Conditional Sentences

• Zero Conditional
• First Conditional
• Second Conditional
• Third Conditional
 The Zero Conditional
1. Structure:
[IF + Subject + verb (simple present) ] + , [ Subject + verb (simple present/ modal
verb: can, may, must, have to)]
OR
+ [ Subject + verb (simple present/ modal verb: can, may, must, have to)] + [IF +
Subject + verb (simple present) ]

Eg: If I study hard, I may pass all my exams with good marks.
OR
I may pass all my exams with good marks if I study hard.

2. Use:
They express conditions in the present which, if fullfilled, can/ may/ must have a
certain consequence. Zero conditionals express a universal truth or general facts.
Eg. If you put ice into water, it melts.
The First Conditional
1. Structure:
[IF + verb (simple present)] +, [Subject + verb (simple future: will + vb infinitive)]
OR
[Subject + verb (simple future: will + vb infinitive)] + [IF + verb (simple present)]
Eg: I will give him your message if I see him tonight.

2. Use:
They express conditions in the present which, if fullfilled, willhave a possible
consequence in the future. First conditionals express a possible future result as a
consequence of a quite certain situation.
Eg. If we save enough money, we´ll go on holidays next Summer. (If the condition of
saving money is given or fullfilled, then the consequence will be that we will go on
holidays next Summer.)
The Second Conditional
1. Structure:
[IF + verb (simple past/ subjunctive)] +, [Subject + verb (conditional tense: would + vb infinitive)]
¨would¨ can be replaced by a modal verb of probability like ¨might¨ or ¨could¨ to reduce the level of
probability.
OR
[Subject + verb (conditional tense: would + vb infinitive)] + [IF + verb (simple past/ subjunctive)]
Eg: I would give him your message if I saw him tonight.

2. Use:
They express probable conditions in the present which, if fullfilled, would have a likely/ probable
consequence in the future. Second conditionals express a not quite probable future result as a
consequence of a quite unlikely/ improbable situation to happen.
Eg. If we saved enough money, we´d go on holidays next Summer. (If the condition of saving money
is given or fullfilled, which is quite improbable, then the probable consequence would be that we
would go on holidays next Summer. But we won´t do it probably.)
The Third Conditional
1. Structure:
[IF + verb (past perfect)] +, [Subject + verb (conditional perfect: would have + vb past participle)]
OR
[Subject + verb (conditional perfect: would have + vb past participle)] + [IF + verb (past perfect)]
Eg: I woud have given him your message if I had seen him tonight.

2. Use:
They express conditions whose condition was not given or fullfilled in the past. Therefore the result
was never attained. Third conditionals express an imposible condition because the condition was
not given, it didn´t happen in the past, so the result, as a consequence, didn´t happen either. It is
usually used to express regrets.
Eg. If we had save enough money, we would have gone on holidays next Summer. (Actually, the
condition of saving money didn´t take place, we didn´t save money, so we didn´t go on holidays. We
are evaluating what would have happened if things had been different in the past.)