CONDITIONALS

There are a number of structures in English that are called the conditionals which are used to talk
about possible or imaginary situations. A "Condition" is a "situation or circumstance". For example:
If a certain condition is true, then a particular result happens.

There are three basic conditionals that we use in English.

Zero Conditional; First Conditional; Second Conditional; Third Conditional

Structure of Conditional Sentences

The structure of the conditionals is straightforward. There are two basic possibilities in terms of
order in the sentence:

IF Condition Result
If it rains, we will get wet.

Result IF Condition
we will get wet If it rains.

Notice that we only use a comma in the first example.

Conditionals: Time and Probability Table

Probability Conditional Example Time

Certain zero conditional If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils any time
Likely first conditional If it rains, I will stay in. future
Unlikely second conditional If I won the lottery, I would retire. future
Impossible second conditional If I had the money, I would lend it to you present
Impossible third conditional If I had seen him, I would have given him the past
message.

ZERO CONDICIONAL

FORMATION: If + Present Simple, + Present Simple

USE: The Zero Conditional is used for actions that are always true when the conditions are
satisfied. EG: If you put sugar in coffee, it tastes sweet.

Zero Conditional: Certainty

The Zero conditional is used for things that are always true as long as the condition is met.

IF Condition Result Situation

present simple present simple
If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, It boils. fact- universal
present simple present simple
If I drink coffee, I get a headache. fact- personal

In these examples, the result will always occur if the condition is met, so the time is not important.
 FIRST CONDICIONAL

FORMATION: If + Present Simple, + Will

USE: The first conditional is for future actions dependent on the result of another future action
or event, where there is a reasonable possibility of the conditions for the action being satisfied. EG:
If he gets here soon, I'll speak to him about it. (The speaker believes that there is a reasonable or
good chance of seeing him.)

First Conditional: A real possibility in the future

A First Conditionalsentence is one connecting two future actions, where one

must take place before the second is possible. Take a student who wants to
go to university but hasn't got the results of their exams yet. They cannot go
to university until they have received their results. In the case of a good
student who is expected to get good grades, then there is a good possibility
of achieving the marks required to get to university, so the following
sentence could be used:
IF Condition Result
present simple WILL + base verb
If she gets good She will go to
grades, university.

We are talking about the future, but we use a present tense for the condition and will for the
result. In this case, the person is sure about going to university. We can use other modal verbs in
the result part of the sentence:

IF Condition Result Possibility

If she gets good She will go to If the condition is met, then she
grades, university. definitely will go
If he gets good He may go to university. He is not sure about going to university.
grades,
If she gets good She should go to The speaker is expressing his or her
grades, university. opinion, giving advice.
If he gets good He can go to university. This means that it is possible.
grades,
If she gets good She could go to This means that it is possible, but not
grades, university. that likely.
If he gets good He might go to This means that it is possible, but not
grades, university. that likely.

We can also use different present forms in the condition part of the sentence:

IF Condition Reason for tense Result

present simple an action in the future
If I see her, I'll ask her about it.
present progressive an unfinished present action
If they are still working, I'll go home.
present progressive a future arrangement
If they are going, I'll stay at home.
present perfect a finished action related to
 now
If you have finished your I'll clear away the plates.
meal,
WILL + base verb making an agreement WILL + base verb
If you will work late today, I will let you have Friday
off.
expressing displeasure
WILL + base verb because someone insists on WILL + base verb
doing something
If you will drive too fast, The police will stop you.

SECOND CONDICIONAL

FORMATION: If + Past Simple, + Would + Base Form

USE:
1. For future actions dependent on the result of another future action or event, where there is only
a small possibility of the conditions for the action being satisfied. e.g.: If I won the lottery, I would
stop working.

2. for imaginary present actions, where the conditions for the action are NOT satisfied. e.g.: If you
phoned home more often, they wouldn't worry about you. (The conditions are not satisfied because
the person does not phone home, so they do worry.)

TO BE: In Standard English this verb can take the 'were' form for all persons in the If clause. e.g.:
If I were you, I'd tell her.

CONTRACTIONS: 'Would' and 'had' are contracted to -’d; the way to distinguish them is simple
because 'would' is always followed by a Base Form and 'had', as an Auxiliary Verb, is followed by a
Past Participle.
e.g.: I'd tell her. 'Tell' is the Base Form so it means 'I would tell her'
I'd done it. 'Done' is the Past Participle so it means 'I had done it'
e.g.: If he gets here soon, I'll speak to him about it.

Second Conditional: Imaginary Present or Unlikely Future

The Second Conditional can be used to talk about imaginary present situations, where we are
imagining something different from what is really the case. We can also use it to talk about things
in the future that are unlikely to happen, as the condition is unlikely to be met. We use the past
tense in the condition part and would for the result.

IF Condition Time Result Possibility

past simple present WOULD + base verb impossible
If I had the time, I would learn Italian. I don't have the time, so I'm not going to learn
Italian.
past simple future WOULD + base verb unlikely
I won the lottery I would travel around There's a very small chance of winning the lottery,
If
the world. so the trip is unlikely

We can use other modal verbs in the past tense in the result part of the sentence:

IF Condition Result Certainty

past simple WOULD + base verb
If I had the time, I would learn Italian. Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is
sure that they would do it given the
opportunity.
If I had more time, I might learn Spanish. Although unlikely to happen, it is only a
possibility anyway.
If I had more time, I should learn some Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is
more about IT. saying that it would be a good idea, but is
not committed to it.
If I had more time I could learn Hindi. Although unlikely to happen, it is only a
possibility anyway.

With the verb to be, there are two forms that can be used with I, he, she & it:

IF Condition Result
I, he, she, it Were
If I were you, I'd marry her.
I, he, she, it Was
If I was you, I'd marry her.

THIRD CONDICIONAL

FORMATION: If + Past Perfect, + would have + Past Participle

USE:
1. For imaginary past actions, where the conditions for the action WERE NOT satisfied. e.g.: If
you'd been there, you would've seen it. (The conditions were not met because the person was not
there and as a result did not see it.)

Third Conditional: Imaginary Past

The third conditional is used when we are talking about the past and imagining something different
from what actually happened:

IF Condition Result What actually happened

Past Perfect WOULD HAVE + Past Participle
If I had known, I would have helped. I didn't know and didn't help.

 IF Condition Result Certainty

Past Perfect WOULD HAVE + Past
Participle
If I had I would have helped. Although this didn't happen, the speaker is
known, sure about the result.
If I had I would have helped. Although this didn't happen, the speaker is
known, sure about the result.
If I had I could have helped. Although this didn't happen, the result is
known, only a possibility.
If I had I might have helped. Although this didn't happen, the result is
known, only a possibility.
If you had You should have helped. Although this didn't happen, it is only a
known, good suggestion or piece of advice.

MIXED CONDITIONAL
1) Third \ Second Mixed Conditionals

FORMATION: If + Past Perfect, + Would + Base Form

USE:
1. For imaginary present actions or situations that are not possible because the necessary
conditions were not met in the past. e.g.: If you had taken the course, you would know about it.
(The conditions were not met because the person did not do the course and as a result does not
know about it now.)
 
ii) Second \ Third Mixed Conditionals

FORMATION: If + Past Simple, + would have + Past Participle

USE:
1. To avoid the illogicality of saying 'If I had been you', which means that I was not you on that
occasion, but could be in the future, which is, of course, impossible. e.g.: If I were you, I wouldn't
have done that.
2. Where the first part is still true: e.g.: If I could speak Spanish, I wouldn't have needed to get the
letter translated.
This means that I couldn't speak Spanish then when I needed the translator and still can't.

OTHER CONDITIONALS

1) Will \ Will

FORMATION: If + Will, + Will

USE: When trying to convince someone that you will do something in return for their doing
something.
EG: If you'll walk the dog, I'll do the dinner.

2) Would \ Would

FORMATION: Would + If + Would

USE: To be very polite, especially in writing:

EG: I would be very grateful if you would be so kind as to send me the forms as soon as possible.

CONDITIONALS
Examples Usage
Conditional 0
If I am late, my father takes me to school. Situations that are always true if something
She doesn't worry if Jack stays out after school. happens.

Conditional 1 Often called the "real" conditional because it is

If it rains, we will stay at home. used for real - or possible - situations. These
He will arrive late unless he hurries up. situations take place if a certain condition is
Peter will buy a new car, if he gets his raise. met.

Conditional 2 Often called the "unreal" conditional because it

If he studied more, he would pass the exam.
I would lower taxes if I were the President.
They would buy a new house if they had more
money.
Conditional 3
If he had known that, he would have decided
differently.
Jane would have found a new job if she had
stayed in Boston.
is used for unreal - impossible or improbable -
situations. This conditional provides an
imaginary result for a given situation. NOTE
The verb 'to be', when used in the 2nd
conditional, is always conjugated as 'were'.
Often referred to as the "past" conditional
because it concerns only past situations with
hypothetical results. Used to express a
hypothetical result to a past given situation.

CONDITIONALS
Examples Usage
Conditional 0
If I am late, my father takes me to school. Situations that are always true if something
She doesn't worry if Jack stays out after school. happens.

Conditional 1 Often called the "real" conditional because it is

If it rains, we will stay at home. used for real - or possible - situations. These
He will arrive late unless he hurries up. situations take place if a certain condition is
Peter will buy a new car, if he gets his raise. met.

Conditional 2 Often called the "unreal" conditional because it

If he studied more, he would pass the exam.
I would lower taxes if I were the President.
They would buy a new house if they had more
money.
Conditional 3
If he had known that, he would have decided
differently.
Jane would have found a new job if she had
stayed in Boston.
MIXED CONDITIONALS
1 Conditional + 3 Conditional
If + Present Simple + Would Have + Participle been rich by now
Form
2 Conditional + 3 Conditional
If + Past Simple + Would Have + Participle
Form
3 Conditional + 2 Conditional
If + Past Perfect + Would + Base Form
2 Conditional + 1 Conditional
If + Past Simple + Will + Base Form
is used for unreal - impossible or improbable -
situations. This conditional provides an
imaginary result for a given situation. NOTE
The verb 'to be', when used in the 2nd
conditional, is always conjugated as 'were'.
Often referred to as the "past" conditional
because it concerns only past situations with
hypothetical results. Used to express a
hypothetical result to a past given situation.
If I am as clever as you think, I would have
If you knew me better, you wouldn’t have said
that
If you had taken the course, you would know
about it
If he missed the buss, he wont be here on
time

CONDITIONALS ACTIVITY

Identify the correct conditional form and then complete the sentences.
 1. If I ______________ (stay) in Boston, I would have found a new apartment.
2. She would help the poor if she ______________ (be) the President.
3. If he goes to Rome on a business trip, he often ______________ (visit) the Vatican.
4. We won't go to the film unless they ______________ (arrive) in the next 5 minutes.
5. She ___________________ (buy) a new car if she had had the money.
6. If Enrique were me, he ______________ (go) to New York immediately.
7. They will talk to John if he ______________ (come).
8. She comes to work 30 minutes late if her child ______________ (miss) the bus to school.
9. If Jack ______________ (think) twice, he wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake.
10. Karen ______________ (become) a VIP if she studies hard!
11. If they ______________ (know) all the facts, they would have found the defendant guilty.
12. Unless you ______________ (hurry up), we will never arrive on time.
13. If I were in charge, I ______________ (change) the standard business routines.
14. He takes his daughter out to dinner, if she ______________ (come) to town.
15. If I hadn't known better, I ______________ (trust) him.

CONDITIONALS ACTIVITY

Identify the correct conditional form and then complete the sentences.

16. If I ______________ (stay) in Boston, I would have found a new apartment.

17. She would help the poor if she ______________ (be) the President.
18. If he goes to Rome on a business trip, he often ______________ (visit) the Vatican.
19. We won't go to the film unless they ______________ (arrive) in the next 5 minutes.
20. She ___________________ (buy) a new car if she had had the money.
21. If Enrique were me, he ______________ (go) to New York immediately.
22. They will talk to John if he ______________ (come).
23. She comes to work 30 minutes late if her child ______________ (miss) the bus to school.
24. If Jack ______________ (think) twice, he wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake.
25. Karen ______________ (become) a VIP if she studies hard!
26. If they ______________ (know) all the facts, they would have found the defendant guilty.
27. Unless you ______________ (hurry up), we will never arrive on time.
28. If I were in charge, I ______________ (change) the standard business routines.
29. He takes his daughter out to dinner, if she ______________ (come) to town.
30. If I hadn't known better, I ______________ (trust) him.

CONDITIONALS ACTIVITY

Identify the correct conditional form and then complete the sentences.

31. If I ______________ (stay) in Boston, I would have found a new apartment.

32. She would help the poor if she ______________ (be) the President.
33. If he goes to Rome on a business trip, he often ______________ (visit) the Vatican.
34. We won't go to the film unless they ______________ (arrive) in the next 5 minutes.
35. She ___________________ (buy) a new car if she had had the money.
36. If Enrique were me, he ______________ (go) to New York immediately.
37. They will talk to John if he ______________ (come).
38. She comes to work 30 minutes late if her child ______________ (miss) the bus to school.
39. If Jack ______________ (think) twice, he wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake.
40. Karen ______________ (become) a VIP if she studies hard!
41. If they ______________ (know) all the facts, they would have found the defendant guilty.
42. Unless you ______________ (hurry up), we will never arrive on time.
43. If I were in charge, I ______________ (change) the standard business routines.
44. He takes his daughter out to dinner, if she ______________ (come) to town.
45. If I hadn't known better, I ______________ (trust) him.