Theme: Conditionals. Group: 914-22 fio: Polvonniyazov Azamat

Conditional Sentences and Punctuation
When you write a conditional sentence, you may find punctuation to be a challenge. However, the rule is very simple. All you need to do is add a comma after the if clause if the if clause comes before the main clause. Since this is the usual structure, you add the comma between the two clauses to punctuate it well.

The Need for Conditional Sentences in Essay Writing

Understanding conditional sentences and how to use the right verb tenses to convey these meanings is vital to essay writing in school. First, using conditional sentences correctly gives your essay correct grammar. Correctness and precision are vital in academic writing.
Also, when you use the appropriate sentence structure, you create essays with greater clarity. Your reader will understand the meaning of the sentence and whether or not the conditional you set up could or will happen.
Conditional sentences also help with grading essays in school. Teachers will be able to understand your meaning clearly, and this understanding helps them grade the essay appropriately.

Common Problems with Conditional Sentences

All English speakers will make some common mistakes with conditional sentences, and you should know how to watch for these in your writing and speaking.

1. Using a Comma Incorrectly

If the if-clause proceeds the main clause, it gets a comma. However, if it comes after the main clause, it does not. Here is an example:

• 
  You will be late if you don’t leave soon.
  

In this sentence, you would not place a comma between “late” and “if.” However, if you reversed the order, you would:

• 
  If you don’t leave soon, you will be late.
  

Only use the comma if the if clause comes first.

2. Using the Wrong Tense

Another common mistake is mixing up the tenses and thus showing the wrong meaning in the sentence. Depending on the meaning you wish to convey, you need to use the right verb tense. Here are some examples and their corrections:

• 
  If you sleep, you will dream.
  

This sounds right, but it is a zero conditional sentence. Thus, it should have the simple present tense in the main clause. Here is the corrected version:

• 
  If you sleep, you dream.
  

Here is a first conditional sentence example:

• 
  If you will help other people, you will have everything you need in life.
  

In this example, the if clause should have the simple present tense, reading as follows:

• 
  If you help other people, you will have everything you need in life.
  

This sentence is a poor example of the second conditional sentence:

• 
  If you become a mother, you would understand unconditional love.
  

The second conditional should have simple past tense in the if clause, like this:

• 
  If you became a mother, you would understand unconditional love.
  

Finally, for the third conditional sentence, some writers will insert “would have” into the if clause, like this:

• 
  If you would have gone to bed early, you would have gotten enough sleep.
  

Instead, this should use the past perfect tense in the if-clause, like this:

• 
  If you had gone to bed early, you would have gotten enough sleep.
  

When writing conditional sentences, you can’t always rely on your speaking abilities. Take time to learn the proper verb tenses, so you can use them correctly when writing these sentences.