Conditionals

Real situations : conditional 1

1- With if and can

This kind of sentence describes a real situation. Although a present tense is used after if ,the
time refered to is not the present.

If you fall, I won’t be able to catch you .

This means that there is a possibility this will happen as we are actually in the situation
described. Going to can be used in place of will.

If it rains, we’re going to get wet.

Modals can is common in Conditional 1 sentences

If the case is too heavy, I can help you carry it.

2- Unless, provide, as long as.

Unless introduces a clause which tells us about an exception to the point made in the main
clause.

Unless you leave at once, I’ll call the police.

Provided and as long as can introduce a condition.

Provided you leave now, you’ll catch the train.

3- With the imperative

It is common to use the imperative instead of if.

Get me a ticket, and I’ll pay you later.

4- With should

Should makes the action less likely. It is often stressed in speech.

If you should her, can you give her a message?

Unreal situations: Conditional 2 (present/future)

1- With if

This kind of sentence describes an imaginary or ureal situation. Although the past simple
tense is used after if, the time referred not to the past but imaginary.

If you fell, you would hurt yourself.

This means that I am imagining a situation and its result. We could both be in a dangerous
situation, or I could be imagining the whole situation. The past tense form does not refer to
past time.
 2- Were, might, could

Were is often used instead of was in formal language. Note that were is not stressed.

If I were smarter, I would play chess.

If I were you, I would leave now. ( I and you are stressed)

Modals might and could are common in this kind of sentences.

If you became famous, you might be unhappy.

3- Were to

Were to is another way of expressing Conditional 2 sentence.

If they were to offer me the job, I’d turn it down.

Unreal situations: conditional 3 (past)

1- With if and might.

This kind of condition describes an imaginary or unreal situation. The time referred to is past
time.

If you had written more, you would have got better marks.

Might is more common in this kind of sentence.

If you had tried harder, you might have succeeded.

2- Mixed conditions

For past events which have a result continuing in the present, it is possible to mix
Conditionals 2 and 3.

if you had saved some money, you wouldn’t be so hard up.

If sentences

Not all if sentences are conditional sentences , and if can mean whenever or if it is true that.

If (whenever) it rains, we stay indoor instead.

If ( it is true that) you have a job like that, you are very lucky.

If ( it is true that) nothing happened, you were lucky.