Conditionals

A conditional sentence is a sentence containing the word if. There are three common
types* of conditional sentence:

1. if clause > present simple tense : main clause > future tense (will)
o If you help me, I will help you.
o If I win the lottery, I will buy a new car.
o If it snows tomorrow, we will go skiing.
2. if clause > past simple tense : main clause > would
o If you knew her, you would agree with me.
o If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car.
o If it snowed tomorrow, we would go skiing.
3. if clause > past perfect tense : main clause > would have
o If you had helped me, I would have helped you.
o If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a new car.
o If it had snowed yesterday, we would have gone skiing.

Of course, it is possible to start conditional sentences with the main clause:

 I will buy a new car if I win the lottery.

 I would buy a new car if I won the lottery.
 I would have bought a new car if I had won the lottery.

English speakers choose one of the three conditional structures as follows:

1. Conditional one - to express a simple statement of fact or intent

o I will buy a new car if I win the lottery.

o I will go home if you don't stop criticizing me.
o You will fail your exams if you don't start working harder.
o She will lose all her friends if she continues to talk about them behind
their backs.

2. Conditional two - to refer to a present unreal situation or to a situation in the

future that the speaker thinks is unlikely to happen

o If I had a lot of money, I would buy a new car. (but I don't have a lot of
money)
o If I were you, I would tell him you're sorry. (but I am not you)
o If I won the lottery, I would buy a new house. (but I don't expect to win
the lottery)
o If it snowed tomorrow, we would go skiing. (but I don't have much hope
that it will snow)

3. Conditional three - to refer to the past and situations that did not happen

o If it had snowed yesterday, we would have gone skiing. (but it didn't

snow, so we didn't go skiing)

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o If you had studied harder, you would have passed your test. (but you
didn't study hard, so you didn't pass your test)
o If I had known that, I would have told you. (but I didn't know, so I didn't
tell you)
o If she hadn't been driving slowly, she would have had an accident. (but
she was driving slowly, so she didn't have an accident)

If clauses conditionals rules, examples

If clauses conditional
o If clauses conditional sentences
o If clauses all types
o Form
o Examples types 1, 2 and 3
o If clause at the beginning
o If clause at the end
o If clause Type 1
o If clause Type 2
o If clause Type 3
If-clauses - Conditional sentences

If clauses =  main clause and if-clause. There are 3 Types: If

clauses Type 1, If clauses Type 2, If clauses Type 3.

o If clauses all Types
o If clause Type 1
o If clause Type 2
o If clause Type 3
If-clauses all Types

If clauses Type 1 (one): Situations that can really happen at

present or in future (real).
If clauses Type 2 (two):  Situations will probably never happen
at present or in future (unreal).
If clauses Type 3 (three): Situations that did not happen in the
past. 

Form
If-clause Type If-clause  Main clause

If-clause Type  Simple  will + infinitive

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I: Present

If-clause Type
 Simple Past  would + infinitive
II:

If-clause Type   Past Perfect

 would + have + Past Participle
III:

Examples If-clauses Type I, Type II,Type III

If-Clause at the beginning of the sentence
If-clause Type  If-clause  Main clause

  If the game is
If-clause Type I   I will play it.
good,

If-clause Type   If the

  I would play it.
II game was good,

If-clause Type   If the game had   I would have

III been good, played it.

If-clause at the end of the sentence

If-clause Type   Main clause  If-Clause

  I will play the
If-clause Type I   if it is good.
game

If-clause Type   I would play the

  if it was good.
II game

If-clause Type   I would have

  if it had been good.
III played the game

Form If Clause Type 1

Situations that can really happen at present or in future (real).

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Form If Clause Type 1
If-Clause Main clause

Simple Present will + infinitive

Example If Clause Type 1

If the game is good, I will play it.
I will play the game if  it is good.
If Clause Type 2

Situations will probably never happen at present or in future

(unreal).

Form If Clause Type 2

If-clause Main clause

Simple Past would + infinitive

Examples If Clause Type 2

If I lived in Australia, I would be a sheep farmer.
I would be a sheep farmer if I lived in Australia.
If Clause Type 3

Situations that did not happen in the past. 

If Clause Type 3
If-Clause Main clause

would + have + Past
Past Perfect
Participle

Examples If Clause Type 3

If I had had nothing to do, I would have come.
I would have come If I had had nothing to do.

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Rules of Conditional Sentences in
English Grammar
start with ‘If’ and each of them refers to the unreal past. This kind of
sentences is also known as ‘If ‘sentence and here, past tense is used,
but they do not refer to the past time. There are four main types of
conditional sentences.

• When the both parts of the sentence refer to the simple present.
(Zero conditional)

Example: If it rains, you cannot attend the party.

If clause + Main clause.

If + simple present +simple present.

Here, the situation is real and it refers the possibility. Additionally, it

mentions the present time.

 When the first part of the sentence or ‘If ‘clause is written in the
simple present and the main clause refers the simple future. (Type
1 conditional)
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Example: If it rains you will not attend the party.
If clause + Main clause
If + simple present + simple future

• When the first part of the sentence or the ‘If’ clause is written in the
simple past tense and the main clause refers the present conditional.
(Type 2 conditional)

Example: If it rained you would not attend the party.

If clause + Main clause

If + simple past + present conditional

 When the If clause is written in past perfect tense and the main
clause refers to perfect conditional. (Type 3 conditional)

Example: If it had rained you would not have attended the party.
If clause + Main clause
If+ past perfect tense + perfect conditional

• Another type of conditional sentence is that when type 2 and type 3

conditional sentences are mixed. Here, ‘If ‘clause is written in the
past perfect tense and the main clause refers to the present
conditional.

Example: If I had tried hard in the school days, I would have a

better job.

If clause + Main clause

If+ past perfect tense + present conditional

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Conditional Sentences / If-Clauses Type I, II und III
Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional Clauses or If Clauses. They are
used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a
certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional
Sentences.

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.

more on Conditional Sentences Type I ►

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.

more on Conditional Sentences Type II ►

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.

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 The Zero Conditional
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if
clause' and one in the 'main clause'):

 If + present simple, .... present simple.

This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100
degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular situation.
The result of the 'if clause' is always the main clause.
The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning.

For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a
different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not
for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)

Here are some more examples:

If people eat too much, they get fat.
If you touch a fire, you get burned.
People die if they don't eat.
You get water if you mix hydrogen and
oxygen.
Snakes bite if they are scared
If babies are hungry, they cry

The First Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other
clause:

 if + present simple, ... will + infinitive

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 It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know
what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come
true.

 If it rains, I won't go to the park.

 If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
 If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
 She'll be late if the train is delayed.
 She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
 If I see her, I'll tell her.

The Second Conditional

The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:

 if + past simple, ...would + infinitive

(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal
writing).

It has two uses.

First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true.
Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.

 If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
 If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
 She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
 She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't
happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because
it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:

 If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's
impossible for me to call him).
 If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

The Third Conditional

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have'
and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:

 if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle

It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine
the result of this situation.

 If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she
didn't study and so she didn't pass)

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 If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I
did feel sick).
 If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
 She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
 She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
 He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

Look at these examples to see how zero, first and second conditionals are used.

If you freeze water, it becomes solid.

If it rains tomorrow, I'll take the car.
If I lived closer to the cinema, I would go more often.

Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition
(If you study hard) and the main clause tells you the result (you will pass your exams). The
order of the clauses does not change the meaning.

If you study hard, you will pass your exams.

You will pass your exams if you study hard.

Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.

Zero conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially for laws
and rules.

If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep at night.

Ice melts if you heat it.
When the sun goes down, it gets dark.

The structure is:

If/When + present simple >> present simple.

First conditional
We use the first conditional when we talk about future situations we believe are real or
possible.

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If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
Arsenal will be top of the league if they win.
When I finish work, I'll call you.

In first conditional sentences, the structure is usually: if/when + present simple >> will +

infinitive. 

It is also common to use this structure with unless, as long as, as soon as or in
case instead of if.

I'll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.

I don't want to stay in London unless I get a well-paid job.
I'll give you a key in case I'm not at home.
You can go to the party, as long as you're back by midnight.

Second conditional
The second conditional is used to imagine present or future situations that are impossible
or unlikely in reality.

If we had a garden, we could have a cat.

If I won a lot of money, I'd buy a big house in the country.
I wouldn't worry if I were you.

The structure is usually if + past simple >> + would + infinitive. 

When if is followed by the verb be, it is grammatically correct to say if I were, if he were, if

she were and if it were. However, it is also common to hear these structures with was,
especially in the he/she form.

If I were you, I wouldn't mention it.

If she was prime minister, she would invest more money in schools.
He would travel more if he was younger.

Look at these examples to see how third and mixed conditionals are used.

We would have walked to the top of the mountain if the weather hadn't been so bad.
If we'd moved to Scotland when I was a child, I would have a Scottish accent now.
If she was really my friend, she wouldn't have lied to me.

Third conditionals and mixed conditionals

Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition
(If I hadn't been ill) and the main clause tells you the result (I would have gone to the
party). The order of the clauses does not change the meaning.

If I hadn't been ill, I would have gone to the party.

I would have gone to the party if I hadn't been ill.

Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.

Third conditional
The third conditional is used to imagine a different past. We imagine a change in a past
situation and the different result of that change.

If I had understood the instructions properly, I would have passed the exam.
We wouldn't have got lost if my phone hadn't run out of battery.

In third conditional sentences, the structure is usually: If + past perfect >> would have +
past participle.

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Mixed conditionals
We can use mixed conditionals when we imagine a past change with a result in the present
or a present change with a result in the past.

1. Past/Present 

Here's a sentence imagining how a change in a past situation would have a result in the
present.

If I hadn't got the job in Tokyo, I wouldn't be with my current partner.

So the structure is: If + past perfect >> would + infinitive.

2. Present/Past

Here's a sentence imagining how a different situation in the present would mean that the
past was different as well.

It's really important. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have called you on your holiday.

And the structure is: If + past simple >> would have + past participle.

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