Gareth King - Colloquial English - A Complete English Language Course

If we left by eleven, we’d catch the last bus

not

‘If we’d leave’

235

Sometimes we can use conditionals to make suggestions – for example, when Lauren says to Gillian If you phoned one of James’s friends, perhaps they could tell you . . .Here the if-clause is just there to suggest to Gillian that she does something, and in this use of the conditional the rules about C1 and C2 are much looser

– all of the following variants are okay:

If you phone one of James’s friends, perhaps they can tell you . . .

If you phone one of James’s friends, perhaps they could tell you . . .

Just as willis short to ’ll, so ’dis the short form of would, which is used with the BASE-FORM of the verb to make the CONDITIONAL.

Full form

Short form

Full form

Short form

I would/wυd/ I’d/aid/

I would not

I wouldn’t/`wυdnt/

you would

you’d/ju:d/

you would not

you wouldn’t

he would

he’d/hi:d/

he would not

he wouldn’t

she would

she’d/ʃi:d/

she would not

she wouldn’t

James would James’d

James would not James wouldn’t

we would

we’d/wi:d/

we would not

we wouldn’t

they would

they’d/ðεid/ they would not

they wouldn’t

As usual, the full forms are used for questions – would he?, and the short forms for negative questions – wouldn’t he?. The negative short forms ( wouldn’t) are normal in colloquial English; in statements both short forms and full forms are common.

Exercise 7

Choose the correct verb in these C2 conditional sentences. The first one has been done for you.

1

If I (win) the lottery, I (buy) a car.

If I won the lottery, I’d buy a car

2

You (be) angry if they (come) home late.

____________________________

3

If you (take) more exercise, you (feel) healthier.

_______________________________________

236

4

Helen (pay) the bill if she (have) any money.

____________________________________

5

I (phone) the police if someone (steal) my car.

_____________________________________

6

I (be) surprised if she (agree) to do that.

________________________________

7

If we (leave) too late we (miss) the train.

________________________________

8

It (be) too dark if we (wait) till ten o’clock.

__________________________________

Exercise 8

Correct these sentences. Be careful! One of them doesn’t need correcting.

1

I’d buy this ring if I’d have enough money.

2

Would you prefer it if we’ll come tomorrow?

3

James would help you if you did explain the problem.

4

What will you do if you won the lottery?

5

Amy would be pleased if she would get the job.

6

I’d invite Sarah if I knew her address.

7

This room looked better if you’d paint it blue.

8

If the guests will arrive late I’d be annoyed.

Language point 83 – ‘I bet’, ‘I wish’,

‘if only’

In Dialogue 1 Ann says to Justine I bet you wouldn’t be happy, and Justine answers with the tag response I bet I would –we can use I betto express a strong opinion and invite agreement: I bet Amy didn’t pass her driving test!

– I bet she did!

I bet you don’t know what I’ve got in

this bag.

– I bet I do!

I bet they haven’t seen the film yet.

– I bet they have!

or simply to contradict what the other person has just said: Harry’s not coming tonight.

– I bet he is!

It’s too late now to get tickets.

– I bet it isn’t!

237

I don’t think Dave was interested.

– I bet he was!

Your parents wouldn’t like it here.

– I bet they would!

I wishand If onlyare used with a C2 conditional ( would/ ’d) to say that you want someone to do something even though you know they probably won’t. More examples:

I wish Adrian would give up singing!

If only our employers would give us a pay rise!

If only it would rain!

I wish you wouldn’t be so awkward!

Notice that If only . . .is the only instance of ifwhere we use would.

You can’t use these phrases for making ordinary requests: Please open the window for me

=

Would you open the window for me?

=

Could you open the window for me?

not

‘I wish you’d open the window for me’

not

‘If only you’d open the window for me’

Dialogue 3

Sarah has dropped Dave at the station car park. Dave’s got a train to catch, and he’s late.

SARAH:

You’d better get a move on, darling. If you don’t hurry you’ll miss the train.

DAVE:

I know, I know. Could you just help me with these bags?

SARAH:

Oh for goodness sake – I told you you’d have too much luggage! But you wouldn’t listen!

DAVE:

I need two bags in case one of them breaks, OK?

SARAH:

OK, OK. Anyway, . . .

[ she stops to give Dave a farewell kiss at the barrier ]

. . . phone me when you get to Scotland, will you?

DAVE:

I wish you’d stop fussing. I won’t phone unless there are problems.

SARAH:

But I’ll worry if I don’t hear you’ve arrived!

238

DAVE:

Unless you hear from me, you’ll know everything’s OK, won’t you?

SARAH:

I’d feel better if you phoned, that’s all. If only you’d just accept that, Dave.

DAVE:

All right, all right – I’ll phone when I get there, OK?

SARAH:

Thanks, darling. I knew you’d see it my way if I explained.

DAVE:

If you nagged enough, you mean.

Idiom

• You’d better get a move onmeans ‘You’d better hurry’. We can also use this idiom in commands and requests:

Get a move on!

=

Hurry up!

Could you get a move on?

=

Could you hurry up?

Get a move on, will you?

=

Hurry up, will you?

239

Language point 84 – ‘unless’ and