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The first 3 of 8 cards
the two halves must agree
'If' plus a past tense says the idea is imaginary. Then 'will' says it is real. The halves of an if sentence must agree.
If I livedimagined by the sea, I will swimreal every day.
Pearson Essay grammar, top mark: “errors are rare”.
ask in this order
In a real if-clause, use the present, not 'will'. Polite 'if you will wait' is one exception.
the tense pair carries the meaning
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Zero: if + present, present | If you heat ice, it melts. |
| First: if + present, will + verb | If fares fall, more people will ride. |
| Second: if + past, would + verb | If I were mayor, I would ban vans. |
| Third: if + had + pp, would have + pp | If she had asked, she would have known. |
| Unless: ≈ if ... not | Unless fares fall, few will ride. |
If-clause first: comma. Second: usually none.
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