Conditional sentences

These are sentences formed by a subordinate clause that expresses the condition (conditional
clause) and a main clause that expresses the result (result clause). The order in which the
clauses are placed in the sentence does not matter, but if the condition clause comes first, both
clauses are connected by a comma.
– If your little brother misbehaves, he will not go to the party.
– Your little brother will not go to the party if he misbehaves.

Zero conditional
We use If + Present Simple in both the condition clause and result clause. It expresses situations
that happen whenever there is a certain condition, basically, for general truths or scientific facts.
– If you are an environmentalist, you care for the environment.
Sometimes we can use when instead of if, and this doesn't change the meaning of the sentence.
– If you click this button, the computer restarts.
– When you click this button, the computer restarts.
We can also use unless in a zero conditional sentence. Unless means the same as if not. Take
into account that unless is very common in the zero and first conditional, but rare in the second
conditional and never used in the third conditional.
– If you don't recycle materials, you harm the environment.
– Unless you recycle materials, you harm the environment.

First conditional
We use If / Unless + Present Simple in the condition and Future Simple in the result clause. It
expresses what will happen if the condition becomes true, it is basically used to talk about probable
present or future events.
– If you do something illegal, you will face the consequences.
– Unless we use renewable energy, we won't reduce global warming.
In addition to the Future Simple, we can use an imperative in the result clause.
– Call me inmediately if you have a problem.
– If you are underpaid, look for another job.
We can also use some modal verbs instead of the Future Simple in the result clause.
– To show possibility: If you vote for him, he may/might win the election.
– To show permission: You can vote if you fill out the form.
– To show obligation: If you agree with his policies, you must vote for him.
– To show suggestion: If you are interested in politics, you should vote.

Second conditional
We use If + Past Simple in the condition clause and would + base form of a verb in the result
clause. It expresses conditons that are hypothetical, that is, they are not very likely to become true.
It is used to talk about unreal or imaginary situations in the present or future.
– If you commited a crime, I would be shocked.
If the verb in the conditional clause is to be, we normally use were for all persons in singular and
plural. The expression If I were you... is also used to give advice.
– If I were you, I wouldn't touch those wires.
Instead of would, we can use the modal verbs could / might in the result clause, but they both
mean that the condition is less likely to become true.
– If governments banned hunting, we could protect wild life.
– They might rebuild the house if they had enough money.

Third conditional
It is formed with If + Past Perfect in the conditional clause and would have + past participle in
the result clause. We use it to talk about past events which didn't happen and cannot be changed.
– If he had told a good joke, people would have laughed. (The action is in the past and
cannot become true any more)
The third conditional can be used to express criticism:
– If activists hadn't taken action, the forest would have been destroyed.
Instead of would have + past participle, we can use could have / might have + past participle in
the result clause to show ability of possibility.
– He could have solved the problem if he hadn't been so stubborn. (ability)
– If they had known about the election, they might have voted. (possibility)

Mixed conditionals
We can form mixed conditonals if the context permits it, by combining a conditional clause of one
type with a result clause of another.
– If I had more money, I wouldn't have bought such a cheap computer. (second conditional +
third conditional)
– If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now. (third conditional + second
conditional)
– If he could have voted, he would have done it. (third conditional + third conditional)

Time clauses
Time clauses referring to the future are formed like the first conditional: Present Simple in the
conditional clause and Future Simple in the result clause. What we change are the conjunctions. In
this case we use as soon as, by the time, the moment (that), as long as, until, when, before,
after, providing that, provided.
– He will forgive you as long as you are honest.
– The situation will not improve until the government decides to act.
– Crime levels will continue to fall as long as we keep the same number of police officers.
– There shouldn't be any trouble providing that the protesters don't break any laws. (mixed
type)

Wishes and regrets

To express a wish or a regret we can use the expressions I wish... or If only... The verb wish is
usually followed by a direct object (which is a subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction
that). It means 'desear', but when the subject is 'I' we translate it as 'ojalá'. The expression If only
means the same.
– I wish it was Friday. = If only it was Friday.
Both wish and If only can be used with different tenses, depending on what we want to express.
To express a desire for the present, because the speaker is unhappy with the current situation and
would like to change or improve something, we use the Past Simple or Past Continuous.
– I wish I were taller. (If the verb is to be, use were for all persons)
– He wishes he knew more about computers.
– If only I could stand for election.
– If only we weren't working until late.
To express a regret about a past action or situation which happened or didn't happen, we use the
Past Perfect.
– If only she had interviewed the polititian.
– I wish I had taken a computer course before.
To express a dissatisfaction with what somebody is doing in the present, hoping that what we wish
will become true, we use would+V.
– I wish he would apologise.
– If only they would stop making so much noise.
– I wish it wouldn't rain all day.

Inversions
Inversion happens when we invert the normal word order of a structure. The most common type of
inversion is question word order, in which we invert the subject and the verb:
– They are working. (Normal order S+V)
– Are they working? (Inversion: V+S)
Inversion also happens in other situations; with conditional sentences, negative adverbs,
expressions beginning with not, here and there, and no sooner.
Inversions with conditional sentences:
Inversions can happen in conditional sentences.
For inversions in the first conditional, replace 'if' with 'should'.
– If you need more information, please read our pamphlet.
– Should you need more information, please read our pamphlet. (should+S+V)
For inversions in the second conditional, pay attention to the main verb of the conditional clause:
If the main verb is to be, remove 'if', invert the subject and the verb, and change 'was' to 'were' if
necessary.
– If I was/were ridiculously rich, I would buy a yatch.
– Were I ridiculously rich, I would buy a yatch.
If the main verb is not to be, replace 'if' with 'were' and change the verb to the infinitive form with to
(full infinitive).
– If he pushed that buttom, we would have problems.
– Were he to push that buttom, we would have problems.
For inversions in the third conditional, delate 'if' and invert the subject and the auxiliary.
– If we had arrived sooner, we wouldn't have missed the beginning.
– Had we arrived sooner, we wouldn't have missed the beginning.

Inversions with negative adverbs:

In formal styles, when we use an adverb with negative meaning (never, seldom, rarely, scarcely,
hardly) in front position for emplasis, we invert the subject, the adverb and the auxiliary verb.
– We have never witnessed such cruel behaviour by one child to another. (S+Aux+Adverb+V)
– Never have we witnessed such cruel behaviour by one child to another. (Adverb+Aux+S+V)
– One seldom hears a politician say 'sorry'. (S+Adverb+V) No auxiliary verb
– Seldom does one hear a politician say 'sorry'. (Adverb+Aux+S+V)

Inversions with expressions beginning with not:

After not + a prepositional phrase, or not + clause in initial position, we also invert the subject, the
verb and the auxiliary verb.
– Not for a moment did I think I would be offered the job, so I was amazed when I got it. (Not
prepositional phrase+Aux+S+V)
– Not till I got home did I realise my wallet was missing. (Not+clause+Aux+S+V)

Inversions with here and there:

Inversion can happen after here and after there when they are adverbs of place. We don't need an
auxiliary verb for the inversion in this case.
 – Here comes the bus! (here+V+S)
– I opened the door and there stood Michael, all covered in mud! (there+V+S)

Inversions with no sooner... than (apenas)

No sooner... than is used to express that one thing happens inmediately after another.
– She had no sooner gone to bed than the telephone rang. (S+Aux+No sooner+V)
We can make an inversion with no sooner...than.
– No sooner had she gone to bed than the telephone rang. (No sooner+Aux+S+V)
– No sooner had I started washing my car than it started raining. (No sooner+Aux+S+V)