Mastering English Conditionals, Verbs, and Reported Speech
Conditional Sentences (Real or Potential)
If / Unless + person + present simple + future simple / modal (can, may, etc.) / present tense / imperative
Example: If I can get a ticket, I will come to the match.
Second Conditional (Improbable and Imaginary)
If + past simple + person + modal (would, could, might, etc.) + main verb in base form
Example: If you moved away, would you miss Barcelona?
Example 2: Tip: I would not do that if I were you.
Third Conditional (Impossible)
If + person + past perfect + modal (could, would, etc.) + have + past participle of main verb
Example: If you had told us, we would have helped you.
Conditional Elements
- Whether: Used as ‘if’, for a choice between two things.
- Unless: (If negative) Replaced by ‘if’.
- Even if: To emphasize.
- As long as, Providing / Provided (that): If it satisfies the condition that… or whenever…
Subjunctive with Wish / If Only
- Present: Wish / If only + person + past simple (I wish I were here)
- Past: Wish / If only + person + past perfect (If only I had been here)
- Future: Wish / If only + person + would / could + infinitive (I wish I could be here tomorrow)
Gerund
Used after these verbs: Admit, avoid, consider, deny, detest, enjoy, finish, imagine, mind, miss, practice, resist, suggest.
Infinitive
Used after these verbs: Afford, agree, appear, ask, beg, care, claim, decide, demand, expect, fail, hope, learn, manage, need, offer, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, want.
Modal Verbs
- Speculation: Could, may, might (may have, might have, could have + participle)
- Obligation: Must, have to (had to)
- Absence of Obligation or Necessity: Don’t have to, need not (didn’t have to, didn’t need to, hadn’t got to)
- Prohibition: Can’t, mustn’t, may not (couldn’t, mustn’t)
- Advice: Must, should, ought to (should have, had better, ought to have + past participle)
- Skill and Knowledge: Can, be able to (could, was/were able to)
- Possibility and Permission: Can, could, be able to (can, could, was/were able to)
Reported Speech (Indirect Style)
- Present Simple -> Past Simple (drink -> drank)
- Present Continuous -> Past Continuous (are reading -> were reading)
- Past Simple -> Past Perfect (arrived -> had arrived)
- Present Perfect -> Past Perfect (have seen -> had seen)
- Will -> Would (will visit -> would visit)
- Can -> Could
- May -> Might
- I / me / my / mine, you / your / yours, we / us / our / ours -> he / him / his, she / her / hers; they / their / theirs
- This / These -> That / Those
- Now -> Then
- Today / Yesterday / Tomorrow -> That day / The day before / The next day
- Next / Last -> The following / The previous
- Ago -> Before
- Here -> There
Types of Sentences in Reported Speech
- Assertions:
- Reporting verb + (that)
- Reporting verb + object + (that)
- Reporting verb + (not) to + infinitive
- Reporting verb + object + (not) to + infinitive
- Orders and Requests:
- Reporting verb + object + (not) to + infinitive
- Reporting verb + (that) + subject + base form of the verb
- Questions: Reporting wh- + verb + subject + verb
- Suggestions:
- Reporting verb + -ing
- Reporting verb + (that) + subject + base form verb
Verbs for Reported Speech
- + to + infinitive: Advise, agree, encourage, invite, offer, persuade, promise, remind, warn.
- + -ing: Admit, advise, apologize for, recommend.
- + (that) + clause: Accept, admit, agree, insist, persuade, promise, recommend, remind, warn.
Passive Voice
- Present Simple: Subject + am/is/are + past participle
- Past Simple: Subject + was/were + past participle
- Will: Subject + will be + past participle
- Could/Should: Subject + could/should be + past participle
- Present Continuous: Subject + am/is/are being + past participle
- Past Continuous: Subject + was/were being + past participle
- Present Perfect: Subject + has/have been + past participle
- Past Perfect: Subject + had been + past participle
- Modal Perfect: Subject + modal + have been + past participle