CONDITIONALS describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened

but didn’t (in the past).

There are four types of conditionals: zero conditional, first conditional, second conditional, and third conditional.

- Zero Conditional gives a fact, a rule, or a true situation. One thing follows the other. Zero conditionals follow this
structure:
 If + subject + simple present verb tense … subject + simple present verb tense
Example:

subj
subj
ect
ect (It is always true, there can't be
 If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. a different result)
Simple present Simple present
tense tense
verb verb

subj subj
ect ect
 If you combine carrots with cucumber, you create a heterogeneous mixture.

Simple present Simple present

tense tense
verb verb
- First conditional is used to talk about things which might happen in the future. It is possible and very likely that the
condition will be fulfilled. First conditionals follow this structure:

 If + subject + simple present verb tense … subject + simple future verb tense
Example:

subj subj
ect ect
 If I find her address, I will send her an invitation.

Simple present Simple future tense

tense verb (will + base form of the
verb verb)
subj subj
ect ect
 If I have enough money, I will buy some new shoes.

Simple present Simple future tense

tense verb (will + base form of the
verb verb)

- Second conditional is used if the condition is possible but very unlikely to be fulfilled. Second conditionals follow this
structure:
 If + subject + simple present verb tense … subject + would + base form verb
There are to application for the second conditional.

First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe the speaker is
imagining some dream.

Example:
subj subj
ect ect
(The speaker probably
 If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house. won't win the lottery)

Simple past tense (would + base form of

verb the verb)
 subj subj
ect ect (She never studies, so
this won't happen)
 If she studied, she would pass the exam.

Simple past tense (would + base

verb form of the verb)
Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true.

Example:

subj
subj
ect
ect (I don't have his number
 If I had his number, I would call him. now, so it's impossible for
me to call him)
Simple past tense (would + base
verb form of the
verb)

subj subj (The speaker

ect ect doesn’t have her
 If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.
address now, so
it's impossible
Simple past tense (would + base for him/her to
verb form of the invite her)
verb)
- Third conditional talks about a past event. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the
result of this situation. Third conditionals follow this structure:
 If + subject + past perfect tense verb… subject + would + have + past participle
Example:
subj subj
ect ect
 If she had studied, she would have passed the exam

Past perfect tense would + have + past

(had + past participle
participle)

subj subj
ect ect
 If she had gone to college, she would have become a teacher.

Past perfect tense would + have + past

(had + past participle
participle)
Note: the adverb “not” can be added on the if clause after “had” and on the second half of the conditional statement
after “would” to express negation. It can be shortened to the contractions “hadn’t” and “wouldn’t,” respectively.
subj subj
ect ect
 If she had gone to bed earlier, she wouldn't have missed the flight.

Past perfect tense would + no t+ have

(had + past + past participle
participle)
subj subj
ect ect
 If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick

Past perfect tense would + no t+ have

(had + not + past + past participle
participle)