LoUniversity of Bejaïa

Faculty of letters and languages

Department of English

Level : L2. / G5 …G8

Module :GRAMMAR

Teacher : Amara

Email : Nadi.aokas@gmail.com

Conditional sentences

Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what
might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In English, most
sentences using the conditional contain the word if. Many conditional forms in
English are used in sentences that include verbs in one of the past tenses. This
usage is referred to as "the unreal past" because we use a past tense but we
are not actually referring to something that happened in the past. There are
five main ways of constructing conditional sentences in English. In all cases,
these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main clause. In many
negative conditional sentences, there is an equivalent sentence
construction using "unless" instead of "if.

Conditional Usage If Main

sentence clause clause verb
type verb tense
tense

Zero General Simple Simple

truths present present
Conditional Usage If Main
sentence clause clause verb
type verb tense
tense

Type 1 A possible Simple Simple

condition present future
and its
probable
result

Type 2 A Simple Present

hypothetical past conditional
condition or Present
and its continuous
probable conditional
result

Type 3 An unreal Past Perfect

past perfect conditional
condition
and its
probable
result in the
past

Mixed type An unreal Past Present

past perfect contditional
condition
and its
probable
result in the
present
 1. THE ZERO CONDITIONAL
The zero conditional is used for when the time being referred tmoio is now or
always and the situation is real and possible. The zero conditional is often
used to refer to general truths. The tense in both parts of the sentence is the
simple present. In zero conditional sentences, the word "if" can usually be
replaced by the word "when" without changing the meaning.

If clause Main clause

If + simple simple present

present

If this thing that thing

happens happens.

If you heat ice it melts.

If it rains the grass gets

wet

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may
have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the
order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical. In zero conditional
sentences, you can replace "if" with "when", because both express general
truths. The meaning will be unchanged.
The zero conditional is also often used to give instructions, using the
imperative in the main clause.
▪ EXAMPLE:

• If you want to come, call me before 5:00

 • If I am hungry, I will get something to eat.
• If you are hungry, you can eat an apple.
• If it rains we may get wet. ...
• If she works hard, she will pass.

2. THE TYPE 1 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.
• If I have enough money, I'll buysome 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.

First vs. Zero Conditional:

The first conditional describes a particularsituation, whereas the zero
conditionaldescribes what happens in general.

For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm
talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural
consequence of the sitting)

But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking
about what will happen today, another day might be different).

3. THE TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL

FORM
In a Type 2 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past,
and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional or the present
continuous conditional.

If clause Main clause (result)

(condition)

If + simple present conditional

past or present
continuous
conditional

If this thing that thing would

happened happen.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may
have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change
the order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.

EXAMPLES :

• If it rained, you would get wet.

• You would get wet if it rained.

• If the weather wasn’t so bad , we would go to the park..( but the

weather is bad so we can’t go)

4. THE TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL

 FORM
In a Type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect,
and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional or the perfect
continuous conditional.

If clause Main clause

(condition) (result)

If + past perfect conditional

perfect or perfect
continuous
conditional

If this thing that thing would

had have happened.
happened

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may
have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the
order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.

EXAMPLES:
• IF it had rained, you would have gotten wet.
• You would have gotten wet if it had rained.
• You would have passed your exam if you had worked harder.
• If you worked harder ,you would have passed your exam.

In type 3 conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause
instead of "would" to express the degree of certainty, permission, or a
recommendation about the OUTCOME.
EXAMPLES:
• If I had worked harder I might have passed the exam.
• You could have been on time of you had caught the bus.
• If he called you, you could go

MIXED conditional
this type of mixed conditional refers to an unreal past condition and its
probable result in the present. These sentences express a situation which is
contrary to reality both in the past and in the present. In these mixed
conditional sentences, the time is the past in the "if" clause and in
the present in the main clause.

PRESENT RESULT OF A PAST CONDITION

FORM
In this type of mixed conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the
past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional.

If clause Main clause

(condition) (result)

If + past perfect present

conditional

If this thing had that thing

happened would happen.

Examples:
• If i had studied I would have my driving license.( but I didn’t study and
now I don’t have my license).
• If you had spent all your money,your wouldn’t buy this car.( but you
didn’t spend all your money and now you can buy this car.
PAST RESULT OF PRESENT OR CONTINUING CONDITION

FORM
In this second type of mixed conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause
is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional.

If clause Main clause

(condition) (result)

If + simple perfect
past conditional

If this thing that thing would

happened have happened.

EXAMPLES:
• If I wasn’t afraid of spiders ,I would have picked it up.
• I would have picked it up if I wasn’t afraid of spiders.
• If we didn’t trust him we would have sacked him months ago.
• We wouldn’t have sacked him months ago if we didn’t trust him.

Exercise:
• First conditional) If we __________________ (not / work) harder, we
__________________ (not pass) the exam.
• (Third conditional) If the students __________________ (not be) late
for the exam,
they __________________ (pass).
• 3. (Third conditional) If the weather __________________ (not be) so
cold, we
__________________ (go) to the beach.
• 4. (Second conditional) If she __________________ (have) her laptop
with her, she
 __________________ (email) me.
• 5. (First conditional) If she __________________ (not go) to the
meeting, I
__________________ (not go) either.
• 6. (Third conditional) If the baby __________________ (sleep) better
last night, I
__________________ (not be) so tired.
• 7. (First conditional) If the teacher __________________ (give) us lots
of homework
this weekend, I __________________ (not be) happy.
• 8. (Second conditional) If Lucy __________________ (have) enough
time, she
__________________ (travel) more.
• 9. (First conditional) If the children __________________ (not eat)
soon, they
__________________ (be) grumpy.
10. (First conditional) If I __________________ (not go) to bed soon, I .
___________ (be) tired in the morning
• Second conditional) If I __________________ (want) a new car, I
__________________ (buy) one.
• 12. (Second conditional) If José __________________ (not speak) good
French, he
__________________ (not move) to Paris.
• 13. (First conditional) If John __________________ (drink) too much
coffee, he __________________ (get) ill.
• 14. (Third conditional) If we __________________ (tidy) our flat, we
__________________ (not lose) our keys.
• 15. (Third conditional) If Luke __________________ (not send) flowers
to his mother,
she __________________ (not be) happy.
• 16. (Second conditional) If the children __________________ (be) in
bed, I
__________________ (be able to) have a bath.
• 17. (Second conditional) If you __________________ (not be) so
stubborn, we
__________________ (not have) so many arguments!
• 18. (Third conditional) If Julie __________________ (not go) to
Sweden, she
__________________ (go) to Germany.
• 19. (First conditional) If she __________________ (go) to the library,
she
___________ (study) more.