, (4) _____________ (I / not / let) you have the
room. I'm afraid it's becoming a nuisance. If (5) ___________ (you / not /
play) so loud, (6) ____________ (it / not / be) so bad.
Adam: I'm sorry, but you can't play a trumpet quietly.
Mr Day: If (7) ____________ (I / realize) a year ago what you were going
to do, then (8) _____________ (I / throw) you out long ago. If
______________ (you / go) on making this noise at night, (10)
______________ (I / have) to complain to your college.

Ex2: Rewrite the sentences so that the meaning remains the same.
1. The children mustn’t go near Nick’s dog. I’ll bite them.
=>
2. Carol didn’t answer the phone because she was studying.
=>
3. I’m not you, but I think you should call Antony right now!
=>
4. Throw a stone into water and it sinks.
=>
5. We’re not staying in the same hotel, so we can’t share a room.
=>
6. I don’t know anything about plumbing, so I didn’t fix the leak in
the sink myself.
=>
7. I feel better now because you talked to me about my problems
last night.
=>
8. The doctor will see you today only if it’s an emergency.
=> Unless
9. The world would be much better off if all environmental
pollution stopped today.
=> Were
10. Jade will ask lots of difficult questions if she gets to interview a
famous politician.
=> Should

Ex3: Choose the correct word or phrase.

1. This time in six months I’ll be at university unless / if I decide to
take a year off first.
 2. We’d better leave early tomorrow unless / in case there’s a lot
of traffic when we get to the city center.
3. You can watch the film as long as / in case you promise to go
straight to bed when it finishes.
4. Let’s go to Taylor’s new restaurant tonight unless / if you
haven’t been there before.
5. Unless / So long as I’ve still got my health, I don’t mind how
poor I am!
6. You’d better take a sweater with you now if / in case it gets
cold tonight.
7. Do what you like provided / unless you don’t make any noise.
8. We'll have to cancel the show unless / as long as we sell more
tickets at the last minute.

Ex4: If a line is correct, write “correct” next to the number. If there is

an extra word in a line, write it next to the number.
Being an only child
1. _____ I’m an only child. People often say to me: “Wouldn’t you be a
lot
2. _____ happier if you have had brothers and sisters?” but I don’t see
it like that. 3. _____ It’s true that if I had had a brother or sister, I would
have someone closer 4. _____ to my own age to talk to and play with
at home, but I don’t think that’s
5. _____ very important provided for you have close friends, which I
do. If my
6. _____ parents would had more children, they wouldn’t be able to
spend so
7. _____ much time with me. And we have great fun together! Also,
except if I
8. _____ had a brother or sister, I’d have it to share a bedroom with
them. That
9. _____ might be fun, but what would happen if I wanted to play my
CDs and 10. ____ he or she had to study? No - I don’t want a brother
or sister, unless it will
happens, of course. In that case, I’ll think it’s the best thing in
the world!

ANSWER KEY
Ex1:
1. you played
2. I wouldn't/couldn't hear
3. you'd/you had told
4. I wouldn't have let
5. you didn't play
6. it wouldn't be/it might not be
7. I'd/I had realized
8. I would have thrown
9. you go
10. I'll have

Ex2:
1. If the children go near Nick's dog, I will bite them.
2. If Carol hadn't been studying, she would have answered the
phone.
3. If I were you, I would call Antony right now.
4. If you throw a stone into water, it sinks.
5. If we were staying in the same hotel, we could share a room.
6. If I knew something about plumbing, I would/could have fixed
the leak in the sink myself.
7. If you hadn't talked to me about my problems last night, I
wouldn't feel better now.
8. Unless it's an emergency, the doctor won't see you today.
9. Were all environmental pollution to stop today, the world
would be much better off.
10. Should Jade get to interview a famous politician, she will ask
lots of difficult questions.

Ex3:
1. unless
2. in case
3. as long as
4. if
5. So long as
6. in case
7. provided
8. unless
Ex4:
1. correct
2. have
3. had
4. correct
5. for
6. would
7. except
8. it
9. correct
10. will