if clauses - conditional sentences

if clauses - conditional sentences

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Conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English as a second language.

Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In English, most sentences using the conditional contain the word if. Many conditional forms in English are used in sentences that include verbs in one of the past tenses. 

This usage is referred to as "the unreal past" because we use a past tense but we are not actually referring to something that happened in the past. There are five main ways of constructing conditional sentences in English. In all cases, these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main clause.

In many negative conditional sentences, there is an equivalent sentence construction using "unless" instead of "if".

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watch out:

• Which type of conditional sentences is it?

• Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)?

the zero conditional

The zero conditional is used for when the time being referred to is now or always and the situation is real and possible. The zero conditional is often used to refer to general truths.

zero conditional

If clause                         Main clause
If + simple present        simple present
If this thing happens     that thing happens. 

If you heat ice                it melts.
If it rains                         the grass gets wet.

zero conditional

The zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world, and often refers to general truths, such as scientific facts. In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and possible.

ready for a quiz?

Multiple Choice

If you freeze water,

• it becomes fluid

• it becomes solid

Multiple Choice

Plants die

• if you water them

• if they don't have enough water

Multiple Choice

If public transport is efficient,

• people will use their cars

• people stop using their cars.

Multiple Choice

If you mix red and blue,

• you get purple

• you get orange

• you get green

Type 1 conditional

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type 1 conditional: condition possible to fulfill

• The type 1 conditional is used to refer to the present or future where the situation is real. The type 1 conditional refers to a possible condition and its probable result. In these sentences the if clause is in the simple present, and the main clause is in the simple future.

type 1 conditional

If clause                         Main clause
If + simple present       simple future
If this thing happens    that thing will happen. 

If you don't hurry          you will miss the train.
If it rains today              you will get wet.

Multiple Select

If I study,

• I will get a good mark

• I will pass the exam.

• I will please my parent

• I will be very sad

Multiple Select

If I do not study,

• I will get a bad mark

• I will fail the exam.

• I will upset my parents

• I will be very happy

Multiple Select

If I have time,

• I'll finish that letter.

• I'll read this book

• I'll go to a trip to France

• I eat a pizza

Multiple Select

What will you do if

• you miss the plane?

• you have enough money?

• your favourite football team lose?

Multiple Choice

If you don't hurry,

• you will miss the bus.

• you will finish your work

Type 2 conditional

condition in theory possible to fulfill

type 2 conditional

• The type 2 conditional is used to refer to a time that is now or any time, and a situation that is unreal.

• These sentences are not based on fact.

  
  

• The type 2 conditional is used to refer to a hypothetical condition and its probable result.

• In type 2 conditional sentences, the if clause uses the simple past, and the main clause uses the present conditional.

form

In a type 2 conditional sentence, the tense in the "if" clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional

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.

function

The type 2 conditional refers to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result.

These sentences are not based on the actual situation.

In type 2 conditional sentences, the time is now or any time and the situation is hypothetical.

type 2 conditional

If clause                                Main clause

If + simple past                  present conditional          

If this thing happened       that thing would happen.  (but I'm not sure this thing will happen) 

 If you went to bed earlier     you would not be so tired.

If it rained                     you would get wet.

If I spoke Italian              I would be working in Italy.

Multiple Choice

If the weather wasn't so bad, ....

(But the weather is bad so we can't go.)

• we would go to the park.

• we would go to school

Multiple Choice

If I was the Queen of England,....

(But I am not the Queen.)

• I would close all the schools

• I would give everyone a chicken.

Multiple Choice

If you really loved me, ...

• you will buy me a ring

• you would buy me a diamond ring.

Multiple Choice

If I knew where she lived, ...

• I would go and see her.

• I will go to see her

type 3 conditional

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type 3 conditional

• The mixed type conditional is used to refer to a time that is in the past, and a situation that is ongoing into the present.

• The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed. 

• The mixed type conditional is used to refer to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the present. In mixed type conditional sentences, the if clause uses the past perfect, and the main clause uses the present conditional.

type 3 conditional

If clause                        Main clause

If + past perfect           perfect conditional 

l If this thing had happened that thing would have happened.

 (but neither of those things really happened)

If you had studied harder you would have passed the exam.

If it had rained you would have gotten wet. 

If I had accepted that promotion

I would have been working in Milan.

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.

Multiple Choice

If it had rained,

• you would have gotten wet.

• you will be wet

Multiple Choice

You would have passed your exam

• if you work hard

• if you had worked harder.

Multiple Choice

........ if you hadn't lied to me before.

• I would have believed you

• I will believe you

Multiple Choice

......... I would have baked a cake.

(But I didn't know and I didn't bake a cake.)

• If I had known you were coming

• If I knew you are coming