IF ARE CONSTANTLY USED THEY ARE CALLED

AS IF SOME EXPECTATION CONDITIONALS.

MUST BE MET.
ZERO

ZERO
FIRST

FIRST
SECOND

SECOND
THIRD

THIRD
 There are 4 main types of
if sentences in English,
often called conditional sentences.

• These sentences are in two halves (clauses):

• the if part (if clause)
• the other part where you can use words
such as can, will, may, might, could and
would (main clause)
If clause Main clause
If + Present simple Present simple

If I am late for school,

my teacher gets angry.
 1. Zero Conditional
• Use: Facts, general truths, or things that
always happen.
• Form: If + present simple, present simple

• Examples:
• 1. If you heat ice, it melts.
• 2. If it rains, the ground gets wet.
• 3. If you touch fire, it burns.
• 4. If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
• 5. If babies are hungry, they cry.
 If clause Main clause
•
If + Present tense will / can / may / must + verb

If I go to London,
I will see the Big Ben.
 2. First Conditional

• Use: Real and possible future events.

• Form: If + present simple, will + base verb

• Examples:
• 1. If it rains tomorrow, we will stay inside.
• 2. If I study hard, I will pass the test.
• 3. If she arrives early, we will start on time.
• 4. If you don’t eat, you will get hungry.
• 5. If we save money, we will travel next year.
If clause Main clause
If + Past Simple would / could / might + verb

If I were an astronaut,
I would travel in a spaceship.
 3. Second Conditional
• Use: Unreal or imaginary situations in the
present or future.
• Form: If + past simple, would + base verb

• Examples:
• 1. If I had wings, I would fly.
• 2. If she were taller, she would play
basketball.
• 3. If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
• 4. If it rained now, we would get wet.
• 5. If he knew the answer, he would tell us.
 If I were an astronaut,
I would travel in a spaceship.
If I travelled in a spaceship,
I would go to Mars.
 If I went to Mars,
I would meet a Martian.
Nice to
meet you!
 If I met a Martian,
I wouldn’t understand him.

? 
❖
 If I didn’t understand him,
I would come back to the Earth.
If clause Main clause
If + Past Perfect would/could/might + have + past
tense participle

If I had studied hard,

I would have passed my exams.
 4. THIRD CONDITIONAL
• USE: IMAGINARY SITUATIONS IN THE PAST (THINGS THAT DIDN’T
HAPPEN).
• FORM: IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

• EXAMPLES:
• 1. IF I HAD STUDIED, I WOULD HAVE PASSED THE EXAM.
• 2. IF IT HAD RAINED, THE PICNIC WOULD HAVE BEEN CANCELED.
• 3. IF SHE HAD LEFT EARLIER, SHE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE BUS.
• 4. IF THEY HAD CALLED ME, I WOULD HAVE HELPED.
• 5. IF WE HAD SAVED MONEY, WE WOULD HAVE TRAVELED LAST
SUMMER.
 IIf you had studied hard,
you wouldn’t have failed your exam.
 IIf you had passed your exam,
you could have gone to the beach.
IIf I had gone to the
beach, I would have
made sand castles.
 Time Example in
Type Structure Usage in Arguments
Reference Argument
If people don’t sleep
Zero If + present General Used to state facts,
well, they perform
Condition simple, truths / scientific or logical
poorly. That’s why rest
al present simple always true reasoning
is crucial.
First If + present Used to make logical If we continue to
Future
Condition simple, will + predictions or warnings ignore the signs, we
possibility
al base verb based on likely outcomes will regret it later.
Used to argue
Second If + past hypothetical outcomes or If I were the mayor, I
Present /
Condition simple, would give advice based on would prioritize
Future unreal
al + base verb unlikely or imagined education funding.
situations
If + past If they had acted
Third Used to express missed
perfect, would Past unreal / earlier, the crisis
Condition opportunities or criticize
have + past regret would have been
al past decisions
participle avoided.
 MAKE ZERO CONDITIONAL
SENTENCES, USE CUES.

Jane / eat / too much chocolate / she

/get / sick

You / not / eat / you / die

You / heat / ice / it / melts

First Conditional Quiz

Directions: Complete each sentence using the correct form of

the verb in parentheses to make a first conditional sentence.

If it ______________ (rain) tomorrow, we ______________

(cancel) the picnic.

She ______________ (miss) the bus if she ______________

(not leave) soon.

If you ______________ (study) harder, you ______________

(pass) the test.

They ______________ (be) upset if we ______________ (not

invite) them.

If I ______________ (see) him later, I ______________ (tell)

him the news.
WRITE 2ND CONDITIONAL SENTENCES,
PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS IN
CORRECT FORM.

If she _______________ (know) his number, she

________________ (call) him.

If you _____________ (be) nicer to him, he

____________________(lend) you the money.

If we _________________(live) near the beach, we

____________________(go) swimming every day.
 He crashed his car, because he fell asleep while
driving. If he _____________(fall) asleep while
driving, he ________________ (crash) his car.

I lost my job because I was late for work. I ________

(loose) my job if I ___________ (be) late for work.

We couldn't go to the concert, because we didn't have

enough money. If we ____________ (have) enough
money, we _________ (go)to the concert.

If I ______(save) more money, I ______ (buy) a new

phone.

WRITE 3RD CONDITIONAL SENTENCES, PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS IN

CORRECT ORDER.