A
Complete the news report about a protest against a new road. Put in the correct form of the verbs. Sometimes you need will or would.
Yesterday protesters managed to hold up work on the Oldbury bypass. Protest leader Alison Compton defended the action by members of the Green World group. ‘If we don’t protest, soon (►) …. there’ll be ……… (there / be) no countryside left,’ she told reporters. The bypass is now well behind schedule, and if the protesters had not held up the work so often, (1) ……………………. (it / open) two months ago. ‘If these fields (2) ……………………. (disappear), we’ll never see them again,’ said Ms Compton. ‘Why can’t we use public transport? If more people (3) …………………… (travel) on buses and trains, we wouldn’t need new roads. If the motor car had never existed, the world (4) ……………………. (be) a more pleasant place today.’
But many people in Oldbury want their new bypass. ‘If (5) ……………………. (they/ not build) it soon, the traffic jams in the town will get worse,’ said Asif Mohammed, whose house is beside the busy A34. ‘We just can’t leave things as they are. If things remained the same, people’s health (6) ……………………. (suffer) even more from all the pollution here.
It’s terrible. If we don’t get the traffic out of the town, (7) ……………………. (I / go) mad. If (8) ……………………. (I / know) earlier how bad this problem would get, (9) ……………………. (I / move) out years ago. But now it has become impossible to sell this house because of the traffic. The government waited too long. If (10) ……………………. (they / do) something sooner, there would be less traffic today.’ And the protest is making the new road even more expensive. ‘If this goes on, (11) ……………………. (there / not / be) enough money left to finish the road,’ says the Transport Minister.
B
Look at the answers below and write the correct answer in each space.
► A: There’s always something going wrong with this car.
B: If you had any sense, you’d … have sold ……..it long ago.
a) be selling b) have sold c) sell d) sold
1. A: It’s a pity the lake wasn’t frozen yesterday.
B: Yes, it is. If it ……………………. frozen, we could have gone skating.
a) had been b) was c) would be d) would have been
2. A: Haven’t you got enough money for a holiday?
B: Oh yes. I’ve got some saved up ……………………. I suddenly need it.
a) if b) in case c) that d) unless
3. A: What are you going to do next year?
B: I wish I ……………………. the answer to that question.
a) knew b) know c) could know d) would know
4. A: These figures are too complicated to work out in your head.
B: Yes, if ……………………. we had a calculator.
a) better b) only c) really d) that
5. A: What are you doing later this afternoon?
B: Oh, ……………………. the game finishes, I’ll go home, I expect.
a) if b) in case c) unless d) when
6. A: Do you think I should take the job?
B: You shouldn’t do anything ……………………. you think it’s the right thing to do.
a) if b) in case c) unless d) when
C
Write a second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first. Begin with If …
► I haven’t got a key, so I can’t get in.
… If I had a key, I could get in. …………………………………………………………………
1. You talk about football and I’m going to be very bored.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The baby didn’t cry, so we had a good sleep.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. You may want a chat, so just give me a ring.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Nigel hasn’t got satellite TV, so he can’t watch the game.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. You go away and I’ll miss you.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. I’m not rich or I’d have given up working long ago.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. We should have bought that picture five years ago because it would be quite valuable now.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. Throw a stone into water and it sinks.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
D
Write the sentences correctly.
► There aren’t any eggs. If we have some eggs, I could make an omelette.
…… If we had some eggs, I could make an omelette. …………………………………………
1. The weather doesn’t look very good. If it’ll rain, I’ll stay here.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The programme is starting soon. Can you tell me if it starts?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Could you just listen? I didn’t need to repeat things all the time if you listened.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. It’s a simple law of science. If air will get warmer, it rises.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. There’s only one key. I’d better get another one made if I lose it
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. We were really late. I wish we left home earlier.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. I hope the parcel comes today. If it-won’t arrive today, we’ll have to complain.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. That radio is on loud. I wish someone turns it down.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. We must do something. Until we act quickly, it’ll be too late.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
10. Of course Martin was angry. But he hadn’t been angry if you hadn’t damaged his stereo.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
