Conditional Sentences and the Definite Article in English Grammar

Conditional Sentence Type 1

→ It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future

Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

Conditional Sentence Type 2

→ It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

Conditional Sentence Type 3

→ It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.

Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)

Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.

Definite Article (Određeni član)

Određeni član se upotrebljava:

• kada se govori o određenom licu, stvari ili pojmu: send me the book (pošalji mi knjigu)

• kada je riječ o imenici koja je bliže određena ili poznata licu koje sluša ili čita: I saw the teacher (vidio sam učitelja), she gave the letter to her mother (dala je pismo svojoj majci);

• ispred imenica koje po našem shvatanju postoje u samo jednom primjerku: the Earth moves round the sun (Zemlja se okreće oko Sunca);

• ako imenica u jednini određuje cijelu vrstu, a ne samo pojedinu stvar koja pripada toj vrsti: the Earth-satellite is faster than the aeroplane (Zemljin satelit je brži od aviona);

• pred superlativima: this is the best thing you can do (to je najbolja stvar koju možeš učiniti);

• ispred rednih brojeva: it is the second day of my arrival here (drugi je dan otkako sam stigao ovamo);

• ispred “same”: the same to you (isto i vama);

• ispred imena zgrada, ustanova, brodova i sl.: The Houses of Parliament (parlament), The Ministry of Defence (ministarstvo odbrane), The Majestic (hotel) itd.;

• ispred imena listova, časopisa, magazina: the Times;

• ispred osobnih imena koja se sastoje od pridjeva i imenice: The Black Sea (Crno more), The Pacific Ocean (Tihi okean);

• ispred imena naroda u množini: the English (Englezi);

• ispred imena poslije kojih dolazi “of”: we signed the treaty of Locarno (potpisali smo sporazum u Lokarnu);

• ispred imena rijeka, planinskih lanaca, jezera i mora: we climbed the Alps (popeli smo se na Alpe);

• ispred pridjeva koji su upotrijebljeni kao imenice: the poor of London (sirotinja Londona);

• u nekim stalnim izrazima i frazama: he made a joke at the expense of this old woman (našalio se na račun ove starice); I don’t want to run the risk (ne želim da rizikujem).