CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

a. Type O: if + present, …. present, used to express automatic or habitual results.

If you heat ice it turns into water

b. Type 1: If + present, …. future.

If it rains, I’ll stay at home.
*Variations of the main clause:
If + present …. may / might (possibility)
If the fog gets thicker, the plane may / might not take off.
If + present …. may / can (permission)
If your documents are in order, you may / can leave at once.
If + present …. must / should / had better / expression of command
If you want to lose weight, you must / should / had better eat less bread.
If you want to lose weight, eat less!
* Variations of the if clause:
If + present continuous (to indicate a present action or an arrangement)
If you are waiting for a bus, you’d better join the queue.
If you are looking for Peter, you’ll find him upstairs.
If + present perfect
If you have written the letter, I’ll post it.

c. Type 2: If + past tense …. conditional

If I had a map, I would lend it to you.
If someone tried to blackmail me, I would tell the police.
* Variations of the main clause:
Might or could may be used instead of would.
If you tried again, you would succeed / you might succeed / you could succeed
If + past tense …. past tense (to express automatic or habitual reactions in the past)
If anyone interrupted, him he got angry.
* Variations on the if clause.
If + past continuous
We’re on a plane and I hate flying. If we were going by boat, I’d be much happier.
If + were can be used instead of if + was. (Were is more usual)
If I was / were you, I would wait a bit
 If I were you I should / would …. Is a useful way of expressing advise.
d. Type 3: if + past perfect, …. Perfect conditional
If he had obeyed orders, this disaster would not have happened.
*Variations of the basic form.
Could or might may be used instead of would
If we had found him earlier, we could / might have saved his life.

* A combination of types 2 and 3 is possible

The plane I intended to catch crashed and everyone was killed. If I had caught that
plane, I would be dead.

e. Unless + affirmative verb = if + negative

Unless you start at once, you’ll be late = if you don’t start at once you’ll be late
Unless you had a permit, you couldn’t get a job = if you didn’t have a permit…….

f. a. If only / I wish +simple past to talk about the present

If only / I wish I knew more people!
If only / I wish I were / was better looking! (were is considered more correct in a
formal style)
b. If only / wish + would + infinitive to refer to the future.
If only / I wish it would stop raining, we could go out
If only / I wish somebody would smile!
c. If only / I wish + past perfect to refer to the past.
If only / I wish she hadn’t told the police.
If only / I wish I had been with you.

g. Other words and expressions used in conditional sentences.

You can borrow my bike providing (that) / provided (that) you bring it back.
I’ll give you the day off as / so long as you work on Saturday morning.
Take your umbrella in case it rains.
Even if he buys me a Mercedes, I won’t forgive him.

Remember you can change the order of the sentences:

I won’t go out if it rains.
They would like to live here if they had the change.
We would have phoned you if we had known your phone number.