Sthephany Yudith Marte Moreno 119-6413
What is a Conditional Sentence?
A conditional sentence is based on the word ‘if’. There are always two parts to a
conditional sentence – one part beginning with ‘if’ to describe a possible situation,
and the second part which describes the consequence. For example:
If it rains, we’ll get wet.
We can also invert the two parts of a conditional sentence so that the ‘if’ part comes
second, and this is especially common in questions. For example:
What will you do if you miss the train?
How can you finish the project if you don’t have a computer?
What happens if the students don’t pass an exam?
There are four types of conditional sentences:
0 – The zero conditional
1 – The first conditional
2 – The second conditional
3 – The third conditional
It is also possible to mix the second and third conditional.
First conditional
The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other
clause:
• if + present simple, ... will + infinitive
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.
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.
Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because
it's not true.
The Zero Conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about permanent truths, such as scientific facts,
and general habits. The structure is simple:
Here are some examples:
If you heat water to 100°, it boils.
If you eat a lot, you put on weight.
If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the earth gets very dry.
If we go out with friends, we normally go to a restaurant.
If I’m tired, I go to bed early.
The First Conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about a realistic situation in the present or future.
The structure of the first conditional is
Here are some examples:
If you’re free later, we can go for a walk.
If they’re hungry, I’ll make some sandwiches.
If you’re not back by 5pm, give me a ring.
If he studies hard, he’ll do well in the exam.
If we arrive late, we must get a taxi.
He’ll call if he needs help.
Take a break if you’re tired.
Another way to make first conditional sentences is to use ‘unless’ which means ‘only
if’ or ‘except’. As with ‘if’, the word ‘unless’ can never be followed by ‘will’ but only by
the present simple. For example:
Unless you hurry up, you won’t catch the bus.
I’ll carry on doing this work, unless my boss tells me to do something else.
We’ll stay at home unless the weather improves.
The Second Conditional
We use the second conditional to talk about improbable or impossible situations in
the present or future. Here is the structure:
For example:
If I had more time, I’d exercise more. (But I don’t have more time so I don’t.)
If I were rich, I’d spend all my time travelling. (But I’m not rich so I can’t.)
If she saw a snake, she’d be terrified.
If he didn’t have to work late, he could go out with his girlfriend.
What would you do if you were offered a job in Canada?
You wouldn’t have to walk everywhere if you bought a bike.
A common expression used to give advice has the second conditional structure. The
expression is ‘If I were you, I’d..’, meaning ‘in your situation, this is what I would do’.
For example:
A: I’ve got a headache.
B: If I were you, I’d take an aspirin.
A: I don’t understand this.
B: If I were you, I’d ask your teacher for help.
A: This order won’t be delivered on time.
B: If I were you, I’d phone the customer to let them know.
The Third Conditional
We use the third conditional to talk about impossible situations, as in the second
conditional, in the past. We often use the third conditional to describe regrets. The
structure is:
Here are some examples:
If we had left earlier, we would have arrived on time.
If you hadn’t forgotten her birthday, she wouldn’t have been upset.
If they had booked earlier, they could have found better seats.
If I hadn’t learnt English, I wouldn’t have got this job.
What would you have studied if you hadn’t done engineering?
They wouldn’t have hired you if you hadn’t had some experience abroad.
You could have helped me if you’d stayed later.
