CONDITIONALS

ZERO CONDITIONAL (always happens, universal truth)

If + subject + present simple, subject + present simple.
Example:
If you put water at 100ºC, it boils. = Si pones agua a 100 ºC, hierve.

FIRST CONDITIONAL (probable situation)

If + subject + present simple, subject + will/won’t + verb

Example:

-If you study, you will pass. = Si tu estudias, tu aprobarás.

-If you don’t study, you won’t pass. = Si tu no estudias, tu no

aprobarás.

SECOND CONDITIONAL (improbable situation)

If + subject + past simple, subject + would/wouldn’t + verb

Examples:

-If you studied, you would pass. = Si tu estudiaras, aprobarías.

-If you didn’t study, you wouldn’t pass. = Si tu no estudiaras, no

aprobarías.

THIRD CONDITIONAL
(impossible situation, it is a past situation that can’t be changed)

If + subject + past perfect, subject + would/wouldn’t + have +

participle

Examples:

-If you had studied, you would have passed. = Si tu hubieras

estudiado, habrías aprobado.

-If you hadn’t studied, you wouldn’t have passed. = Si tu no

hubieras estudiado, no habrías aprobado.

WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS USED INSTEAD OF “IF”:

-UNLESS = a no ser que / a menos que (implies a negative meaning)

Unless you study, you won’t pass. = A no ser que estudies, no

aprobarás.
-AS SOON AS = tan pronto como
-BY THE TIME = para cuando
-WHEN = cuando

ORDER (when the “if” is in the second part of the sentence):

You will pass if you study. -> In this case, the comma is not
necessary.