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Conditional sentences, both
real and unreal, frequently
use modal
auxiliaries--not
only in the result, but also in
the
condition. The modals which are most commonly
used
in American English are can,
could, may,
might,
must, should, will,
and would. The "modal equivalents"
have
to and
has
to are
also common:
Real:
If he can help, he does. ( = He helps.)
If he can help, he will. ( = He will help.)
If I may help, ask me.*
If I might help, ask me.*
If we must help, we do. ( = We help.)
If you should need help, please ask
us.*
If he
has
to help,
he does. ( = He helps.)
If he will help, he'll do a good job.*
Unreal:
If he could help, he would. ( = He would help.)
If he could have helped, he
would
have.
(
= He would have helped.)
If he would help, he'd do a good job.*
Special Notes:
| 1. |
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"If
I may ___" and "if I might ___" both mean
something like "if you will permit me to ___
."
"If I might" is "softer"
and more formal than
"if I may," but
both are polite. |
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| 2. |
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When should is used in a condition,
it suggests
that
the condition is
unlikely or unexpected but
still
possible:
If I should see him . . . = It's
unlikely that
I'll
see him, but it's
possible.
If the baby should wake up . . . = We
don't
expect the
baby to wake up,
but it's possible
that he / she
will.
If you should need any help . . . = It
seems
unlikely
that you'll need
help, but it's possible.
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| 3. |
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When will or would are used in conditions,
they
refer to volition
or
willingness:
If you'll help me, I'll pay you. ( = If you're
willing
to help me, I'll pay
you.)
If she'll work harder, she'll succeed. ( = If she's
willing
to work harder, she'll
succeed.)
If we'll all work together, we'll finish early.
(
= If we're all willing to work together, we'll
finish
early.)
If he would help me, I'd pay him. ( = If he
were
willing to help me, I would pay him.)
If she would work harder, she'd succeed.
( = If
she were willing to work harder,
she would
succeed.)
If we'd all work together, we'd finish early.
(
= If we were all willing to work together,
we'd
finish early.)
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| 4. |
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In
present / future unreal
conditionals,
could
sometimes refers to
permission, sometimes
refers to ability, and
sometimes
refers to either
permission or ability:
If I could go with you, I would. ( = If I were
able
to / permitted to go with you, I would go.)
If she could do the work, she wouldn't need
help.
( = If she were able to do the work, she
wouldn't
need help.)
If I could leave work early today, I'd be very
grateful.
( = If I were able / were
permitted to
leave work
early today,
I'd be very grateful.
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| 5. |
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In past unreal conditionals,
could have
is
sometimes used to
refer
to ability:
If I could have gone with you, I would
have.
( = If
I had been able to go
with you, I would
have gone.)
If she could have done the work, she
wouldn't
have needed
help. ( = If
she had been able to
do the work,
she wouldn't have needed help.)
If I could have left work early, I
would've
been very
grateful. ( = If
I had been able to
leave work
early,
I would've been very grateful.
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