Conditionals

If I get up late, I don’t have breakfast

If we combine uranium 235 and 238, we create a chain reaction

If + present simple, present simple

Real situation – repeated action – we can substitute WHEN for IF

First conditional: A possibility for the future

If I have time, I will go to the cinema this week

(There’s a real possibility I will have time)

IF + Present simple, future

He will create a chain reaction if he manages to combine the two types of

uranium

Second conditional: A hypothetical situation

If I were a boy, I would drink lots of beer.

We could go to the future, if we were able to travel at the speed of light.

If + past simple, would / could + verb

Third conditional: A hypothetical past situation, often a regret. How things

would / could have been different in the past.

If I had known it was a fancy dress party, I would have worn my Spiderman
outfit.

Japan wouldn’t have surrendered if Truman hadn’t dropped the atomic bombs.

If + past perfect (had + PP), would / could have + PP

 Adverbs of time + present tense (present simple or present perfect)

When the time expressions when, as soon as, before, after and until are used in
a future context, they are normally followed by the verb in the present tense.

eg: I will call you as soon as I get home

He will continue taking driving lessons until he passes his driving test.

We can use present perfect when there is an idea of completion.

eg: They will present the project to their professors when they have finished
the experiments.

I will start reading this book after I’ve finished the one I’m currently
reading.