Real vs unreal conditional

Express whether something is an open or a remote

possibility
In Context

When Jack came home Friday evening from work,

he noticed his lawn was overgrown and needed some work.
Because he works Monday through Friday as an electrician, his
weekends are free to do as he pleases. This weekend, he will
spend some time with friends and do some yard work. He will
mow the lawn if he has time. 

When Ted came home Friday evening from work, he

also noticed that his lawn was overgrown and needed work.
Because he works six days a week as a healthcare worker, he has
almost no free time and is usually exhausted on weekends. This
weekend is his only opportunity to rest. He would mow the lawn
if he had time. 

Real vs. Unreal Conditional

 
OPEN / REAL – CONDITIONALS

A real conditional includes two parts: if → then.  One action must

happen before the other can happen. An open conditional is used
when the likelihood of something happening is in the real world, a
factual one.
A present tense verb in the condition phrase (If
he has time) expresses that the situation can happen. If it does, the
activity in the other clause will happen. A modal —will, can,
may, or should— is used in the main clause.
A past verb in the condition phrase and the main clause expresses
that there was an open possibility that the condition occurred. (The
speaker doesn't know for sure.) And if it did, the speaker infers that
the action in the main clause occurred.

IF-PHRASE   1ST ACTION MAIN CLAUSE   2ND ACTION

PRESENT CONDITION PRESENT / FUTURE 

If he has time today, Jack will¹ mow the grass.

If he is feeling energetic, Jack will clean up his yard.
The possibility is good. He doesn't know if he will have time
yet.
PAST CONDITION PAST

If he had time yesterday, Jack mowed the grass.

If he was feeling energetic, Jack cleaned up his yard.
There was a good possibility.  I don't He did or didn't do it depending on
know if he did; I wasn't there. whether the condition was true. We
are concluding or inferring what
happened.
 
REMOTE / UNREAL – CONDITIONALS

An unreal conditional has two parts: if → then. One action must

happen before the other can happen. A remote conditional is used
when the likelihood of something happening is in a distant,
imaginary, contrary-to-fact world.
A preterit² verb in the condition phrase (If he had time) and a
modal verb in the main clause [would + verb] expresses that the
condition has a poor chance of happening; therefore, the activity in
the main clause is unlikely to happen.
A past perfect verb in the condition clause (If he had had time) and
the past modal [would have + verb] expresses that the failed
condition was the reason or excuse for the situation in the main
clause not happening.                                        
IF-PHRASE   1ST ACTION MAIN CLAUSE   2ND ACTION
PRESENT CONDITION PRESENT / FUTURE 

If he had time, Ted would mow the grass.

If he felt rested, Ted would clean up his yard.
The probability is poor. (perhaps in He isn't going to mow or clean up the
another world) yard.
PAST CONDITION PAST

If he had had time, Ted would have mowed the

If he had felt rested, grass.
The probability was poor; the action or Ted would have cleaned up the
situation did not happen. This is the yard.
reason / excuse for the action in the He didn't mow the grass or clean up.
main clause not happening.