Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences are used to describe real or hypothetical results of real or hypotheical situations. They can use many different verb forms.

The Zero Conditional

The Zero conditional, also called the real conditional, refers to thing that are always true. It is used to describe the direct result of an action.

If / When you heat water, it boils.

Oil floats when you pour it onto water.

how to form

	action(present simple)	comma	result (present simple)
if/when	you heat ice	,	it melts

Conditionals with imperatives

Imperatives can be used in conditional sentences. The if clause describe a hyponthetical situation and the imperative clause describes what someone should do if that hyponthetical situation actually happens.

• If you are cold, put on a coat.
• If you feel sick, call a doctor.
• let me know if you need help.

how to form

	present simple	comma	imperative
if	the traffic is bad	,	cycle to work

The First Conditional

The first conditional, also called the future real conditional, uses if to describe a realistic action that might lead to a future result.

• If you enough money, I will go on a cruise.
• If you jogging, I will lose weight.
• If it snows, I will go skiing.
• I won’t go outside if it rains.

how to form

The first conditional is ususally introduced by an if clause, followed by the present simple. The future with will expresses the result.

	present simple	comma	future with will
if	I cook	,	will you do the dishes?

The Second Conditional

The second conditional, also called the unreal conditional, uses if to describe an unlikely or unreal action or event. The described result is also very unlikely.

• If I won the lottery,I would leave my job.
• If he wasn’t so busy, he could take a break.
• If I had more time, I could take up karate.

how to form

if	past simple	comma	would / could + base form
if	I saw a ghost	,	I would be terrified.

The Third Conditional

The third conditional, also called the past unreal conditional, is used to describe unreal situations in the past.It is often used to express regret about the past because the hypothetical situation that it describes is now impossible as consequences of another past aciton.

• If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train.
• If I had woken up on time,I would have done my hair.

how to form

if	had past participle	,	would / could / might	have + past participle
if	you had been wearing a couat	,	you might	have stayed warm.

The Mixed Conditional

Mixed conditionals are ususlly used to talk about pyphotheical present result of unreal past situations.

Mixed second conditional and third conditional

• If you had been born a month earlier, you would be a Virgo like me.
• You would be starting at a new school torromow if you hadn’t failed your exams.
• We would be on beach in Greece by now if we hadn’t missed our flight.

how to form

|third conditional|second conditional| |—|—| |If you hadn’t forgotten to bring the keys,|we wouldn’t be locked out of the house.|

Other Conditional sentences.

English allows for some variations in conditional sectence structures. There give more information about the context of the conditional.

conditional sentences with modal verbs.

First,second, and third conditional sentences can use different modal verbs in their result clauses. There can be used to express uncertainly,possibility, or obligation, amongst other things.

first conditional

In the first conditional, will can be replaced by a variety of modal verbs to talk about different ideas.

• If I save enough money,I will / can buy a new car.

second conditional

In the second conditional, would can be replaced by could or might to express ability, possibility, or uncertainty.

• If I saved enough money, I would / could / might by a new car.

third conditional

In the third conditional, would can be replaced by could or might to express ability, possibility, or uncertainty.

• If I had saved enough money, I would / could / might have bought a new car.

first conditional with unless

unless can be used instead of if in conditional sentences. Unless means of if...not, so the future result depends on the suggested action not happening.

• If you don't / Unless you study hard, you will fail your exams.
• If you don't / Unless you get up now. you will late for work.
• I will be angry [if he doesn't turn / unless he turns] that music down.

formal third conditional

The third conditional can be made more formal by swapping had with subject and dropping if.

normal	formal
If you had attended the meeting, you would have met the manager.	Had you attended the meeting, you would have met the manager.
If I had workded harder at school, I could have studied medicine.	Had I workded harder at school, I could have studied medicine.
If she had woken up earlier, she wouldn’t have been late.	Had she woken up earlier, she wouldn’t have been late.

Future Possibilities

There are many ways to talk about imaginary future situations.Different structures can be used to indicate whether a situation is likely or unlikely.

likely future possibilities

What if means what would happen if an imaged situation occured?

• What if / Suppose I fail my exams? I won’t be able to go to college.
  • Present tense shows the speaker believes this is likely to happen.
• What if the computer crashes? I will lose all my work.
• Suppose they assess our coursework,We will have to keep a portfoilo.

unlikely future possibilities

• Just imageine ! What if / Suppose we all got 100% on our exams?
  • The past tense shows the speaker think this is unlikely to happen.
• What if our flight was canceled? We would be stuck here!

Thing that could have happened

What if and suppose can also be used with the past perfect to describe situations that were possible in the past, but that didn’t happen, or might not have happened.

• That was so dangerous! What if / Suppose you had broken your leg ?

In Case

In Case or just in case plus the present tense are used to show planning for a possible future situation.

• Make sure the windows are shut in case the cat tries to escape.
• You should take an umbrella with you in case it rains later.