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Conditionals

The document explains the four types of conditional sentences in English: Zero, First, Second, and Third Conditionals. Each type has specific structures and uses, with the Zero Conditional expressing universal truths, the First Conditional discussing likely future events, the Second Conditional addressing unlikely or hypothetical situations, and the Third Conditional reflecting on past situations that did not occur. Examples are provided for each type to illustrate their applications.

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8 views3 pages

Conditionals

The document explains the four types of conditional sentences in English: Zero, First, Second, and Third Conditionals. Each type has specific structures and uses, with the Zero Conditional expressing universal truths, the First Conditional discussing likely future events, the Second Conditional addressing unlikely or hypothetical situations, and the Third Conditional reflecting on past situations that did not occur. Examples are provided for each type to illustrate their applications.

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mhretabtekleab
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Conditionals

Zero Conditional

We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if
clause' and one in the 'main clause'):
If + present simple, .... present simple.
This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100
degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular
situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main clause.
The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the
meaning.
For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a
different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me,
maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)
Here are some more examples:
Examples:
 If people eat too much, they get fat.
 If you touch a fire, you get burned.
 People die if they don't eat.
 You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen.
 Snakes bite if they are scared
 If babies are hungry, they cry

Type I conditional
The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the
other clause;
if + present simple, ... will + infinitive
It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't
know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could
easily come true.
Examples:

 If it rains, I won't go to the park.


 If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
 If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
 She'll be late if the train is delayed.
 She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
 If I see her, I'll tell her.

First vs. Zero Conditional:


The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero
conditional describes what happens in general.

For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking
about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the
sitting)

But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about
what will happen today, another day might be different)
First vs. Second Conditional:
The first conditional describes things that I think are likely to happen in the future,
whereas the second conditional talks about things that I don't think will really happen.
It's subjective; it depends on my point of view.

For example (first conditional): If she studies harder, she'll pass the exam (I think it's
possible she will study harder and so she'll pass)

But (second conditional): If she studied harder, she would pass the exam (I think that
she won't study harder, or it's very unlikely, and so she won't pass)

Type II conditional

The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:
if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in
formal writing).
It has two uses.
First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be
true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.

 If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
 If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
 She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
 She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't
happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible,
because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:
 If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's
impossible for me to call him).
 If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

How is this different from the first conditional?


This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is
a lot more unlikely.

For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with
twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much
money, it's just a dream, not very real)

But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much
more likely that I'll have enough money to buy some shoes)

Type III conditional


We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have'
and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:
if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to
imagine the result of this situation.
 If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she
didn't study and so she didn't pass)
 If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did
feel sick).
 If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
 She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
 She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
 He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

N.B. (Notice we can put 'if' at the beginning, or in the middle. It doesn't change the
meaning. When 'if' is at the beginning of the sentence, we put a comma at the end of
the 'if' clause. We don't use a comma when 'if' is in the middle of the sentence.)

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