Grammar

Conditionals (IF/WHEN clauses & WISH conditionals)

Conditional sentences consider imagined or uncertain situations and the possible results of these situations.
They are structures in which, if a certain condition or circumstance is true, then a specific result happens.

Conditionals (IF/WHEN clauses)

Type 0 Type I Type II Type III
Real/true situation Likely/possible situation Unlikely situation Hypothetical situation in the past

Conditionals Type 0

If you freeze water, it turns into ice.

If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep at night.
When the sun goes down, it gets dark.
When we don't go out on Saturdays, we order pizza and stay home.

A real situation that is generally true. If my son is enjoying himself, we just let him go on playing till he is ready for bed.

If the economy is growing by 6%, then it is growing too fast.

If my father had a day off, we always went to see my aunt.

If clause Main clause

[If/When + Present Simple] [Present Simple]

If clause Main clause

[If/When + Present Continuous] [Present Simple]

If clause Main clause

[If/When + Present Continuous] [Present Continuous]

If clause Main clause

[If/When + Past Simple] [Past Simple]

Conditionals Type I

If it rains today, I'll stay at home.

If he is busy now, I will come back tomorrow.
Real Madrid will be top of the league if they win this match.
A likely situation When I finish work, I'll call you.
If it is sunny tomorrow, I may/might go running (no difference
between may and might).
If you don't hurry, you could miss the train.

If clause Main clause

[If/When + Present Simple] [Future Simple: will/may/might/could + base verb]

We use the modal verb in the Main clause, not in the If clause. If a lawyer reads the document, we will see if we’ve missed anything
important. NOT: If a lawyer will read the document…
 Conditionals Type II

If she won the lottery, she would travel around the world.
An unlikely, imaginary, hypothetical or If I were(*) in Brazil, I would visit Rio de Janeiro.
impossible situation If we didn't have to work today, we would have a picnic.
I wouldn't worry if I were you.

If clause Main clause

[If + Past Simple] [Modal verb with future-in-the-past meaning: should/would/might/could + base verb]

We use the modal verb in the Main clause, not in the If clause. If you decided to take the exam, you would have to register by 31 March.
NOT: If you would decide to take the exam …

(*) If the verb in the IF clause is to be, use were, even if the subject of the clause is a first or third person singular (I, he, she, it). If I were a
rich man, I would make a donation. NOT: If I was a rich man, I would make a donation. This exception applies only to conditionals Type II.
When talking about a possibility that did happen or might be true, use was and were as normal. If I was rude to you, I apologise. NOT If I
were rude to you, I apologise.

Conditionals Type III

If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.

A hypothetical situation in the past, with a If I had won the lottery, I would have travelled around the world.
different result. If they had left earlier, they would have arrived on time.
If I hadn't been so busy, I would have helped you.

If clause Main clause

[If + Past Perfect] [Modal verb with future-in-the-past meaning: should/would/might/could have + -ed form]

We use would have + -ed in the Main clause, not in the If clause: If he had stayed in the same room as Dave, it would have been a
disaster. NOT: If he would have stayed … it would have been a disaster.

Wish Conditionals show that the speaker wants reality to be different.

Conditionals Wish + Would

I wish you would stop making that noise.

An impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction I wish he would save money!
with a present situation I wish my neighbour would turn that awful music down.
I wish this phone would stop ringing!

Conditionals Wish + Past Simple

I wish I were(*)/ was(**) rich (but I am not)

A desire to change something in the present or I wish I lived in a house near the beach
Future I wish it weren´t so cold today.
I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow.

Conditionals Wish + Past Perfect

I wish I had learned English when I was younger.

I wish I hadn't seen Mark and Lucy together!
A regret about the past I wish she had listened to me.
I wish you had brought your camera!

(*) Standard English

(**) Common English