Cohesive Devices - Exercise

Conditional clauses are clauses that express a condition or a set of conditions that must be met in order for a certain action or event to take place. They are typically introduced by the word "if" and are used to express possibilities or hypotheticals.

There are three main types of conditional clauses: the zero (probable), first (improbable), and second (impossible) conditions.

1. Zero conditional: This type of conditional clause is used to describe a general truth or a scientific fact. It is formed with the present simple tense in both the if clause and the main clause.

Example: If you heat ice, it melts. (The action in the if clause (heating ice) always causes the action in the main clause (melting) to happen.)

2. First conditional: This type of conditional clause is used to describe a possible future event that is likely to happen, given a certain condition. It is formed with the present simple tense in the if clause and the future simple tense in the main clause.

Example: If it rains tomorrow, I will stay home. (The action in the if clause (raining) is a condition that may or may not be met. If it is met, the action in the main clause (staying home) will happen.)

3. Second conditional: This type of conditional clause is used to describe a hypothetical or unlikely situation in the present or future. It is formed with the past simple tense in the if clause and the present conditional (would + infinitive) in the main clause.

Example: If I won the lottery, I would buy a house on the beach. (The action in the if clause (winning the lottery) is unlikely to happen. If it did happen, the action in the main clause (buying a house) would take place.)

It's important to remember that the word "if" is not always necessary to form a conditional clause. Other words and phrases, such as "unless," "in case," and "provided that," can also be used to express a condition.

Example: Unless it snows tomorrow, we will go hiking. (The action in the unless clause (snowing) is a condition that must not be met in order for the action in the main clause (going hiking) to happen.)

Example: I will bring an umbrella in case it rains. (The action in the 'in case' clause (raining) is a condition that may or may not be met. If it is met, the action in the main clause (bringing an umbrella) will be useful.)

Example: We can go to the beach provided that the weather is nice. (The action in the provided that clause (the weather being nice) is a condition that must be met in order for the action in the main clause (going to the beach) to happen.)