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English: Conditional Sentence

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English: Conditional Sentence

Uploaded by

benchoixd
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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From Grammarly : https://www.grammarly.

com/blog/conditional-sentences/

What are conditional sentences?


Conditional sentences are a type of complex sentence. They’re made up of
two parts: a condition (often introduced by if or unless) and a result.

The condition sets up a situation, and the result tells us what will happen if
that situation occurs. For example, in the sentence “If it rains, we will stay
indoors,” the phrase “If it rains” is the condition, and “we will stay indoors” is
the result.

Understanding these sentences is key to expressing and understanding


hypothetical situations in English.

The zero conditional: facts and general truths


The zero conditional is the simplest type of conditional sentence. It’s used
to express facts and general truths.

The structure is straightforward: If + [present simple], … [present simple].

For example, “If you heat ice, it melts.”

In this sentence, the condition is “If you heat ice,” and the result is “it melts.”
This is a general truth. It’s always the case that if you heat ice, it melts.

Here are a few more examples:

● If you mix blue and yellow, you get green.


● If it’s a weekday, I go to work.
● If you don’t eat, you get hungry.

Remember, the zero conditional is all about facts and general truths. It’s
not about specific situations or possibilities. It’s about what’s always true.

The first conditional: real possibilities


The first conditional is a step up from the zero conditional. It’s used to talk
about real and possible situations in the future. The structure is If +
[present simple], … will + [infinitive].

For example, “If it rains, I will stay at home.”

In this sentence, the condition is “If it rains,” and the result is “I will stay at
home.” This is a real possibility: It might rain, and if it does, I will stay at
home.

Here are a few more examples:

● If you study hard, you will pass the exam.


● If I see her, I will say hello.
● If they don’t hurry, they will miss the train.

Remember, the first conditional is all about real possibilities in the future.
It’s not about general truths or hypothetical situations. It’s about what might
happen.

The second conditional: unreal or improbable


situations
The second conditional is a bit different. It’s used to talk about unreal or
improbable situations in the present or future. The structure is If + [past
simple], … would + [infinitive].

For example, “If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.”

In this sentence, the condition is “If I won the lottery,” and the result is “I
would buy a house.” This is an unreal situation. I probably won’t win the
lottery, but if I did, I would buy a house.

Here are a few more examples:

● If I were you, I would take the job.


● If it snowed in the Sahara, it would be a miracle.
● If they knew the truth, they would be shocked.
To summarize, the second conditional is all about unreal or improbable
situations. It’s not about what will happen but what could happen in an
alternate reality.

The third conditional: past hypotheticals


The third conditional is a bit more complex. It’s used to talk about unreal
situations in the past. The structure is If + [past perfect], … would have +
[past participle].

For example, “If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.”

In this sentence, the condition is “If I had studied harder,” and the result is “I
would have passed the exam.”

This is an unreal situation—I didn’t study hard, and I didn’t pass the exam.
But if I had studied harder (in the past), I would have passed the exam (in
the past).

Here are a few more examples:

● If she had seen the sign, she wouldn’t have parked there.
● If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train.
● If he hadn’t forgotten his wallet, he would have paid the bill.

Remember, the third conditional is all about unreal situations in the past.
It’s not about what did happen but what could have happened in a different
past.

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