Page 119 - Student's Book IELTS 6.5-7.5

Speaking hypothetically (including overview Second conditionals – alternative constructions
of conditionals) We can use these constructions to express second
We can talk about hypothetical situations and events – i.e. conditionals:
s
ones which are imaginary, theoretical or contrary to the To express an unlikely conditional:
facts – by using the second and third conditionals, or a If /Unless + subject + were + infinitive:
combination of both. If I were to sell the necklace, I’d probably get a lot of
money.
form refers to
s To say ‘if someone/something didn’t exist’:
2nd If + past tense, would/could/ present
If it were not for + noun:
conditional might + infinitive without to: time If it weren’t for my smart phone, I’d never keep in touch
If the necklace wasn’t so old, it
with all my friends.
wouldn’t be valuable. s To emphasise ‘if someone/something didn’t exist’:
(The necklace is old, and for
Were it not for + noun:
that reason it is valuable.)
Were it not for Julie, we’d never finish the project.
3rd If + past perfect, would/ past
conditional could/might + have + past time Third conditionals – alternative constructions
participle: s To emphasise a third conditional:
If my aunt hadn’t travelled to Had + subject + (not) + past participle:
India, she would never have Had we had more time, we would have been able to
acquired the necklace. finish the work.
(My aunt did travel to India, Had he not called the office, he wouldn’t have found out
and for that reason she about the meeting.
s To say ‘if someone/something hadn’t existed’:
acquired the necklace.)
if it hadn’t been for + noun:
Note: we can combine second and third conditionals if one I couldn’t have written the article if it hadn’t been for his
part of the sentence refers to the present and the other part research.
refers to the past: s To emphasise ‘if someone/something hadn’t existed’:
3rd conditional 2nd conditional Had it not been for + noun:
If she had passed the exam last summer, she would be at Had it not been for Saleem’s help, I wouldn’t have
university now. known how to address the problem.
2nd conditional 3rd conditional
If I couldn’t speak French, I wouldn’t have been given Speculating and talking about the future
the job. s We can use the phrases in the table on page 119 to
These are sometimes called mixed conditionals. express our thoughts and opinions about the future and
how certain we feel about them.
Other ways of expressing second and third s Note carefully the adjective and adverb collocations (e.g.
conditionals we say highly unlikely but not high likelihood) which are
s We can use these more formal phrases instead of if: used with each phrase.
on (the) condition (that), providing/provided (that):
She would only accept the position on condition that
she was given the contract in writing.
s To be more emphatic, we can use as long as or even if:
Consumers would always buy a second-hand car as long
as it hadn’t been in an accident.
Even if there were fines, people would still drop litter.
s Instead of if + negative, we can use unless:
As a child, I wouldn’t go swimming unless the sea was
warm.