Zero Conditional: The REAL conditional

 Truths, facts, habits, rules, instructions

 If this happens, this is the result.
 If/When + present simple, present simple
 If I workout, I feel healthier.
 When I workout, I feel healthier.
If: there is a chance
When: we are certain that something will happen
Examples:
1. When the sun sets, it gets dark.
2. If you leave milk out, it spoils.
3. If the power goes out, we can’t watch TV.
4. If it’s cold, light the fire. (instruction)
5. Children can swim, if an adult is with them. (rule)
6. If it’s hot, I go to the beach. (habits)

First Conditional: The POSSIBLE conditional

 Possible future results that might or might not happen
 Used when making:
o Predictions
o Superstitions
o Plans
o Promises
o Offers
o Suggestions
o Warnings
 If/When + present simple, present future
 If this thing happens, this will likely happen.
Examples:
1. If you don’t eat now, you’ll be hungry later.
2. If she doesn’t call, I’ll be annoyed.
3. When the sun sets, it will get cold.

If you leave the milk out, it spoils. (general fact)

If you leave the milk out, it will spoil. (advice or warning)
 When the sun sets, it gets cold. (general fact)
When the sun sets, it will get cold (advice)

If she doesn’t call, I’m annoyed. (general truth)

If she doesn’t call, I’ll be annoyed. (specific phone call)

Practice: Write a zero or first conditional sentence.

Situation: You are a teacher. You want to warn your students that they need to do
their homework by tomorrow. Otherwise, there will be trouble!
Answer: If you don’t do your homework, you will be in trouble.

1. You are talking to a child. You want to explain a fact about what happens in
Spring.
2. You’re talking to a friend. You want to warn them to not be late to work tomorrow.
3. You are a politician giving a speech. You want to promise change in the future if
the people vote for you.
4. You’re writing a cookbook. You need to write a statement telling people that they
can always change the ingredients if they have a food allergy.

Second Conditional: The HYPOTHETICAL conditional

Uses:
1. Imagine life is different
Things in the future that are unlikely or things that are impossible in the present

If this happened, that would happen.

If + past simple, would +infinitive

If I had enough money, I would buy a house.

If I won the lottery, I’d buy a house.
If she lived in London, she would have English friends.
If I didn’t want to go, I would tell you.
If I didn’t finish my homework, I wouldn’t tell my teacher.
 2. Ask hypothetical questions: situations are not real
What would you do if you quit your job?
If you won a million dollars, would you travel the world?
If you only had one in Singapore, what would you do?
If you could travel to any country, where would you go?

3. Give advice
If I were you, I’d talk to my boss before I quit my job.
If I were her, I’d break up with him.

4. Give reasons why

If I had the money, I’d lend it to you.
If I wasn’t so busy, I would invite you over for dinner.

If is a conjunction. If clause contains the condition; the main clause contains the result.
You can change the order of the clauses.
If it stopped raining, I would go for a walk.
I would go for a walk if it stopped raining.
Subject + would are usually contracted when spoken
(I’d, you’d, she’d, they’d, he’d, we’d)

Third Conditional
Talks about the past – an unreal past
 Imaginary situation in the past
 Imaginary result in the past

Used to talk about:

1. regrets or disappointments about the past
2. wish we could change something in the past
3. tell someone off for something they did in the past
If + past perfect, perfect conditional
If subject + had + past participle … would have + past participle
 If I had left earlier, I wouldn’t have missed my flight.
 If you hadn’t been so rude, they would have invited you back.
  If you had called me, I would have come to the party.
 If she had replied to my message, I wouldn’t have been so worried.
 If I hadn’t been going so fast, I wouldn’t have been fined.
 If I had taken better care of myself, I wouldn’t have gotten sick.

Might have (probability/certainty) and could have (possibility/ability) can also be used.
 If she had studied more, she might have passed.
 If you had lent me your car, I could have gotten there faster.
 If I had studied the lesson, I would have answered the question better.

Mini Quiz
1. You had a job interview but you didn’t prepare for it. You did not get the job and
you regret not preparing more.
If I had prepared more, I might have gotten the job.

2. Your friend was in trouble and they needed help. You had the ability but he never
told you he was in trouble.
3. You showed up at a dinner party empty-handed. Everybody else brought a dish
to the party. You wish that you had brought something.
4. He was talking on the phone while driving. Then he got pulled over by the police
and got a huge fine. Now he regrets using his phone in the car.
5. Sarah went on a hike. She did not bring a rain jacket. It started raining. She’s
upset because she got really wet.