Conditional sentences are sentences expressing factual implications, or hypothetical situations and their

consequences. They are so called because the validity of the main clause of the sentence is conditional on the
existence of certain circumstances, which may be expressed in a dependent clause or may be understood from the
context.

Conditionals, typically (though not always) expressed in English as sentences of the form "If ... (then) ..., state
necessary and sufficient conditions. In a conditional so expressed, the clause that follows the "if" is the antecedent;
the other clause is the consequent. To say that it is sufficient is just say what it sounds like: it is to say that it is
enough, nothing more is required to guarantee that the state of affairs described in the other clause obtains.
Consider, for example 1: If someone is a mother, then they're female.
If you know that someone is a mother (not just a parent) that is enough to show that the person is female therefore
being a mother is a enough condition on being female. It is not, however, a necessary condition on being female
since being a mother is not a requirement for being female: you can be female without being a mother. On the other
hand, being female is necessary for being a mother: if someone is not female, they can't possibly be a mother. Thus,
says that being a mother is enough condition on being female and being female is a necessary condition on being a
mother.
In general, for any conditional whatsoever, the antecedent is enough condition on the consequent and the
consequent is a necessary condition on the antecedent.
This may not always be obvious, for consider the following, example 2: If you study, then you'll pass.
In this sentence, it clearly says that studying is enough for passing. It's not so clear that it says passing is necessary
for studying and, in fact, it sounds peculiar because passing is something that happens after you study and it seems
odd to suggest that the occurrence of a later event is necessary for the occurrence of an earlier event.
Another example 3 is: If you didn't pass, then you couldn't have studied.
When one thing is necessary for another thing that means that if you haven't got the first then you haven't got the
second. Water, for example, is necessary for plant life: no water, no plants. Similarly, it says no pass conclusively
shows no study, hence that passing is necessary for studying.
Conditionals and Arguments
Conditionals can figure as parts of arguments--as premises, conclusions or both. The following are arguments, which
contain conditionals: Example 4: If you study then you'll pass. If you pass then you'll graduate. Therefore if you study
you'll graduate.
Example 5: If a number is even then it's divisible by 2 without a remainder. 4 is divisible by 2 without a remainder.
Therefore, 4 is even.
In English language teaching, conditional sentences are often classified under the headings zero conditional, first
conditional (or conditional I), second conditional (or conditional II), third conditional (or conditional III). A range of
variations on these structures is possible.
The Zero Conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about permanent truths, such as scientific facts, and general habits. The
structure is simple:Here are some examples:
If you heat water to 100°, it boils.
If you eat a lot, you put on weight.
If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the earth gets very dry.
If we go out with friends, we normally go to a restaurant.
If I’m tired, I go to bed early.
The First Conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about a realistic situation in the present or future. The structure of the first
conditional is as follows: Here are some examples:
If you’re free later, we can go for a walk.
If they’re hungry, I will make some sandwiches.
If you make a mistake, someone will let you know.
If he studies hard, he will do well in the exam.
The Second Conditional
We use the second conditional to talk about improbable or impossible situations in the present or future. For
example:
If it were to rain tomorrow, I would dance in the street.
If I were rich, I would spend all my time travelling. (But I’m not rich so I can’t.)
If she saw a snake, she would be terrified.
If he didn’t have to work late, he could go out with his girlfriend.
The Third Conditional
We use the third conditional to talk about impossible situations, as in the second conditional, in the past. We often
use the third conditional to describe regrets.
Here are some examples:
If we had left earlier, we would have arrived on time.
If you hadn’t forgotten her birthday, she wouldn’t have been upset.
If they had booked earlier, they could have found better seats.
If I hadn’t learnt English, I wouldn’t have got this job.
You could have helped me if you had stayed later.