CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 1 of 7

& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS

Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES

& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Archer Bishop

ABSTRACT
The scope of this article is Prescriptive Grammar.
Any English user may need a quick reference concerning conditionals in general.
However, many users have an incorrect idea that, when we use past perfect in
the if clause, it is ALWAYS incorrect to use “would or would not + base form of
verb” in the main clause.
Therefore, the objective of this article is:
1. to define CONDITIONAL (IF) sentences in general and their BASICs; and
2. to correct the incorrect idea that, when we use past perfect in the if
clause, it is ALWAYS incorrect to use “would or would not + base form of
verb” in the main clause. We use this pattern in MIXED CONDITIONAL.
Whether we use “would/wouldn’t + have + past participle” or “would/wouldn’t
+ base form of verb” depends on whether the event is a Third Conditional or
Mixed Conditional event.

CONTENTS
Topic Page
Conditional………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Conditional Types……………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Zero Conditional………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
First Conditional………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Second Conditional………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Third Conditional…………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Mixed Conditional…………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Difference Between Third and Mixed Conditionals………………………………….. 6
References………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Further Reading………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 2 of 7
& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

CONDITIONAL
There are some sentences that have two components describing occurrences of
two events (or two groups of events) (each event or each group of events
hereinafter “event”). Occurrence of one event is influenced by the occurrence of
the other event. Thus, the occurrence of the event that influences is the condition
for the occurrence of the influenced event. And the logic of the condition is: “This
happens because that happens or, in reverse reasoning, this doesn’t happen unless
that happens”. Because of this condition, these sentences are called CONDITIONAL
sentence or, in short CONDITIONAL.

The part of the sentence describing the event that influences is preceded by “if”
(some cases replaceable by “when” and “where”) and is referred as if-clause. And
the part describing the influenced event is referred as main clause.
Example:
If it rains, I will not go out.
or
I will not go out if it rains.
The event of whether it rains influences the event of my decision to go out.

CONDITIONAL TYPES
Based on the likelihood (probability) of the occurrence of the event, whether the
event can practically exist, time (tense) of the event, or any combination of the
aforementioned factors, the conditionals are divided into the following basic five
types:
1. Zero Conditional,
2. First Conditional,
3. Second Conditional,
4. Third Conditional, and
5. Mixed Conditional.
The existence of the events in the zero and mixed conditionals are factual in nature.
The existence of the events in first conditional, while imagined, do have a practical
probability of factual existence. And the existence of the events in the second and
third conditionals exist in the imagination only.
CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 3 of 7
& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

ZERO CONDITIONAL
The conditions that are practically, generally, logically, scientifically, universally,
and/or absolutely true are zero conditional. To express these events, we use, as
applicable to a given context, the following patterns:
IF CLAUSE* MAIN CLAUSE
any of the present tenses any of the present tenses
*In place of “if”, “when” (and sometimes “where”) can be used too.
Examples:
• If/when/where a person studies well, he succeeds in the examination.
– Practically and logically but generally (as opposed to
scientifically, universally, or absolutely) true.
• If/when/where the moon comes between the earth and the sun, solar
eclipse occurs.
– Universally or absolutely true.
• If/when/where we add two and two, it produces four.
– Logically, scientifically, universally, and absolutely true.
• If/when/where a person has conducted a lot of proper research, they
have had proper knowledge on the relevant matter.
– Practically and logically true.

FIRST CONDITIONAL
It is first conditional where the event that influences is hypothesized in terms of a
present occurrence and its influenced event is to occur in the future but has not
occurred yet. To express it, we use, as applicable to a given context, the following
patterns:
IF CLAUSE* MAIN CLAUSE
any of the present tenses any of the future tenses
any of the present tenses any sentence that expresses future
any of the present tenses imperative
*In place of the if-clause, a clause preceded by “unless” or “until” can be used with a negative
connotation to express the same idea by reverse reasoning.
Examples (continued on next page)
CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 4 of 7
& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

(First Conditional – continued)

Examples:
• If you study well, you will succeed.
Present condition for future result.
> Reverse Reasoning
• Unless you study well, you will not succeed.
• Until you study well, you will not succeed.
• If you study well, you are going to succeed.
• If you study well, you should succeed.
• If you want to succeed, study well. (Imperative in the main clause).

SECOND CONDITIONAL
When an event happened, worked as a cause for another event, and the causing
event and its resulting event already happened in the past while the resulting event
is continued in the present and may continue in the future but we imagine an
alternative of that causing event and thus a relevant alternative resulting event that
would be possible and would continue in the present and could continue in the
future, this is second conditional. And the pattern is:
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
if + past simple should/would/might/could + base verb
Example:
• Speech: If you studied well, you would succeed.
• Past Fact/Event: You didn’t study well and, for this cause, you didn’t
succeed.
• Actual Causing Event: You didn’t study well.
• Actual Resulting Event: You didn’t succeed.
 Actual Continuation:
The status of not succeeding is continued in the present time
and may continue in the future.
• Imagined Alternative Causing Event: You studied well.
• Imagined Alternative Resulting Event: You succeeded.
 Imagined Continuation:
If you really succeeded, the imagined status of succeeding
possibly would continue in the present and future.
CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 5 of 7
& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

Also, an indirect way to advise is classified as second conditional. The pattern is:
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + subject + were would + base verb
Example:
Context: Your examination is knocking at the door but you are not
studying well. And I indirectly advise you to study well. In this context,
to express the said advice, my speech is:
• If I were you, I would study well.

THIRD CONDITIONAL
When an event happened, worked as a cause for another event, and the causing
event and its resulting event happened in the past but we imagine an alternative
of that causing event and thus a relevant alternative resulting event, this is third
conditional. So, the factors involving actual and imagined past incidents are same
in second and third conditionals. But the difference is that both actual and imagined
resulting events in second conditional have connection to the present and perhaps
the future while the third conditional’s concern is limited to the past only. And the
third conditional pattern is:
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
if + past perfect should/would/might/could + have + past participle
Example:
• Speech: If you had studied well, you would have succeeded.
• Past Fact/Event: You didn’t study well and, for this cause, you
didn’t succeed.
• Actual Causing Event: You didn’t study well.
• Actual Resulting Event: You didn’t succeed.
 Actual Continuation: Not concerned at all.
• Imagined Alternative Causing Event: You studied well.
• Imagined Alternative Resulting Event: You succeeded.
 Imagined Continuation: Not concerned at all.
CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 6 of 7
& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

MIXED CONDITIONAL
Mixed conditional occurs when one of the following mixtures occurs:
1. the if-clause pattern of the third conditional with the main clause pattern of
the second conditional; and
2. the if-clause pattern of the second conditional with the main clause pattern
of the third conditional.
Things happened in the past and were fully completed. And their influenced events
still are in fact continued in the present and may continue to the future. This is a
case of mixed conditional. Why? Because the total event is a mixture of past,
present, and potential future time frames. Well, the second conditional, in essence
is a mixture too. But, unlike the second, the mixed conditional is more of a
statement of fact than imagined hypothesis. The mixed conditional pattern is:
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
if + past perfect would/might/could + base verb
if + past perfect continuous would/might/could + base verb
if + past simple would/might/could + have + past participle
Examples:
• If I hadn’t met Charles, I wouldn’t be here now. (I met Charles so I’m
here now.)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIRD AND MIXED CONDITIONALS

DIFFERENCE 1: PATTERN

Third Conditional
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
if + past perfect should/would/might/could + have + past participle
Example: If you had studied well, you would have succeeded.
Mixed Conditional
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
if + past perfect would/might/could + base verb
if + past perfect continuous would/might/could + base verb
if + past simple would/might/could + have + past participle
Example: If you had studied well, you would succeed.
CONDITIONAL (IF) SENTENCES Page 7 of 7
& THIRD and MIXED CONDITIONALS
Author: Archer Bishop (aka Centaur Priest)

DIFFERENCE 2: TIMING

Third Conditional
We use the third conditional when we imagine a different past, where something
did or did not happen, and we imagine a different result.
Example:
If you had studied well, you would have succeeded.
You didn’t study well, so you didn’t succeed. Both incidents happened in the
past and have no connection with the present. It’s already over and cannot
be changed. In the present time, all we are doing is imagine an alternative
past that can no longer be changed. It’s a totally completed past incident
whose alternative exists in the imagination only.

Mixed Conditional
Often, things that did or did not happen in the past have results which continue or
are still important in the present.
Example:
If you had studied well, you would succeed.
You didn’t study well, so you DON’T (as opposed to “didn’t”) succeed. The
study time was in the past and is completed, no more study now. But,
because of not studying well, the failure is still taking place in the present
time.

References:
University of Cambridge
University of Michigan
University of Siena

Further reading:
Cambridge Dictionary - English Grammar Today
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/conditionals-and-wishes/conditionals-if