Conditionals

By Pablo Latorre
 Zero conditional
If you heat ice it melts
Situation: We use zero conditional when the
result of the condition is a fact. Notice that
we use it to talk about general facts, not a
particular situation. In this conditional the
“if” can usually be replaced by “when”
without changing the meaning.

Formula: If + present simple & present

simple.
 If you touch fire, you get burned.
 Dogs become violent if you mistreat them.
 Customers get disappointed if they don’t get what they expect.
 People die if they don’t eat.
 Kids get a lollypop if they don’t cry
 If you mix hydrogen and oxygen, you get water.
 Babies cry if they are hungry.
 If you press this button, the doorbell rings.
 If you don’t exercise, you get fat.
 If you ask for things kindly, people are more willing to help you.
 What happens if a person doesn’t drink water for two weeks?
 What happens if you mix blue and yellow?
 What happens if you get involved in a car accident while being drunk?
 Note: if we start with the “if clause” we use a comma before the second clause. If
we start with the phrase that shows the result then we don’t need a comma.
(those are 2 more free examples of zero conditional)
First conditional
If it rains, the
party will be
cancelled
Situation: We use the first conditional
to indicate conditions that, if met,
might have an effect on the future.

Formula: If + present simple & future or

modal verb.

For the future clause we can use

“will”, “going to” or a modal verb: can,
might, should, must.
 If I study periodically, I will be fluent in English in no time.
 If you behave, I will get you an ice cream.
 I won’t buy the car if it isn’t in red.
 If they lose the next game, we will be champions automatically.
 They said they won’t pay if we don’t give them an invoice.
 If she goes to the party, I will go too.
 If the weather is nice on Sunday, we will go to the beach.
 If you finish your homework soon, we can go to the park.
 If I’m not busy this weekend, I might clean my house.
 If the tickets aren’t too expensive, you should go to the
concert.
 You must keep calm if the situation gets out of control.
Second conditional
If she went to the
party she would be
happy
Situation: We use it to talk about things that
are not real and what could happen if they
were. We also use it for giving advice.

Formula: If + past simple & would + infinitive

Note: were or was?

“Were” is more formal. “Was” is more

common in real life conversations.
 If she were the president of Chile, she would do so many good
things.
 The planet would be so much better if we took care of it
properly.
 He would easily pass the exam if he studied.
 If I were you I would tell him the truth.
 If I exercised every time I’m supposed to, I’d be in shape.
 If I had more money, I would travel more.
 He would be rich if he didn’t spend so much money in useless
things.
 If she didn’t hate cold so much, we would move to Punta
Arenas.
 If you were an animal what would you be?
 What would you do if you won the lottery?
 Third conditional
If I had waited
1 more minute
I would have missed
the train.
Situation: It's used to describe a situation
that didn't happen, and to imagine the result
of this situation. We often use it to show
regret about something that didn’t happen.

Formula: if+ past perfect & would, could,

might have + past participle
 If he had bought the tickets in time we would have been in the
game right now.
 If she had asked politely, I would have told her the answer
 I would have invited you to my party if I had known that you
were in town.
 If I had been born in Switzerland, I could have spoken many
different languages.
 If you hadn’t gone to that party, you wouldn’t have met him.
 If we had thought about it before, we might have done it
differently.
 If you had told me you were hungry I would have fixed you
something to eat.
 If they had left the house at seven, they could have been on
time for the interview.
 What would have happened if they hadn’t pulled the fire alarm?
 What would have happened if you had taken the taxi?
 Mixed
conditionals
 We can combine the different kinds of conditionals to use
them in specific contexts:
 If he had bought the tickets online we wouldn’t need to
be standing in this long line.
 If I had seen the film, I would tell you what it's about.
 If I had more money, I would have bought you a present.
 If I had finished earlier, I could be there with you now.
 If you knew the truth, you could have told me.
 If you had gone to the doctor, you might feel better now.
 If I weren't so shy, I might have asked her out.