Conditional Clauses

1. Zero Conditional- used to talk about things that are generally true or
scientific facts.
If+ present simple+ (main clause) present simple
 If the weather is good, I go to the beach.
 If it rain the grass gets wet.
 If you freeze water, it turns into ice.
2. Frist Conditional- used to talk about a possible condition and its probable
result in the future.
If+ present simple+(main clause)will+ infinitive
 If the weather is good tomorrow, I will go to the beach.
 If you don’t hurry you will miss the train.
 If I have enough time, I will exercise.
3. Second Conditional- used to talk about an unlikely or hypothetical
condition and its probable result now or in the future.
If+ past simple+ (main clause) would+ infinitive
 If the weather was good, I would go to the beach.
 If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the word.
 If you went to bet earlier, you wouldn’t be so tired.
4. Third Conditional- used to talk about an imaginary condition and its
probable result in the past (no probablity)
If+ past perfect+ (main clause)would have+ past participle
 I the weather had been good, I would have gone to the beach.
 If you hadn’t eaten so much, you wouldn’t have felt sick.
 If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
If can be replaced by words or expressions with a similar meaning. The most
common are:
1. As long as 6. Supposing (that)
2. Assuming (that) 7. Even if
3. On condition (that) 8. Only if
4. On the assumption (that) 9. In case
5. Provided (that) 10. Unless
 Mixed Conditionals

I. Past and Present

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 conditional1.
If +past perfect(simple/continuous )+ present conditional (would could/might)
+ infinitive.
 If my father hadn’t lost his keys, we wouldn’t have to wait until he finds
them. But my father lost his keys and therefore we have to wait until he
finds them.
 If I had installed an anti-virus, my computer wouldn’t be so slow now. But I
didn’t install an anti-virus and therefore my computer is so slow now.
 If our house had been broken into, we would be very sad. But our house
wasn’t broken into and we aren’t sad.
II. Present and Past
In this second type of mixed conditional sentences, the tense in the “if” clause is
the past simple and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional.
If + past (simple and continuous) +,+ would/ could/ might+ have+ past
participle
 If I were smarter, I would have graduated from Stanford. But I’m not
smarter and therefore I didn’t graduate from Stanford.
 If Mary weren’t a snob, she wouldn’t have had so many parties this year.
But Mary is a snob and therefore she had so many parties this year.
Omission of “if”, with inversion
“If” can be omitted to place more emphasis on the main clause. Were, had and
should are used. The auxiliary verb is moved in front of the subject.
Omitting if- First Conditional
In “if” clauses Type 1, we make inversion by omitting if. We only use “should”
instead of “if”, We don’t change anything in the from of first conditional at all.
 If we go by train, it will be cheaper.
1
Perfect conditional- would / could / might.
  Should we go by train, it will be cheaper.
Omittting if- The second Conditionals
In this type of inversion, we omit if and use were+ subject for to be verb and
were+subject+ to for other verbs.
 If I were a carpenter, I would build my own house.
 Were I a carpenter, I would buit my own house.

 If I had a map I would lend it to you.

 Were I to have a map I would lend it to you.
Omitting if- The Third Conditionals
We don’t use id and make the structure as had+ subject+ vb3.
 If you had told me, I could have helped you.
 Had you told me, I could have helped you.
Instead of if not, we can use unless:
 I’ll be back tomorrow unless there is a plane strike.
 He’ll accept the job unless the salary is too low.