Conditional sentences:

ZERO: If/ When + Present Simple, Present Simple

The Zero Conditional is the only one which can use “when”

Used for facts and things which (generally) always happen.

- When/ If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

FIRST: If + present, future simple

For something which is probable, possible or likely to happen

- If you practise a lot, you will pass your driving test

- If it rains tomorrow, I won’t go to the beach

*UNLESS = “If not”

- Unless you practise a lot, you won’t pass your driving test

- Unless it rains tomorrow, I will go to the beach

- If you behave, you can have an ice-cream later

SECOND: If + past simple, would/could/might + Infinitive

For things which are unlikely to happen, impossible or improbable

- Unless I won the lottery, I wouldn’t buy a private island

- If we weren’t in lockdown, we could go to the beach
- If I won the lottery, I would have a party (definite)
- If I won the lottery, I could stop working (a potential)
- If I won the lottery, I might give my brother some money (maybe maybe – if I like
that day)

THIRD: If + past perfect, would/could/might + have + past participle

For things which didn’t happen in the past and their imaginary result

- If you had come to the cinema with us, you could have liked the film
- If I had been born in 1862, I would probably have had children by this age
- If he hadn’t bought that game, he might have been able to buy his mum a birthday
present

MIXED: We form mixed conditionals with one part of the 2nd conditional and one part of the 3rd
conditional. They are used to talk about the present and the past at the same time

2nd – If + past participle , would + infinitive

3rd – If + past perfect , would + have + past participle

- If I had caught the train, I would be there now (3rd + 2nd conditional)
- If it was sunny, I would have gone to the beach earlier (2nd + 3rd conditional)