1.Zero 2.First 3.Second 4.

Third

What is conditional?
"Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a

particular condition is true, then a particular result happens. If y = 10 then 2y = 20 If y = 3 then 2y = 6

 three basic conditionals

IF
IF

condition
y = 10

result
2y = 20

 or like this:

result 2y = 20

IF IF

condition y = 10

First Conditional: real possibility

We are talking about the future. IF condition result

present simple WILL + base verb

If

it rains

I will stay at home.

First conditional cont

IF condition present simple If I see Mary Result WILL + base verb I will tell her.

If
If

Tara is free tomorrow

they do not pass their exam

he will invite her.

their teacher will be sad.

If
If

it rains tomorrow
it rains tomorrow

will you stay at home?

what will you do?

Result WILL + base verb I will tell Mary He will invite Tara

IF

Condition present simple

if if

I see her. she is free tomorrow.

Their teacher will be sad

Will you stay at home What will you do

if

they do not pass their exam.

it rains tomorrow?

if

if

it rains tomorrow?

Second Conditional: unreal possibility or dream

We are thinking about a particular condition in

the future, and the result of this condition. But there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen
IF condition past simple If I won the lottery Result WOULD + base verb I would buy a car.

IF

condition Result Second conditional cont past simple WOULD + base verb I would be happy. she would marry him.

If If If If

I married Mary Ram became rich

it snowed next July would you be surprised? it snowed next July what would you do?

Compare the first and second conditional

The main difference between them is about probability: the first

conditional is realistic, the second is unrealistic. Sometimes we can use both with the following difference in meaning. If I see him, I will tell him. (I suppose I will see him, because we go to the same school.) If I saw him, I would tell him. (I don't think I will see him, because he is ill.) If I need your help, I'll call you. (It is probable that I will need your help.) If I needed your help, I'd call you. (It is not very probable that I will need your help.)

Third Conditional: no possibility

. We talk about a condition in the past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition

condition

Result

Past Perfect
If I had won the lottery

WOULD HAVE + Past Participle

I would have bought a car.

Third conditional cont.

IF condition past perfect If If If I had seen Mary Tara had been free yesterday they had not passed their exam Result WOULD HAVE + past participle I would have told her. I would have invited her. their teacher would have been sad.

If
If

it had rained yesterday would you have stayed at home?

it had rained yesterday what would you have

Zero Conditional: certainty

We use the so-called zero conditional when the

result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact.

IF

condition result present simple present simple

If

you heat ice

it melts.

Zero conditional cont

IF condition Result

present simple present simple

If I miss the 8 o'clock bus I am late for work.

If
If If

I am late for work

my boss gets angry.

people don't eat they get hungry. you heat ice does it melt?

The mixed conditionals

In the mixed conditional sentences we can combine

the second and third conditional. If he had left immediately, he would be here now. (He didn't leave immediately and isn't here.) If I had studied hard when I was young, I wouldn't be a porter now. (I didn't study and I am a porter.) If we hadn't told him the way while he was preparing for his journey, he would get lost now. (We told him and he isn't lost.)

The inverted conditionals

We can also make conditional sentences by changing

the word order in the if clause. Had he booked the hotel room, he wouln't have slept at the camp. (If he had booked ... ) Were I in your position, I would accept it. (If I were ... ) This is less common, quite formal and is mostly used in writing.