El uso del condicional significa que una acción depende de otra.
Los condicionales se utilizan para hablar sobre situaciones reales o irreales. En general, las frases condicionales llevan la palabra “
if” (si).
Ten
en cuenta que no existe un tiempo verbal para el condicional en inglés
como existe en español. A la vez, se usa el verbo auxiliar “
would” para formar el condicional en inglés.
Hay cuatro tipos de frases condicionales y el uso de uno u otro refleja la probabilidad de la acción.
Conditional Types (Tipos de los condicionales)
Zero Conditional (Tipo 0)
Se usa este tipo de condicional cuando la condición y el resultado siempre es verdad, como por ejemplo los hechos científicos.
| IF | Condition | Result |
|---|
| If | present simple | present simple |
Ejemplos:
| | If you heat water to 100° C, it boils. / Water boils if you heat it to 100° C. (Si calientas agua a 100 ° C hierve.) |
| | If I don’t practice the piano everyday I play poorly. / I play the piano poorly if I don’t practice everyday. (Si no practico el piano cada día toco mal.) |
| | Does your mom get mad if you don’t call her? / If you don’t call your mom, does she get mad? (¿Si no llamas a tu madre, se enoja?) |
Nota:
Podemos cambiar el orden de las frases sin cambiar el significado.
También, en general con este tipo de condicional, podemos sustituir “if” por “when” sin alterar el significado.
First Conditional (Tipo 1)
Este tipo de condicional se utiliza para el futuro y en los casos en que es muy probable que la condición pasará.
| IF | Condition | Result |
|---|
| If | present simple | future simple (“will”) |
Ejemplos:
| | If Bill studies, he will pass the exam. / Bill will pass the exam if he studies. (Si Bill estudia, aprobará el examen.) |
| | If it doesn’t rain, we will go to the beach. / We will go to the beach if it doesn’t rain. (Si no llueve, iremos a la playa.) |
| | Will you take the train if you miss the bus? If you miss the bus, will you take the train? (¿Cogerás el tren si pierdes el bus?) |
Nota: Se puede usar algunos verbos modales en vez de “will” para cambiar la probabilidad o expresar una opinión. Para más información, ver la lección sobre los verbos modales.
Ejemplos:
| | If it doesn’t rain, we may go to the beach. (Significado: Con el uso de “may”, el significado de esta frase cambia. Ahora, el hablante reconoce que puede ir a la playa, pero no está tan seguro de si irá.) |
| | If it doesn’t rain, we should go to the beach. (Significado: En este caso, el uso de “should” expresa la opinión del hablante.) |
| | If it doesn’t rain, we can go to the beach. (Significado: “Can” significa que es posible ir a la playa, pero no indica la probabilidad.) |
Second Conditional (Tipo 2)
Se
utiliza el tipo 2 para expresar una posibilidad irreal en el presente,
como un deseo o un sueño, o para una acción en el futuro no tan
probable.
| IF | Condition | Result |
|---|
| If | past simple | “would” + infinitivo |
Ejemplos:
| | If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world. / I would travel around the world if I won the lottery. (Si ganara la lotería, viajaría alrededor del mundo.) |
| | If Rachel had more time, she would learn to play the guitar. / Rachel would learn to play the guitar if she had more time. (Si Rachel tuviera más tiempo, aprendería a tocar la guitarra.) |
| | Would you be happy if you were to get married? / If you were to get married, would you be happy? (¿Estarías feliz si te casaras?) |
Nota: Como en el tipo 1, se pueden usar otros verbos modales en vez de “would” para cambiar el significado y la posibilidad.
Third Conditional (Tipo 3)
A
diferencia a los tipos 1 y 2, se utiliza el tercer tipo de condicional
cuando hablamos de una condición en el pasado que no ha sucedido.
| IF | Condition | Result |
|---|
| If | past perfect | “would have” + past participle |
Ejemplos:
| | If I had known then what I know now, I would have done things differently. / I would have done things differently if I had known then what I know now. (Si hubiera sabido en el pasado lo que sé ahora, hubiera hecho las cosas de manera diferente.) |
| | Suzanne wouldn’t have had the heart attack if she had gone on a diet as her doctor recommended. / If Suzanne had gone on a diet as her doctor recommended she wouldn’t have had the heart attack. (Suzanne no hubiera tenido el infarto si hubiera hecho dieta como su médico le recomendó.) |
| | Would you have liked to go to university if you had been able to afford it? / If you had been able to afford it, would you have liked to go to university? (¿Te hubiera gustado ir a la universidad si te lo hubieras permitido pagar?)
ejemplo
Extreme – ‘‘More than words’’
saying "I love you"
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you not to say
But if you only knew
How easy it would be
To show me how you feel
More than words
Is all you have to do
To make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say
That you love me
Because I'd already know
What would you do
If my heart was torn in two?
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say
If I took those words away?
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"
More than words...
Now that I've tried to talk to you
And make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands
And touch me
Hold me close
Don't ever let me go
More than words
Is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say
That you love me
Because I'd already know
What would you do
If my heart was torn in two?
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say
If I took those words away?
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"
Second conditional
But if you only knew
How easy it would be
To show me how you feel
Second conditional
If my heart was torn in two?
IF + SIMPLE PAST + SIMPLE CONDITIONAL
Second conditional
If I took those words away?
IF + SIMPLE PAST + SIMPLE CONDITIONAL
|
Unidad 6: Conditional Sentences