CONDITIONAL CLAUSES
Among the wide range of meanings expressed by subordinate clauses, condition is of particular interest to both native and non-native speakers of English. In contrast to certain other European languages, which use a wide range of verb forms in both the conditional clause and the main clause, English uses only one of three tenses in the conditional clause: present, past and past perfect tenses. A modal may be used in the main clause.
Conditional clauses are typically introduced by the subordinating conjunction if:
1 If it’s not too expensive, we’ll buy it straight away.
2 If you leave right now, you’ll be able to catch the last train.
3 If Tom passes his driving test, he will soon be buying a car, for sure.
Conditions are divided into three main types: open, hypothetical and counterfactual. The first type is a real condition, while the other two types show varying degrees of remoteness (irrealis).
