Conditional Sentences

Grammar II – Semester 2
Prof. Noamane

Meaning and use

• Conditional sentences connect two things: a condition and a result. Something
happens as a result of something else, or happens only if a certain condition
is met.
• The condition and the result can be real (indicative mood) or imagined
(subjunctive mood) and can refer to past, present or future time.
• The condition part of the sentence is called the if clause, or sometimes
the conditional clause.
• The result part of the sentence is known as the result clause, or sometimes
the main clause.
• The conditional clause and the main clause can be in any order.
o If the if clause is first, there is a comma between the clauses
(i.e. if clause, result clause)
o There is no comma if the result clause is first.
(result clause if clause)
• There are four types of conditionals known as zero, first, second and third
conditionals. Here are some examples:

If you heat water enough, it boils. Zero conditional - Real

If I go to the shops, I'll get some milk. First conditional - Real

If I won the lottery, I'd still carry on working. Second conditional - imagined

If I hadn't missed the bus, I wouldn't have met the love of my life. Third conditional- imagined

Take note: sentence structure

All conditional sentences are complex sentences. They consist of an independent

clause (i.e. the result clause) and a dependent clause (i.e. the if clause).

‘If’ is a subordinator (makes a clause dependent) and the if clause is an adverbial

clause.

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 Real conditionals

à Zero Conditional
If you heat water enough, it boils.

Does water boil all by itself? No. The condition that makes it boil is the heating.

• condition = heating
• result = boiling

When will this happen? Any time the condition is met. This kind of conditional is used for
general truths, facts and everyday occurrences. It's not really connected to any
particular time.

The result and if clauses both have present verb forms.

o If clause: if/when + present simple

o Result clause: present simple

In the if clause, either if or when can be used - they have the same meaning.

If / When you leave milk out long enough, it goes bad.

If / When I leave after 8.30, I miss the bus.

Other examples:

• When I turn it on, it makes a funny noise.

• If you multiply ten by twelve, what do you get?
• Milk goes bad if you leave it out too long.

à First conditional
If I go to the shops, I will get some milk.

Will I definitely get some milk? No. The condition that leads to getting milk is going to
the shops. I might not go to the shops.

• condition = going to the shops

• result = buying milk

Unlike the zero conditional, this is not a general truth or scientific fact. It's talking about a
specific time and event, and not something that's always true. It's talking about a time
in the future and something that might happen then.

The if clause has a present verb form. The result clause takes will + infinitive
(without ‘to’) when we are certain that the result will happen if the condition is met. If
we're not certain, we can use a modal verb like may or might.

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If I see Mike, I'll tell him about the party.
If you get home before me, can you put the chicken in the oven?
If I pass my exams, I might get a pay rise.

Form

If clause: if/when + present simple (with a future meaning)

Result clause: will / 'll + infinitive (without ‘to’) / or imperative

IMPORTANT: You can use when instead of if in the if clause, but the meaning is
different. Compare:

If I go to the shops, I'll get some milk.

Am I going the shops? Perhaps, it's a possibility.

When I go to the shops, I'll get some milk.

Am I going to the shops? Probably, it's a plan.

Unreal Conditionals

à Second conditional
The second conditional is about imaginary results of impossible or unlikely conditions in
the present or future.

If I won a million pounds, I'd still carry on working.

Will l win the lottery? It's possible but I think it's very unlikely.

If I had that much money, I'd give up my job immediately.

Do I have that much money? No, I don't.

The if clause contains the past simple. There is, however, one exception: if
the verb to be is in the if clause, use were and not was in the first and second person
singular. The main clause contains would (or other modals such as could or might)
followed by the infinitive without to.

o If clause: if + past simple (exception: verb 'to be' takes 'were' in 1st and 2nd
person)
o Result clause: would / 'd + infinitive without to

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 If I were you, I'd take a holiday!
If you loaned me some money, I could buy a new car.
If I had the time, I could finish the gardening. But I'm too busy with work.

à Third conditional
We use this conditional to talk about an imaginary result of something in the past.

If I hadn't missed the bus, I wouldn't have met the love of my life.
Did I miss the bus? Yes, I did, so the result is purely imagined.

The if clause has a past perfect structure and the result clause has would (or other
modals such as could or might) + have + past participle.

o If clause: if + past perfect

o Main clause: would / 'd + have / 've + past participle

If I had studied harder at college, I could have gone to a better university.

If we had never met, my life would have been a lot less complicated.
If I hadn't taken the job, I might have regretted it.

Take note: mixed conditionals

Mixed conditionals combine the structure of type 2 and type 3 conditionals when the
time (past, present and future) referred to in the if and result clauses are not the same.

Mixed conditionals can refer to:

• Something that didn’t happen in the past and the result of that condition in the present

If you hadn’t left the map at home, we wouldn’t be lost.

(You left the map at home in the past. We are lost now.)

• Something that won’t happen in the future and the result of that condition in the past

If I weren’t going on holiday next week, I could have accepted that offer of work.
(I am going on holiday in the future which is why I didn’t accept the offer of work in the
past.)

Take note: modal verbs in conditionals

Most first, second and third conditional clauses commonly use will or would but it is
possible to use other modal auxiliaries instead. For example:

First conditional

If you go to the shops, can you get some bread, please?

If you go to the shops, could you get some bread, please?

If I go to the beach at the weekend, I might try out my new wet suit.

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If I get a phone call this afternoon, it may be good news.

When we go on holiday this year, we should book a nicer hotel.

Second conditional

If I had enough money, I could travel around the world.

If I were elected, I might be able to do some good.

Third conditional

If you’d told me earlier, I could’ve done something about it.

If we had caught the right bus, we might’ve been on time.

To sum up…

Zero conditionals
Used to refer to general truths, scientific facts and the predictable results of particular
actions.

If/when you freeze water, it turns into ice

First conditionals
Used when we want to talk about something that is likely to happen in the future after a
specific set of circumstances, the condition.

If is used is when the condition is possible and when is used when the condition is
certain to happen.

If I go to the shops, I’ll get some bread. (I might not go to the shops)

When I go to the shops, I’ll get some bread. (I’m definitely going to the shops)

Second conditionals
Refer to an imagined present result of an unlikely or impossible present condition.

If I had the money, I’d travel around the world. (I don’t have the money)

If I were you, I’d think about leaving him. (I’m not you)

Third conditionals
Refer to an imagined past result of something that didn’t happen in the past.

If I had known you were coming, I wouldn’t have prepared the cheese dish.
(I didn’t know you were coming. I prepared a cheese dish.)