Structure of USED TO on Conditional sentence

In this usage, the expression used to means the same as would. Used to is always in this form; it can never be use to. Also, there are two grammar rules for used to.

Notice: The difference in meaning as well as in grammar.

                   Subject + used to + verb in simple form……

When David was young, he used to swim once a day.

(past time habit)

                    Subject + (be, get) + used to + (verb + ing)…

For example:

• John is used to swimming every day. (He is accustomed to swimming every day.)
•  John got used to swimming every day. (He became accustomed to swimming every day.)

Note: Be used to means to be accustomed to and get used to means to become accustomed to

• The program director used to write his own letters. (Past time habit)
• George is used to eating at 7: P.M (Is accustomed to)
• We got used to cooking our own food when we had to live alone. (Became accustomed to)
• Mary was used to driving to school. (Was accustomed to)
• The man is used to reading his newspaper in the morning. (Is accustomed to)

How to use Hope and Wish on conditional sentence

These two verbs, while they are similar in meaning, are not at all the same grammatically. The verb hope is used to indicate something that possibly happened or will possibly happen. The verb wish is used to indicate something that definitely did not happen or definitely will not happen. The verb hope can be followed by any tense. The verb wish mush not be followed by any present tense verb or present tense auxiliary. Be sure that you understand the difference in the following sentence with wish and hope.

For example:

• We hope that they will come. (We don’t know if they are coming.)
• We wish that they could come. (They are not coming)
• We hope that they came yesterday. (We don’t know if they came.)
• We wish that they had come yesterday. (They didn’t come.)

Remember that wish is very similar to a contrary to fact or unreal condition.

• Present unreal condition: If I were rich, I would be very happy. 
• Present wish: I wish I were rich. 
• Past unreal condition: If you had been here last night, we would have enjoyed it. 
• Past wish: We wish that you had been here last night.

Note: In the following rules, notice that the word that is optional.

Future wish structure

Subject + wish + (that) + subject + (could + verb, would + verb, were + verb ing)…

Subject can be the same or different.

• We wish that you could come to the party to night. (You can’t come.)
•  I wish that you would stop saying that. (You probably won’t stop.)

• She wishes that she were coming with us. (She is not coming with us)

Present wish structure

Subject + wish + that + subject + simple past tense……..

For example:

• I wish that I had enough time to finish my homework.(I don’t have enough time.)

• We wish that he were old enough to come with us.(He is not old enough.)

• They wish that they didn’t have to go to class today.(They have to go to class.)

Past wish structure

Subject + wish + that + subject + (past perfect could have + verb in past participle)

For example of past wish:

• I wish that I had washed the clothes yesterday.(I didn’t wash the clothes.)

• She wishes that she could have been there.(She couldn’t be there.)

• We wish that we had  more time last night.(We didn’t have more time.)

How to use As if and As though

These conjunctions indicate something unreal or contrary to fact and thus are very similar in form to conditional sentences. The verb which follows these conjunctions must be in the past tense or past perfect. Remember the that the past tense of be in a contrary to fact statement must be were and never was.

As if and As though make up structure

Subject + verb (present) + (as if, as though) + subject + verb (past)………….

• The old lady dresses as if it were winter even in the summer. (It is not winter.)
• Angelique walks as thought she studied modeling. (She didn’t study modeling.)
• He acts as though he were rich. (He is not rich.) 

               
                         Subject + verb (past) + (as if, as though) + subject + verb (past perfect)………..

• Betty talked about the contest as if she had won the grand prize. (She didn’t win the grand prize.)
• Jeff looked as if he had seen a ghost. (He didn’t see ghost.)
• He looked as though he had run ten miles. (He didn’t run ten miles.)

Note: The two preceding rules apply only when as if or as though indicates a contrary to face meaning. At times, they do not have that meaning and then would not be followed by these tenses.

• He looks as if he has finished the test. (Perhaps he has finished.)
• He looked as though he was leaving. (Perhaps he was leaving.)

Unreal conditional sentence

Present or future tense for unreal condition structure

(If + subject + simple past tense +………(would, could, might) + verb in simple form )

For example:

• If I had the time, I would go to the beach with you this weekend. 

            (I don’t have the time.) (I ‘m not going to the beach with you.)

• He would tell you about it if he were here.

          (He won’t tell you about it.) (He’s not here. )

• If he didn’t speak so quickly, you could understand him.

          (He speaks very quickly.) (You can’t understand him. )

Past tense for unreal conditional  structure

       If + subject + past perfect + (would could might)  + have + (verb in past participle )

For example:

• If we had known that you were there, we would have written you a letter.

         (We didn’t know that you were there.) (We didn’t write you a letter.)

• She would have sold the house if she had found the right buyer.

           (She didn’t sell the house. ) (She didn’t find the right buyer. )

• If we hadn’t lost our way, we would have arrived sooner.

           (We lost our way.) (We didn’t arrive early.)

Note: It is also possible to indicate a past unreal condition without using the word if. In this case, the auxiliary had is placed before, rather that after, the subject. This clause will usually come first in the sentence.

                          Had + subject + (verb in past participle )…………

• Had we known that you were there, we would have written you a letter. 
• Had she found the right buyer, she would have sold the house.

The above rules indicate the most common methods of using tenses in conditional sentences. However, if the two actions clearly happened at quite different times, the verbs should show that difference.

• Less common: If she had seen (past) the move, she would tell(future) you. 
• More common: If she had seen(past) the movie, she would have told(past) you.

Real conditional sentence structure

Future time conditional structure

If + subject + simple present tense………….+(will, can, may, must) + (verb in simple form)

For example:

• If I have the money, I will buy a new car.
• We will have plenty of time to finish the project before dinner if it is only ten o’ clock now.

Habitual conditional sentence structure

(If + subject + simple present tense……… + simple present tense…….)

For example:

• If the doctor has morning office hours, he visits his patients in the hospital in the afternoon. 
• John usually walks to school if he has enough time.

Command conditional structure

(If + subject + simple present tense + …………..+ command form ……………)

Remember that the command form consists of the simple form of the verb.

• If you go to the Post Office, please mail his letter for me. 
• Please call me if you hear from Jane.

Introduction to conditional sentence

The models will, would, can, and could often appear in conditional sentence. Usually sentences contain the word if. There two types of conditional: the real and the unreal. The real, or “future possible” as it is sometimes called, is used when the speaker expresses an action or situation which usually occurs, or will occur if the circumstances in the main clause are met.

Hypothetical situation: If  I am not planning anything for this evening, when someone asks me if I want to go to the movies, I say:

• If I have the time, I will go.
• If my headache disappears, we can play tennis.

However, the unreal condition express a situation (past, present, or future) that would take place or would have taken place if the circumstances expressed were or had been different now or in the past.

Hypothetical situation:

• If I don’t have time to go to the movies, but I actually want to go, I say:
• If I had the time, I would go.

(I know I don’t have time, and therefore, I can’t go to the movies.)

• If today were Saturday, we could go to the beach.

( Today is not Saturday, so we can’t go to the beach.)

The if clause can some first or last in the sentence with no change in meaning. Notice that when the if clause comes first, it is followed by a comma.

• If we didn’t have to study, we could go out to night.
• We could go out tonight if we didn’t have to study

( Both sentences means: we can’t go out tonight because we have to study.)

Note: the word if is generally not followed directly by the modal; the modal appears in the other part of the sentence unless there are two modals in one sentence:

If + subject + conjugated verb…………+ modal………

Or

Subject + modal …..+ if………+ conjugated verb……………

Note: In the unreal condition, the past tense form of be is always were in a conditional sentence; it can never be was in correct English.

If I were……………….                    If we were…………… If you were…………….                    If you were……… If he were………… If she were…………                        If they were………. If it were………….

Unreal conditional sentences are difficult for foreign students to understand because it seems that the truth value of a sentence is the opposite of the way the sentence appears. If a verb in an unreal conditional sentence is negative, the meaning is actually positive;  if a verb is positive, the meaning is actually negative.

• If I were rich, I would travel around the world.

(I am not rich). (I’ m not going to travel around the world.)

• If he were sick, he would stay home today.

( He’s not sick.)  (He’s not going to stay home today.)

• If the firemen hadn’t arrived when they did, they couldn’t have saved the house.

( The firemen arrived in time.)      (They saved the house.)