The Subjunctive Mood
Conditional Sentences
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tenses.
1. If he (not take) his gloves off he (not get) frost bitten. 2. She was sent to prison only because she refused to pay the fine; if she (pay) the fine she (not be) sent to prison. 3. He didn't tell me that he was a vegetarian till halfway through the meal. If he (tell) me earlier I (cook) him something more suitable. 4. I had no map; that's why I got lost. If I (had) a map I (be) all right. 5. Why didn't you say that you were short of money? If I (know) I (lend) you some. 6. It's lucky he had his torch with him. If he (not have) it he (fall) down the cellar steps. 7. The job is much worse than I expected. If I (realize) how awful it was going to be I (not accept) it. 8. It was the drug, not the disease, that killed him. He would still be alive today if he (not take) that drug. 9. This room's freezing because the fire has only just been lit. ~ If it (be lit) this morning, as I suggested, the room would be warm enough to sit in now. 10. I overslept; that's why I'm half an hour late; and if my phone (not ring) at nine o'clock I might still be in bed. 11. It was rather a dull game so I left before the end; if I (wait) another five minutes I (see) Chelsea scoring a really exciting goal. 12. The paraffin heater was perfectly safe. There (not be) a fire if the children (not knock) it over. 13. It's a pity he never patented his invention. If he (patent) it he (make) a lot of money. 14. The fog came down suddenly and I suppose they didn't know which way to turn; if only they (have) a map and compass with them they (not be) drowned. 15. He asked his parents for a loan but he didn't say what he wanted the money for, so they refused. I think if he (tell) them that he wanted to open a restaurant they (agree). 16. The accident was mainly Tom's fault. He was driving much too close to the car in front. If he (be) further away he (be able) to stop in time. 17. The launching of the rocket was delayed half an hour by bad weather. If the weather (be) good they (launch) it at 8.30 instead of at 9.00. 18. Why did you throw away those newspapers? I hadn't finished with them. ~ I'm sorry. If I (know) you were still reading them I (not throw) them away. 19. I'm sorry you didn't tell me that dogs were allowed in the hotel; if I (know) I (bring) my dog. He (enjoy) the walk. 20. Most people (attend) the union meeting if they had had longer notice of it. 21. He says he refused the job, but that this was nothing to do with the salary. He (refuse) even if they (offer) him twice as much. 22. The club secretary is useless. He never tells anybody anything. We (not know) about this meeting if the chairman (not tell) us. 23. When the director asked her to play the lead she agreed though she didn't know anything about the play. I think that if she (read) the play first she (refuse) the part. 24. The burglar made quite a lot of noise getting into the house; but fortunately for him the family were watching a noisy TV play. If they (play) cards they certainly (hear) him. 25. If you had been there what you (do)? 26. It rained, which spoiled our picnic; but if it (not rain) it (be) a great success. 27. Why are you in such a bad temper? ~ Because I've been waiting for 40 minutes in an icy wind. If you (wait) 40 minutes in an icy wind you'd be bad-tempered, too. 28. You used wet sticks; that's why the fire took so long to light If you (use) dry sticks it (light) long ago. 29. I didn't recognize him at first because he was wearing dark glasses; if he (not wear) them I (recognize) him immediately. 30. You knew that horse was going to win! ~ Don't be ridiculous! If I (know) I (back) him myself. 31. Why didn't you phone from the village? ~ Because there was no phone in the village. If there (be) of course we (phone) from there. 32. When the weather got bad the climbing party turned back, all except Tom and his brothers, who decided to go on. If only they (turn) back with the others they would be alive today. 33. He was not very happy at school because he was a bookish boy, not at all interested in games. If he (play) games like the other boys he (have) a much better time. 34. We had to stand almost all the way. It was all Tom's fault. If he (book) seats, as I told him to, we (have) quite a comfortable journey. 35. We were travelling with false passports. That was the trouble. If our passports (be) all right we (not be) arrested. 36. They voted by a show of hands and decided in favour of a strike. But it was by a narrow margin and I think that if they (hold) a secret ballot there (not be) a strike.
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct forms. Conditional sentences: mixed types.
1. I've hung out the clothes. It's lovely and sunny; if it (stay) like this they (be) dry in two hours. 2. French is essential in this job. All the telephonists speak it. If they (not know) French they (not understand) half the callers. 3. How did you do in the car rally? ~ We came in last actually; but only because we got lost. If we (not got) lost we (come) in somewhere in the middle. We certainly (not be) last. 4. I wasn't really surprised that we got lost because I knew that the navigator couldn't map-read. ~ But if you (know) that why you (take) him as navigator? 5. This flat would be all right if the people above us (not be) so noisy. 6. A group of spectators, including myself, left the stand just before the end of the game. When we were half way down the stairs a goal was scored and there was a great cheer from the spectators. If there (not be) a goal the crowd (not cheer) 7. If the crowd (not cheer) we (not run) back up the stairs to see what had happened. 8. If we (not run) back we (not crash) into the rest of the spectators on their way down, and there (not be) this frightful accident. 9. If the pain (return) you'd better take another pill. 10. If you aren't going to live in the house why you (not sell) it? If I (have) a house I couldn't use I (sell) it at once. 11. No, I didn't know any Russian at that time. ~ But if you (not know) Russian why you (offer) to give him Russian lessons? ~ Because I knew that he (refuse). He always rejected my offers. 12. Tell him to bring his bicycle inside. If he (leave) it outside someone (steal) it. 13. Why do people always wear dark clothes at night? If pedestrians (wear) light coloured clothes drivers (see) them much more easily. 14. She must have loved him very much because she waited for him for fifteen years. If she (not love) him she (not wait) so long. 15. He looked so small and weak that nobody asked him to do anything. If he (look) strong he (be) expected to dig all day like everyone else. 16. The government are talking of pulling the village down to make room for an airport. ~ If they (start) doing it the village people (resist)? 17. If you are catching an early train tomorrow you (like) to have breakfast at 7.00? 18. We'll have to break the ice on the pond; otherwise the ducks (not be able) to swim. And if they (not be able) to swim they (not be able) to get food. (Use can/could forms where possible.) 19. When he left school he became a fisherman. His family didn't like it at all. They (be) much happier if he (become) a greengrocer like his father. 20. They still say that if he (go) into the green grocery business when he left school he (be) comfortably off now instead of being poor. 21. But he says that if he (have) his life again he (make) the same choice. 22. So many parcels and no baskets! If I (know) that we were going to buy so much I (bring) a basket. 23. No one bathes here. The water is heavily polluted. If you (bathe) in it you (be) ill for a fortnight. 24. I can hear the speaker all right but I wish I could see him too. ~ If he (stand) on a barrel we all (see) him and that (be) much better. 25. Look at poor Tom trying to start his car by hand again! If I (be) Tom I (get) a new battery. 26. I expect you'll see Jack at the lecture tonight. If you (do) you please (remind) him about tomorrow's meeting? 27. The headmaster decided that Peter was the culprit and expelled him from the school. A more intelligent man (realize) that Peter couldn't have been guilty. (if the headmaster had been more intelligent he...) 28. But I blame the real culprit even more. If he (admit) his guilt Peter (not be) expelled. 29. The only thing I haven't got is a balcony. If I (have) a balcony I (grow) plants in pots. Then my flat (be) perfect! 30. Jack rang while you were out. ~ Oh dear! If I (know) he was going to ring I (stay) at home. 31. My unmarried friends are always telling me how to bring up my children. I sometimes think that if they (have) children they (make) just as many mistakes as I do. 32. (At a cinema) Ann: Don't worry. They get married in the end. Mary: Then you've seen it before! If you (tell) me that we (go) to something else! 33. Be careful about the time. If you (spend) too long on the first question you (not have) enough time to do the others properly. 34. We had a lot of trouble putting the tent up. If it (not be) so windy perhaps it (not be) quite so difficult. 35. Ann (sitting beside her open fire): I love open fires; if I (have) nothing but a radiator to sit beside I (get) quite depressed. 36. Lucy, a student at a residential college: Couldn't I leave the hostel and get a flat, mother? Mother: No, you couldn't. I know very well what (happen) if you (have) a flat. You (play) the guitar all night and (miss) your classes in the morning; then you (fail) your exams and (have) to repeat the year. And you (not feed) yourself properly and (get) run down. And then you (catch) some infection and (die) of it, and we (have) to leave this district as the neighbours (keep) saying that we had caused your death by letting you have your own way!