UNLESS

Unless means the same as if...not. Like if, it is followed by a present tense, a past tense or a past perfect (never by 'would'). It is used instead of if + not in conditional sentences of all types:

Type 1: (Unless + present)

You'll be sick unless you stop eating. (= You will be sick if you don't stop eating) I won't pay unless you provide the goods immediately. (= If you don't provide them I won't pay) You'll never understand English unless you study this grammar carefully. (= You'll never understand if you don't study...)

Type 2: (Unless + past)

Unless he was very ill, he would be at work. I wouldn't eat that food unless I was really hungry. She would be here by now unless she was stuck in the traffic.

Type 3: (Unless + past perfect)

Our marketing director would not have signed the contract unless she'd had the company legal expert present. I wouldn't have phoned him unless you'd suggested it. They would have shot her unless she'd given them the money.

TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

1. Form

In a Type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional:

IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + past perfectIf it had rained If you had worked harder	Perfect conditionalyou would have got wet you would have passed the exam.

Perfect conditional - form

The perfect conditional of any verb is composed of two elements: would + the perfect infinitive of the main verb (=have + past participle):

Subject	would	perfect infinitive
He They	would would	have gone... have stayed...
Affirmative
I	would	have believed ...
Negative
She	wouldn't	have given...
Interrogative
Would	you	have left...?
Interrogative negative
Wouldn't	he	have been...?

Example: to go, Past conditional

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I would have gone	I wouldn't have gone	Would I have gone?
You would have gone	You wouldn't have gone	Would you have gone?
He would have gone	She wouldn't have gone	Would it have gone?
We would have gone	We wouldn't have gone	Would we have gone?
You would have gone	You wouldn't have gone	Would you have gone?
They would have gone	They wouldn't have gone	Would they have gone?

In these sentences, the time is past, and the situation is contrary to reality. The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed.

Type 3 conditional sentences, are truly hypothetical or unreal, because it is now too late for the condition or its result to exist. There is always an unspoken "but..." phrase:

• If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam
  (but I didn't work hard, and I didn't pass the exam).
• If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake
  (but I didn't know, and I haven't baked a cake).

NOTE: Both would and had can be contracted to 'd, ++which can be confusing. Remember that you NEVER use would in the IF-clause, so in the example above, "If I'd known" must be"If I had known", and "I'd have baked" must be "I would have baked.."

Examples

a. If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have visited you.
b. I would have bought you a present if I'd known it was your birthday.
c. If they'd had a better goalkeeper they wouldn't have lost the game.
d. If you had told me you were on the Internet, I'd have sent you an e-mail.
e. Would you have bought an elephant if you'd known how much they eat?

PERFECT CONDITIONAL, CONTINUOUS

1. Perfect conditional, continuous - Form

This tense is composed of two elements: the perfect condtional of the verb 'to be' (would have been) + the present participle (base+ing).

Subject	would have been	base+ing
I We	would have been would have been	sitting swimming
Affirmative
I	would have been	studying.
Negative
You	wouldn't have been	living.
Interrogative
Would	we have been	travelling?
Interrogative negative
Wouldn't	it have been	working?

Examples to work, Past continuous conditional

Affirmative	Negative
I would have been working	I wouldn't have been working
You would have been working	You wouldn't have been working.
He would have been working	She wouldn't have been working
We would have been working	We wouldn't have been working
You would have been working	You wouldn't have been working
They would have been working	They wouldn't have been working
Interrogative	Interrogative negative
Would I have been working?	Wouldn't I have been working?
Would you have been working?	Wouldn't you have been working?
Would he have been working?	Wouldn't she have been working?
Would we have been working?	Wouldn't we have been working?
Would you have been working?	Wouldn't you have been working?
Would they have been working?	Wouldn't they have been working?

2. Function

This tense can be used in Type 3 conditional sentences. It refers to the unfulfilled result of the action in the if-clause, and expresses this result as an unfinished or continuous action. Again, there is always an unspoken "but.." phrase:

Examples

• If the weather had been better (but it wasn't), I'd have been sitting in the garden when he arrived (but I wasn't and so I didn't see him).
• If she hadn't got a job in London (but she did), she would have been working in Paris (but she wasn't).

• If I'd had a ball I would have been playing football.
• If I'd had any money I'd have been drinking with my friends in the pub that night.
• If I had known it was dangerous I wouldn't have been climbing that cliff.
• She wouldn't have been wearing a seat-belt if her father hadn't told her to.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS CONDITIONAL

In type 2 conditional sentences, the continuous form of the present conditional may be used:

If I were a millionaire, I wouldn't be doing this job!

1. Present continuous conditional - form.

This form is composed of two elements: the present conditional of the verb 'to be' (would be) + the present participle of the main verb (base+ing).

Subject	would be	base+ing
He They	would be would be	going living
Affirmative
We	would be	coming
Negative
You	wouldn't be	working
Interrogative
Would	you be	sharing?
Interrogative negative
Wouldn't	they be	playing?

Example: to live, Present continuous conditional.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I would be living	I wouldn't be living	Would I be living?
You would be living	You wouldn't be living	Would you be living?
He would be living	She wouldn't be living	Would he be living?
We would be living	We wouldn't be living	Would we be living?
You would be living	You wouldn't be living	Would you be living?
They would be living	They wouldn't be living	Would they be living?

2. Present continuous conditional - function

This form is common in Type 2 conditional sentences. It expresses an unfinished or continuing action or situation, which is the probable result of an unreal condition:

• I would be working in Italy if I spoke Italian. 
  (but I don't speak Italian, so I am not working in Italy.
• She would be living with Jack if she wasn't living with her parents.
  (but she is living with her parents so she's not living with Jack).

More examples:

• I wouldn't be eating this if I wasn't extremely hungry.
• If I had an exam tomorrow, I'd be revising now.
• You wouldn't be smiling if you knew the truth.

NOTE: This form is also found in: mixed conditional sentences (See section on Mixed Conditional Sentences); in indirect speech:

She said "I'll be working in the garden."  She said she would be working in the garden.(See section on Indirect Speech)

TYPE 1 CONDITIONAL

1. Form

In a Type 1 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future

IF' CLAUSE (CONDITION)	MAIN CLAUSE (RESULT)
If + simple presentIf it rains If you don't hurry	Simple futureyou will get wet we will miss the train.

2. Function

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. They refer to apossible condition and its probable result. They are based on facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about particular situations. We often use such sentences to give warnings:

• If you don't leave, I'll call the police.
• If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!

• If you drop that glass, it will break.
• Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.
• If I have time, I'll finish that letter.
• What will you do if you miss the plane?

NOTE: We can use modals to express the degree of certainty of the result:

• If you drop that glass, it might break.
• I may finish that letter if I have time.