CONDITIONALS

ZERO CONDITIONAL

1. We use the Zero Conditional to describe rules and situations where one event always follow
the other:
If you freeze water, it turns to ice.
If you are kind to others, they are kind to you.
If you eat a lot of chocolate, you put on weight.

In these sentences if=when

If clause / condition main clause / consequence

If + Present Simple Present Simple

The if clause can come at the beginning of the sentence or after the main clause. When it comes at
the beginning, we put a comma (,)

If you eat a lot of chocolate, you put on weight.

You put on weight, if you eat a lot of chocolate.

FIRST CONDITIONAL

1. We use the First Conditional:

a) To talk about possible future events which depend on other future events.
If the rain stops, the match will begin.
If you go to the Science Museum, you will see a lot of interesting exhibitions.
If clause / condition main clause / consequence
If + Present Simple Will / won’t + infinitive without to

The if clause can come at the beginning of the sentence or after the main clause. When it
comes at the beginning, we put a comma (,)

If the rain stops, the match will begin.

The match will begin, if the rain stops.

!!!!!!! OTHER PATTERNS ARE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY USING MODAL VERBS:

If you have time, we can go for a walk this evening.

 b) To give someone advice or an order, and to make a suggestion or a request:
If you feel sleepy, go to bed.
If you see Peter, tell him to phone me.
If clause main clause
If + Present Simple imperative

He doesn’t wear a tie unless he has to.

SECOND CONDITIONAL

1. To talk about imagined, impossible of unlikely situations and events in the future.
If I became an, I’d fight for animal rights
If the sun stopped shining, the plants would disapper.
2. To talk about impossible present situation:
If I lived closer to school, I wouldn’t have to get up so early. (the situation is unreal and
the sentence refers to the present.)

If I had more time, I wouldn’t eat fast food.

3. We can use if I were you to give advice:

If I were you, I would tell you the true.

If clause / condition main clause, consequen

If+ past simple would, could, maight + infinitive

THIRD CONDITIONAL

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

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