Table 6

Conditional clause/ BUT FOR+…	Main clause/independent/simple
If it didn’t rain Were not raining Hadn’t rained Hadn’t been rained If it were not for the rain But for the rain	We should go for a walk (Would) We should have gone for a walk (Would) We should go /have gone …   We should go for a walk (Would) We should have gone for a walk (Would)

Exercise 2 Make up simple conditional sentences.

The rain Their help Your attention The late hour Your absent-mindedness Good health The work being urgent His having wasted so Much time What you told me Your/her laziness His friend

We (finish) the work on time They (go) to country… We (discuss) it now He (find) their address You (notice) your mistakes She (prepare) a more interesting Report They (refuse) point-blank I (feel) ill at ease They never (can) endure that They (may) understand and you I never (believe) it

But for

Exercise 3. Expand the sentences (ex.2) into complex ones.

Example But for the rain we should finish/have finished the work on the time

If it were not for the rain…

It didn’t rain/were not raining…

If it hadn’t rained/hadn’t been raining…

Exercise 4 Go back to Ex.4 (unreal conditional sentences referring to present and future), condense the complex conditional sentences into simple ones with the help of “But for+noun/-ing.”

Example Sam has a cold. He won’t come to class tomorrow.

If Sam didn’t have a cold he would come to class…

But for a cold Sam would come to class tomorrow.

Margaret is busy. She won’t be able to visit her friends.

If Margaret were not busy she would be able to…

But for being busy Margaret would be able to visit her friends.

Exercise 5. Refer the same sentences to the past. Make the necessary changes.

Example. Sam has a cold. He didn’t come to class yesterday.

If Sam hadn’t a cold he would come to class yesterday.

But for a cold Sam would not able to visit her friends.

Margaret was busy. She was not able to visit her friends.

If Margaret had not been busy she would have been able to visit her friends.

But for being busy Margaret would been able…

Exercise 6 Change the sentences using But for+noun/-ing.

1. I want to go to the movies with you. But I have to take my examination in English tomorrow.

2. She made an effort over herself and didn’t faint.

3. He helped me and I managed to finish the work on time.

4. He is experienced engineer, and h gave us good advice.

5. It began to train and we didn’t reach the village till night.

6. He was in bad hum our other night and didn’t produce a favorable impression on my guests.

7. He didn’t buy the new suit only because he was short of money at that time.

8. We felt ill at ease in her presence only because of her vanity.

9. The driver was very skilled and we reached the village at daybreak.

10. He had a good temper so he made friends easily.

11. He was very absent-minded and left out ticket at home.

Exercise 7

Do Ex.6 again, introducing ``could``/``might``+do/ have done`` instead of the conditional mood in the main clause.

Example.

I want to go to the movies with you but I have my examination in English tomorrow.

But for the examination in English (I must have tomorrow) I would go to the movies with you.

But for my examination in English (I must have tomorrow). I could go to the movies with you.

Exercise 8 Complete the sentences and develop the situations.

1. But for her freckles…

2. But for this incident…

3. But for her interference…

But for his losing the road map…

4. But for her tired eyes…

5. But for my new shoes…

6. But for what you told me…

Another way of condensing a conditional sentence is to use a infinitive phrase instead of the subordinate clause, as in:

She would have given so much to be able to buy for her mother a bar of the beautiful lily of the valley soap, and the talcum which went with it. (Essex)

Condition clause/inf. Phr.	Main clause/independent/simple se.
If you do so To do so If you did so To do so If you had done so To have done so	Will result in complications   Would result in complications   Would have resulted in complications

Exercises 8 Make up real and unreal (present, past) conditional sentences and condense them as shown above.

1.If you (tell) him the truth, it (can) help her.

2.If we (refuse), it (hurt) the old people.

3.If he (be told) so, it (upset) him.

4.If one (see) an old friend of his, it (please) him on end.

5.If they (give) him a hand, it (cost) you very little.