CONDITIONAL CLAUSES

ORACIONES CONDICIONALES EN INGLÉS

Las condicionales son oraciones compuestas en las cuales podemos distinguir claramente una proposición principal o apódosis (main clause) y una proposición subordinada o prótasis introducida por la conjunción if (if-clause). Este tipo de oraciones se usan para expresar que la acción de la oración principal sólo tendrá lugar si se cumple la condición expuesta en la proposición subordinada. Hay 3 tipos de oraciones condicionales.

CONDICIONAL TIPO 1

Form

if + Simple Present, will-Future

Example: If I find her address, I will send her an invitation.

La oración principal también puede estar al principio de la oración. En este caso no lleva coma.

I will send her an invitation if I find her address.

Uso

Este tipo de oraciones condicionales se refieren al futuro. Una acción sólo ocurrirá en el futuro si cierta condición se cumple. No estamos seguros de que la condición llegue a cumplirse; sin embargo las condiciones parecen bastante reales, y por eso pensamos que es probable que éstas se cumplan.

If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

Quiero enviar una invitación a una amiga. Sólo tengo que encontrar su dirección. Estoy bastante seguro, sin embargo, de que la encontraré.

If John has the money, he will buy a Ferrari.

Conozco a John muy bien y sé que gana mucho dinero y de que le encantan los Ferraris; por eso creo que es muy probable que tarde o temprano acabe teniendo el dinero para comprarse uno

CONDICIONAL TIPO 2

Forma

if + Simple Past, would

Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

Were en vez de Was

En este tipo de oraciones usamos were aunque el pronombre sea I, he, she or it –.

If I were you, I would not do this.

Uso

Las condicionales de tipo 2 se refieren a situaciones del presente/futuro. Una acción podría ocurrir si la situación fuera diferente. En realidad no espero que la situación cambie. Sin embargo, en ciertos casos es posible (aunque poco probable).

If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

Me gustaría envíar una invitación a una amigo. He buscado por todos lados su dirección y no puedo encontrarla. Por eso ahora considero muy poco probable que al final pueda enviarle la invitación.

If John had the money, he would buy a Ferrari.

Conozco a John muy bien. Sé que tiene poco dinero y que le encantan los ferraris. Considero muy improbable que alguna vez tenga el dinero suficiente para comprarse uno.

CONDICIONAL TIPO 3

Forma

if + Past Perfect, Conditional Perfect

If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.

Uso

Hacen referencia a situaciones del pasado. Una acción podría haber ocurrido si cierta condición se hubiese cumplido. Lo que hacemos es imaginarnos que habría sucedido si la condición se hubiese cumplido.

Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.

En algún momento del pasado, quise enviar una invitación a una amiga. No encontré su dirección y por eso no pude enviarle una invitación.

Example: If John had had the money, he would have bought a Ferrari.

Conocí a John muy bien y sé que él nunca tuvo mucho dinero. Sin embargo le encantaban los ferraris. Le habría encantado tener uno pero nunca tuvo dinero para comprarse uno.

Practice on Conditional Clauses

Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type I) by putting the verbs into the correct form.

If you ____________ ____________ (send) this letter now, she ____________ (receive) it tomorrow.

If I ____________ (do) this test, I ____________ (improve) my English.

If I ____________ (find) your ring, I ____________ (give) it back to you.

Peggy ____________ (go) shopping if she ____________ (have) time in the afternoon.

Simon ____________ (go) to London next week if he ____________ (get) a cheap flight.

If her boyfriend ____________ (phone / not) today, she ____________ (leave) him.

If they ____________ (study / not) harder, they ____________ (pass / not) the exam.

If it ____________ (rain) tomorrow, I ____________ (have to / not) water the plants.

You ____________ (be able/ not) to sleep if you ____________ (watch) this scary film.

Susan ____________ (can / move / not) into the new house if it ____________ (be / not) ready on time.

Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type II) by putting the verbs into the correct form.

If we ____________ (have) a yacht, we ____________ (sail) the seven seas.

If he ____________ (have) more time, he ____________ (learn) karate.

If they ____________ (tell) their father, he ____________ (be) very angry.

She ____________ (spend) a year in the USA if it ____________ (be) easier to get a green card.

If I ____________ (live) on a lonely island, I ____________ (run) around naked all day.

We ____________ (help) you if we ____________ (know) how.

My brother ____________ (buy) a sports car if he ____________ (have) the money.

If I ____________ (feel) better, I ____________ (go) to the cinema with you.

If you ____________ (go) by bike more often, you ____________ (be / not) so flabby.

She ____________ (not / talk) to you if she ____________ (be) mad at you.

Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type III) by putting the verbs into the correct form.

If you ___________________ (study) for the test, you ___________________ (pass) it.

If you ___________________ (ask) me, I ___________________ (help) you.

If we ___________________ (go) to the cinema, we ___________________ (see) my friend Jacob.

If you ___________________ (speak) English, she ___________________ (understand) .

If they ___________________ (listen) to me, we ___________________ (be) home earlier.

I ___________________ (write) you a postcard if I ___________________ (have) your address.

If I ___________________ (not / break) my leg, I ___________________ (take part) in the contest.

If it ___________________ (not/ start) to rain, we ___________________ (walk) to the museum.

We ___________________ (swim) in the sea if there ___________________ (not / be) so many sharks there.

If she ___________________ (take) the bus, she ___________________ (not / arrive) on time.

Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type I, II or III) by putting the verbs into the correct form.

If they ____________(have) time at the weekend, they will come to see us.

If we sneak out quietly, nobody ____________ (notice) .

If we ____________ (know) about your problem, we would have helped you.

If I ____________ (be) you, I would not buy that dress.

We ____________ (arrive) earlier if we had not missed the bus.

If I didn't have a mobile phone, my life ____________ (not / be) complete.

Okay, I ____________ (get) the popcorn if you buy the drinks.

If I ____________ (tell) you a secret, you would be sure to leak it.

She ____________ (go) out with you if you had only asked her.

I would not have read your diary if you ____________ (not hide) it in such an obvious place.

You can do these exercises online by visiting

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences

If you need to revise other grammar topics, you can go to

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar

Las Subordinadas Adverbiales

Subordinadas de lugar Subordinadas de tiempo Subordinadas causales Subordinadas consecutivas Subordinadas de modo Subordinadas Comparativas y proporcionales Subordinadas restrictivas Subordinadas finales Subordinadas concesivas

Subordinadas de Lugar

Representan dentro de la oración compuesta el papel de un adverbio de lugar. Se unen a la principal por medio de where, que no suele llevar antecedente :

They stopped where they saw a light

Cuando lleva antecedentes se puede usar el pronombre relativo en vez de where

This is the house in which (where) I was born

Subordinadas de Tiempo

· when (cuando)

When he arrived they had already left

I’ll phone you when I finish[1]

· while (mientras) Suele ir con tiempos en forma progresiva :

While he was reading , somebody knocked on the door

· before (antes de que)

I’ll visit John before he goes away

He had got home before the film started

· after (después de que)

John will wash the car after he washes up

He went to bed after he had written a letter to his sister

· since (desde que)

I have been wanting to be an actor since I saw him

· whenever (siempre que)

Whenever I ask him about the money, he never answers

· as (cuando/mientras)

I fell over as I was leaving

· until/till (hasta que)

We shall be together until the bus leaves

· now that (ahora que)

Now that you know where we live, you can come to see us whenever you want

· as long as (mientras que)

We will be with you as soon as we can

· once (una vez que)

They bought a flat once they had decided to get married

· the moment (that) (el momento en que)

· the day (that) (el día que)

· the very moment (that) (en el mismo momento que)

The moment she saw him she fell in love with him

· no sooner ...than

· hardly...when (apenas ... cuando)

· scarcely...wheN

He had no sooner sat down than somebody knocked on the door

Como se puede observar estas locuciones adverbiales se colocan en posición intermedia.[2] Si se colocan al principio de la oración es preciso realizar una inversión :

No sooner had he sat down than somebody knocked on the door

Las Subordinadas Causales y Consecutivas

Las subordinadas causales expresan la causa, el motivo o la razón de la oración principal. Suelen venir introducidas por las siguientes conjunciones

· because (porque). No suele colocarse al principio de la oración.

I went to the supermarket because I needed to buy some fruit

· as/since (ya que, puesto que). Pueden colocarse en medio o al principio.

Since it froze hard the night before there was ice everywhere next day

· seeing that (a la vista de que)

Seeing that you don’t like Susan, why are you going out with her ?

Las oraciones consecutivas, por el contrario, expresan el resultado o consecuencia de la oración principal. Estos son los principales nexos :

· so (así que, por eso)

I needed to buy some fruit and so I went to the supermarket[3]

· therefore (por lo tanto, por consiguiente)

The house isn’t his ; therefore he can’t sell it

· that is (the reason) why (esa es la razón por la que)

He´s got his leg in a plaster, and that´s why he sleeps badly

Las Subordinadas Modales

Las dos conjunciones modales son as y like ; as expresa condición, estado o calidad y like indica parecido o similitud. La conjunción how también introduce oraciones modales

He drinks like a fish

As a teacher he’s wonderful

That is how he behaved

Las Subordinadas Comparativas

· as...as (so...as) (tan...como)

He is as lazy as his brother is hard-working

· -er (more) ... than (más ...que)

He has more information than you think

He was shorter than I expected

· less...than (menos que)

He rests more than he works

Las Subordinadas Proporcionales

· the more...the more (-er...-er) (cuanto más ... tanto más)

The more you listen the more you learn

The heavier the car is, the more petrol it uses

· the less...the less (cuanto menos...tanto menos)

The less you smoke the less you cough

Las Subordinadas Restrictivas

· as far as I know (que yo sepa)

· as far as I am concerned (por lo que a mi respecta)

· as far as I can remember (que yo recuerde)

He isn´t here as far as I know

As far as I am concerned you may go wherever you want

As far as I can remember, John hasn’t been to Oxford.

· without + nombre/pronombre objeto + gerundio (sin que)

Please try to do it without anybody knowing[4]

Las Subordinadas Finales

· to/ in order to/ so as to (para/a/con el fin de/a fin de + infinitivo)

He bought his brother a present (so as) to surprise him

You should phone Mr Smith in order to get information

Como podemos observar, utilizaremos esta estructura cuando el sujeto de la oración

principal es el mismo que el de la subordinada.

· so that/in order that[5] + sujeto + modal + infinitivo (para que, con el fin de que)

He chose that university so that his son could study physics

He helps his brother study English so that he can pass the final exam[6]

Esta construcción se puede emplear tanto si el sujeto de la subordinada es el mismo de la principal como si es diferente :

He chose that university so that he could study physics

Los verbos modales que se utilizan suelen ser will,can, shall si la referencia es al tiempo presente o futuro, y would, could, should, si la referencia es al pasado.

Las Subordinadas Concesivas

Expresan una dificultad que no impide el desarrollo de lo indicado en la oración principal. Los principales nexos son los siguientes :

· Although/though/even if/even though (aunque)

Although my car is old, it is still reliable

· Despite + nombre/gerundio

(a pesar de)

· in spite of + nombre/gerundio

We went for a walk in spite of the rain

· Despite the fact (that)

(a pesar de que)

· In spite of the fact (that)

We went for a walk in spite of the fact that it was raining

· However (sin embargo)[7]

· but, while, whereas (pero, mientras que)

John is very rich but/while/whereas his friends are extremely poor.

· on the one hand...on the other hand (por un lado...por otro)

On the one hand these computers are very expensive. On the other hand they are exactly what we want

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[1] Obsérvese que la combinación de tiempos en esta oración compuesta es similar a la que se da en la oración condicional de primer tipo : futuro en la oración principal y presente en la subordinada.

[2] Por posición intermedia se entiende :

a. entre el sujeto y el verbo principal en los tiempos de presente y pasado simple

b. entre el verbo auxiliar y el verbo principal en el resto de tiempos verbales.

[3] Obsérvese que una misma idea puede expresarse tanto por medio de una causal como por una consecutiva, ya que ambos tipos de subordinadas adverbiales expresan los conceptos de causa y efecto.

[4] Por favor intenta hacerlo sin que nadie lo sepa.

[5] In order that es menos corriente que so that

[6] No es preciso traducir el verbo modal, basta con que el verbo en español vaya en subjuntivo ; presente de subjuntivo si se trata de will, can, shall y pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo si se trata de would, could, should. De este modo los ejemplos arriba mencionados se traducirían de la siguiente manera :

Eligió esa universidad para que su hijo estudiara

Ayuda a estudiar inglés a su hermano para que éste pueda aprobar el examen final.

[7] However puede colocarse :

a. al principio de la oración detrás de pausa fuerte y seguido de coma

He was accused of robbing the necklace ; however, he didn’t do it.

b. entre comas en medio

John went to the bank. The bank, however, was closed.

c. a final de oración

The bank was closed, however.

THE STEPS TO A GOOD COMPOSITION

1.- Preliminary Outline: note down all the idea which occur to you in connection with the subject. Do not worry about order, you can arrange them later simply by putting numbers beside them.

2. Introduction: Begin with a topic sentence. Your topic sentence will introduce the main point of the paragraph and will be supported by reasons or clarified examples in the rest of the paragraphs. Aim for an arresting opening: one which will induce the reader to go on reading. You may start with anecdotes or statements.

3. Middle paragraphs: It is important you should organize your material, that it does not give the impression of one idea disorderly followed by another. Maintain a consistent point of view: avoid unnecessary changes in person, number or tense, and avoid irrelevant material. Use connectors to compare several points of view, to give emphasis, to indicate contrast, etc

4. Conclusion: It should signal to the reader that he is now coming to the end. Present your conclusion in a short paragraph. Be concrete. Let the reader know that your ideas are clear.

CONNECTORS

a) To introduce: In the first place, to begin with, to start with, firstly, first, first of all, it is a well attested fact that..., It is a truth universally acknowledged that...

b) Expressing personal information: in my opinion, in my view, personally, as far as I am concerned.

c) To continue: in the second place, secondly, next, apart from that, moreover, what is more, furthermore, besides, in addition.

d) To contrast: on the one hand, ... on the other; while; although; even though; In spite of (the fact that); Despite (the fact that); however; nevertheless; on the contrary, in contrast with, but, yet (used as a synonym for 'but').

e) To compare: likewise, similarly

f) To emphasize: There is no doubt there can be no doubt, without doubt, it is obvious that, it is certain that.

g) Cause: because, because of + noun, owing to, due to.

h) To express consequence or result: for this reason, therefore, as a result, consequently, in consequence, thus, so.

i) To give examples: In other words, that is to say, for instance, for example.

j) Referring to someone or something: As regards..., with regard to..., As far as...is concerned.

k) To conclude: In conclusion, to sum up, in brief, in short, therefore, the conclusion to be drawn from this is that..., we can conclude by saying that..., finally, lastly, all in all, and last but not least.