Look at these examples to see how zero, first and second conditionals are used.

If you freeze water, it becomes solid.

If it rains tomorrow, I'll take the car.
If I lived closer to the cinema, I would go more often.

Grammar explanation
Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition
(If you study hard) and the main clause tells you the result (you will pass your exams). The
order of the clauses does not change the meaning.
If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
You will pass your exams if you study hard.
Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.

Zero conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially for laws
and rules.
If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep at night.
Ice melts if you heat it.
When the sun goes down, it gets dark.
The structure is: if/when + present simple >> present simple.

First conditional
We use the first conditional when we talk about future situations we believe are real or
possible.
If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
Arsenal will be top of the league if they win.
When I finish work, I'll call you.
In first conditional sentences, the structure is usually: if/when + present simple >> will +
infinitive.
It is also common to use this structure with unless, as long as, as soon as or in
case instead of if.
I'll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.
I don't want to stay in London unless I get a well-paid job.
I'll give you a key in case I'm not at home.
You can go to the party, as long as you're back by midnight.

Second conditional
The second conditional is used to imagine present or future situations that are impossible
or unlikely in reality.
If we had a garden, we could have a cat.
If I won a lot of money, I'd buy a big house in the country.
I wouldn't worry if I were you.
The structure is usually: if + past simple >> + would + infinitive.
When if is followed by the verb be, it is grammatically correct to say if I were, if he were, if
she were and if it were. However, it is also common to hear these structures with was,
especially in the he/she form.
If I were you, I wouldn't mention it.
If she was prime minister, she would invest more money in schools.
He would travel more if he was younger.

Zero Conditional
for certainty

If you heat ice, it melts.

We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a
scientific fact.

Take some ice. Put it in a saucepan. Heat the saucepan. What happens? The ice melts (it becomes
water). You would be surprised if it did not.

i condition result
f

Present Simple Present Simple

I you heat ice, it melts.

f

Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the
condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the
present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the Present Simple tense to talk about the
condition. We also use the Present Simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about
the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result.

Look at these example sentences:

i condition result
f

Present Simple Present Simple

I I miss the 8 o'clock bus, I am late for work.

f
 i condition result
f

Present Simple Present Simple

I I am late for work, my boss gets angry.

f

I people don't eat, they get hungry.

f

I you heat ice, does it melt?

f

result i condition
f

Present Simple Present Simple

I am late for work i I miss the 8 o'clock bus.

f

My boss gets angry i I am late for work.

f

People get hungry i they don't eat.

f

Does ice melt i you heat it?

f

We often use when instead of if, for example: When I get up late, I miss my bus.

Mini Quiz
1. The zero conditional is used when the result of the condition is

no longer true
still possible
always true

2. "If you _______ water for a long time, it boils." Which is correct?

heat
heated
had heated

3. "We get tired when we _______ get enough sleep." Which is correct?

won't
don't
haven't

4 Types of Conditional Sentences

How to use zero conditional sentences

Zero conditional sentences express general truths—situations in which one

thing always causes another. When you use a zero conditional, you’re talking about a
general truth rather than a specific instance of something. Consider the following
examples:

If you don’t brush your teeth, you get cavities.

When people smoke cigarettes, their health suffers.

There are a couple of things to take note of in the above sentences using the zero
conditional. First, when using the zero conditional, the correct tense in both clauses is
the simple present tense. A common mistake is to use the simple future tense.

When people smoke cigarettes, their health will suffer.

Second, notice that the words if and when can be used interchangeably in these zero
conditional sentences. This is because the outcome will be the same any time the
condition is in place; there’s no difference in meaning for if and when to communicate.

How to use first conditional sentences

First conditional sentences are used to express situations in which the outcome is likely
(but not guaranteed) to happen in the future. Look at the examples below:

If you rest, you will feel better.

If you set your mind to a goal, you’ll eventually achieve it.

Note that we use the simple present tense in the if-clause and the simple future tense in
the main clause—the clause that expresses the likely outcome. This is how we indicate
that under a certain condition (as expressed in the if-clause), a specific
result will likely happen in the future. Examine some of the common mistakes people
make using the first conditional structure:

If you will rest, you will feel better.

If you rest, you will feel better.

Explanation: Use the simple present tense in the if-clause.

If you set your mind to a goal, you eventually achieve it.

If you set your mind to a goal, you’ll eventually achieve it.

Explanation: Use the zero conditional (simple present + simple present) only when a
certain result is guaranteed. If the result is likely, use the first conditional (simple present
+ simple future).

How to use second conditional sentences

Second conditional sentences are useful for expressing outcomes that are completely
unrealistic or will not likely happen in the future. Consider the examples below:

If I inherited a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.

If I owned a zoo, I might let people interact with the animals more.

Notice that the correct way to structure second conditional sentences is to use the simple
past tense in the if-clause and a modal auxiliary verb (e.g., could, should, would, might) in
the main clause (the one that expresses the unrealistic or unlikely outcome). The following
sentences illustrate a couple of the common mistakes people make when using the
second conditional:

If I inherit a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.

If I inherited a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.

Explanation: When applying the second conditional, use the simple past tense in the if-
clause.

If I owned a zoo, I will let people interact with the animals more.

If I owned a zoo, I might let people interact with the animals more.

Explanation: Use a modal auxiliary verb in the main clause when using the second
conditional to express the unlikelihood that the result will actually happen.

How to use third conditional sentences

Third conditional sentences are used to explain that present circumstances would be
different if something different had happened in the past. Look at the following examples:

If you had told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.

If I had cleaned the house, I could have gone to the movies.

These sentences express a condition that was likely enough but did not actually happen in
the past. The speaker in the first sentence was capable of leaving early but did not. The
speaker in the second sentence was capable of cleaning the house but did not. These are
both conditions that were likely but (regrettably, in these cases) did not happen.

Note that when using the third conditional, we use the past perfect (i.e., had + past
participle) in the if-clause. The modal auxiliary (would, could, should, etc.) + have +
past participle in the main clause expresses the theoretical situation
that could have happened.

Consider these common mistakes when applying the third conditional:

If you would have told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.

If you had told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.

Explanation: With third conditional sentences, do not use a modal auxiliary verb in the if-
clause.

If I had cleaned the house, I could go to the movies.

If I had cleaned the house, I could have gone to the movies.

Explanation: The third conditional expresses a situation that could have happened in the
past only if a certain condition had been met. That’s why we use the modal auxiliary verb
+ have + the past participle.
Exceptions and special cases when using conditional
sentences

As with most topics in the English language, conditional sentences often present special
cases in which unique rules must be applied.

Use of the simple future in the if-clause

Generally speaking, the simple future should be used only in the main clause. One
exception is when the action in the if-clause will take place after the action in the main
clause. For example, consider the following sentence:

If aspirin will ease my headache, I will take a couple tonight.

The action in the if-clause is the aspirin easing the headache, which will take place only
after the speaker takes them later that night.

Were to in the if-clause

The verb phrase were to is sometimes used in conditional sentences when the likely or
unlikely result is particularly awful or unthinkable. In this case, were to is used to place
emphasis on this potential outcome. Consider these sentences:

If I were to be sick, I would miss another day of work.

If she were to be late again, she would have to have a conference with the manager.

If the rent were to have been a penny more, they would not have been able to pay it.

Note that the emphatic were to can be used to describe hypothetical scenarios in the
present, future, or past.

Punctuating conditional sentences

Despite the complex nature of conditional sentences, punctuating them properly is really
simple!

Here’s how it works:

Use a comma after the if-clause when the if-clause precedes the main clause.

If I’d had time, I would have cleaned the house.

If the main clause precedes the if-clause, no punctuation is necessary.

I would have cleaned the house if I’d had time.

Creating the First Conditional

To make a sentence in the first conditional, we use,

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

If I pass this exam, I’ll celebrate.
If I pass this exam, I won’t have to do it again.
Like all conditionals we can also invert this structure:

Will + verb if + present simple.

I’ll celebrate if I pass this exam.
I won’t have to do this exam again if I pass it.

As an alternative to will, It’s possible to complete the second part of a first

conditional sentence with a modal verb or an imperative. For example,
If it rains, we can’t play tennis.
If it rains, we must postpone our game.
If it rains, wear your waterproof clothing.
The important thing to remember with the first conditional is that we can never
use will near if. Will can only come in the other part of the sentence. For example,
We’ll be pleased if the client accepts our offer.