CONDITIONALS

TYPE PATTERNS AND USES

Ø IF + PRESENT, PRESENT
ü To talk about situations that are generally true:
ZERO – If I eat too much spicy food, I get an upset stomach.
ü To talk about situations that are always true, such as scientific facts:
– If water boils, it evaporates.
Ø IF + PRESENT, FUTURE / IMPERATIVE / MODAL VERB + INFINITIVE
ü To express a situation that is likely or possible to happen in the future:
– I will go to the cinema with you if I finish my homework soon.
– You will meet a lot of people if you go to university.
FIRST
– If John phones, tell him I am in a meeting.
– Look for a summer job if you want to save some money for university.
– You can have ice cream if you behave well.
– If I am free tomorrow, I might go out with you.
Ø IF + PAST, WOULD / COULD / MIGHT + INFINITIVE
ü To express a situation that is unlikely to happen in the future because it is
imaginary or contrary to the facts:
SECOND
– Her English would be better if she came to class more often.
– I would not work if I won the lottery.
– If I saw a car crash, I would stop to help.
Ø IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD / COULD / MIGHT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
ü To talk about a situation that did not happen in the past and its imaginary result
in the past:
– If Simon had gone to the concert, he would have enjoyed himself a lot.
THIRD
– Tom would not have had an accident if he had not been in such a hurry.
– If the weather had been better, we would have gone swimming.
– We could have sat by the window if we had bought the tickets in advance.
– If you had paid attention, you might have done better in your exams.

Conditional linking words:

ü Unless
ü Providing / Provided (that)
ü Even if
ü As long as / So long as
ü In case
ü In case of
ü Or / Otherwise
ü On condition that