ALL CONDITIONALS CHEATSHEET

0 conditional – something always happens when a condition is met

Formula: IF + Present Simple (I verb form), Present Simple (I verb form)

Examples: If you don’t water the flowers, they die.

Cats go out to hunt when the sun sets.

1st conditional – something will happen in the future when a condition is met

Formula: IF + Present Simple (I form), Future Simple (will + I form)

Example: If you don’t come to the party, Sue will be sad.

I will help you when I finish.

2nd conditional – improbable hypothesis about the present

Formula: IF + Past Simple (II form), would + I form

Example: If I had a billion dollars, I would buy Inter Milan and would liquidate it.
I would help you if I could.

3rd conditional – unchangeable hypothesis about the past

Formula: IF + Past Perfect (had + III form), would have + III form

Example: If the ambulance had arrived on time, the man wouldn’t have died
The trip would have been much nicer, if the weather had been better.

Mixed conditional (3rd + 2nd) – hypothesis about the present basd on an event in the past

Formula: IF + Past Perfect (had + III form), would + II form

Example: If the ambulance had arrived on time (yesterday), the man would be alive (now).
This trip would be much nicer, if we hadn’t forgotten our sleeping bags.