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Originally Posted by tamarisk I found this exercise from cambridge advanced english. To be sure i have the correct answers, can u please give me the correct answers. Thanks in advance.
Work in pairs. Discuss the differences in the meaning between these sentences.
1. When it rains our roof leaks.
If it rains our roof leaks.
When it rained our roof would leak.
If it rains our roof will leak.
If it rained our roof would leak.
2. I'd go first class if I could afford to.
I'll go first class if I can afford to.
I'd have gone first class if I could have afforded it.
I go first class when I can afford it.
3. She could get a rise if she asked her boss.
She might get a rise if she asked her boss.
She would get a rise if she asked her boss.
She should get a rise if she asks her boss.
She might get a rise if she asks her boss.
She will get a rise if she asks her boss. |
1. d. is a first conditional. The first conditional has the "if" clause in the present tense and the result clause in the future tense. It is a prediction based on knowledge or past experience. As with other conditionals, the "if" clause is a condition; the second clause is a result that will occur if the condition is fulfilled.
1. a. and b. are zero conditionals in the present tense. The zero conditional has the same tense in both clauses. The zero conditional is used when one describes habitual action or a generally accepted rule or fact. There is little difference in meaning between "if" and "when" clauses in the zero conditional.
1. c. and d. are zero conditionals in the past tense. They both mean that whenever something happened in the past, something else happened in the past. They describe past connected events (habit).
2. The sentences here reverse the order of the conditional clauses and the result clauses.
2. b. is another first conditional. It describes a future intention if the condition is fulfilled.
2. d. is another zero conditional -- habitual action.
2. a. is a second conditional. It uses the past tense "could afford" in the conditional clause and the past conditional "would go" in the result clause. The second conditional is about the present tense, but it uses the past tenses to create an unreal condition. It is unreal because the speaker cannot afford first class. The result clause is a prediction of what would happen if the present condition changes.
2. d. is a third conditional. This usually uses the past perfect tense (e.g. If I had known) in the conditional clause and the past conditional (I would have) in the result clause. In this case "could have afforded" substitutes for the normal past perfect. The third conditional is used to describe a past action that would have resulted if a prior condition had been fulfilled.
The speaker had little money at some time in the past and did not fly first class because of the lack of money.
3. f. is another first conditional. It makes a strong prediction of what will happen if the condition is fulfilled.
3. d. and e. are the same as f. except that will is replaced by should or might. These replacement modals change a strong prediction (will) to an opinion/weaker prediction (should) or a weak prediction (might). The modal "may" could also be used. Many people would say that "may" would be stronger than "might" but not as strong as "should" or "will".
3. a., b., and c. are second conditionals. Because the conditional clause uses the past tense, these modals "could", "might", and "would" are the past tenses of "can", may", and "will", respectively. In these cases, "would" is a strong prediction, and "could" and "might" are weaker and approximately equal possibilities.
Conditional sentences 
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