The

Conditionals.
BY:Alejandro
oquendo.
 CONDITIONALS 2
Each conditional sentence has an 'if clause' and a 'main clause'. With all conditional
sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns
and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.
If I practice, I will get better.
I will get better if I practice.
conditional. 3

• A zero conditional sentence consists of two present simple verbs. One is in the ‘if
clause’, and one is in the ‘main clause’. Both parts of the sentence are in the simple
present tense.
• Zero Conditional: time = now/always, situation = general truths
• If + present simple, ...present simple.
• If this thing happens, that thing happens.
• We use the zero conditional when, in general, there is a guaranteed result, like
scientific facts. The most important thing to note is that zero conditionals are about
conditions which are generally true, NOT about conditions on specific occasions.

Zero conditionals have the following characteristics:

You can usually replace the ‘if’ with ‘when’ or ‘whenever’ without changing the meaning.
When I am happy, I smile.

It is also often used to give instructions, with the imperative in the

main clause.
FIRST CONDITIONAL. 4

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other
clause\
1st Conditional: time = present or future, situation = real/specific
If + present simple, ...will + infinitive.

Examples:
• If we don't leave now, we will miss the train.
• If you study hard, you will pass the exam.
• If I see my boss, I will ask her.
• If it gets colder, we will light a fire.

You can also use modals in the ‘main clause’ instead of ‘will’ to express the degree of certainty or permission,
If we don't leave now, we might miss the train.
If you study hard, you could pass the exam.
.
SECOND
CONDITIONAL
second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive, or ‘would’ and
the present continuous.
2nd Conditional: time = now or future, situation = unreal
If + past simple, ...would + infinitive OR present continuous
If this thing happened, that thing would happen.
If this thing happened, that thing would be happening.
We can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. We often

use it to talk about fantasies .

EXAMPLES:

If I won the lottery, I would buy a house in Barbados.

If he had more money, he would buy a boat.

We can also use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible.
It is very common to say ‘If I were’ instead of ‘if I was’.
If he were younger, I would ask him out.
If I were you, I would stop poking the cat.
 THIRD 6

• CONDITIONA
We use the third conditional to talk about the past. It's used to
describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result

•
Lof this imaginary situation.
3rd Conditional: time = in the past, situation = contrary to
reality
• If + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
• If this thing had happened, that thing would have happened.
• Examples:
• If I had studied harder, I would have passed passed the exam.
• If we had left earlier, we wouldn't have arrived late.
• You wouldn't be so tired if you had gone to bed earlier.
 FIRST MIXED CONDITIONAL .
It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times, and the 7
resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types of mixed
conditional sentence.

• .
Present result of a past condition

• If clause (condition) • Main clause (result)

• If + past perfect • present conditional
• If this thing had happened • that thing would happen.

• As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to
rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the
clauses, but the meaning is identical.

• Examples
• If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
• I would have a better job now if I had worked harder at school.
• If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.
 8

Function
This type of mixed conditional refers to an unreal past condition and its
probable result in the present. These sentences express a situation which
is contrary to reality both in the past and in the present. In these mixed
conditional sentences, the time is the past in the "if" clause and in the
present in the main clause.
SECOND MIXED
CONDITIONAL.
If clause (condition) Main clause (result)
If + simple past perfect conditional
If this thing happened that thing would have happened.
CONTInuation 9

Examples
If I wasn't afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up.
I would have picked it up if I wasn't afraid of spiders.
If we didn't trust him we would have sacked him months ago.
We would have sacked him months ago if we didn't trust him.
If I wasn't in the middle of another meeting, I would have been happy to help
you.
I would have been happy to help you if I wasn't in the middle of another meeting.
Function
These mixed conditional sentences refer to an unreal present situation and its
probable (but unreal) past result. In these mixed conditional sentences, the time in
the if clause is now or always and the time in the main clause is before now. For
example, "If I wasn't afraid of spiders" is contrary to present reality. I am afraid of
spiders. "I would have picked it up" is contrary to past reality. I didn't pick it up.
 Part D - Third Conditionals 11

If I ________ (go) to school in Italy, I ________ (learn) Italian.

I ________ (study) maths if I ________ (attend) university.
If I ________ (not go) to the party, I ________ (not meet) my
husband.
We ________ (get) married if there ________ (not be) a
pandemic.
She ________ (come) if she ________ (receive) an invitation .

Mixed conditional

If I ...... you, I would tell him straightaway

were
am
Q2 - If you ...... yellow and blue, you get green
will mix
mix
Q3 - If I .........., I would never have done it
knew
had known
Q4 - Unless you ...... things easy, you'll get ill
take
don't take
- ........, I'd have come immediately
Were I to know
Had I known
If You do not study , you will not learn.