Conditionals

There are many types of conditional if

structures
Let’s look at:
1. The zero conditional.
2. The first conditional.
3. The second conditional.
4. The third conditional.

When do we use them?

 The zero
conditional
Function: the zero conditional
If I’m hungry after
swimming, I usually eat a
If there is a lot of traffic, it banana.
takes a long time to get into
town.

The
Are they talking about the present.
It’s a fact. past, the present or the
future?
Look at what these two
teens are saying

Is what they are saying a

fact? Or are they talking Look at what they say. Do
these things happen often? Yes.
about a possibility?
Function: the zero conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about habits and things
that are generally true.
If I’m hungry after If there is a lot of traffic, it
swimming, I usually eat a takes a long time to get into
banana. town. Look at this sentence again:
‘If there is a lot of traffic, it
takes a long time to get
There are two parts to a conditional sentence: into town.’

What word can we use

1. The If clause: the conditional/situation clause. instead of ‘If’ with a similar
meaning?
2. The consequence clause.
‘When’.
clause 1 clause 2
If I’m hungry, I eat a banana.
How do we make
sentences in the zero
conditional if consequence
conditional?
 Form: the zero conditional
If there is a lot of traffic, it If I’m hungry after
takes a long time to get into swimming, I usually eat a
town. banana.

clause 1: If conditional clause 2: consequence

If + present tense, present tense

You can change the order
of the clauses, but if the
If there is a lot of traffic, it takes a long time to get into town.
consequence clause is first,
you don’t use a comma.
If I’m hungry after swimming, I usually eat a banana. Look:

I usually eat a banana if

I’m hungry after
swimming
 The first
conditional
Function: the first conditional
There is a big concert in the main
It depends. If I feel better, I
square this evening. Are you
will go. What about you and
going?
your family?

If it rains, we won’t go out and

we’ll watch it on TV.
As we have seen before,
there are two clauses (parts)
It’s a Look at the first half of what of the sentence. Which is the
possible the boy says: ‘If I feel consequence and which is
situation. better, …’ the conditional/situation
clause?
Is he sure he will feel better
in the future or is it a
possibility?
If I feel better, I will go.
Future.
Look at what the boy says: ‘If I
feel better, I will go.’ Is he conditional consequence
talking about the past, present
or future?
Function: the first conditional
To talk about possible future situations and consequences.

It depends. If I feel better, I will

If it rains, we won’t go out and
go. What about you and your
we’ll watch it on TV.
family?

To make promises (or threats):

If you forget my birthday, I’ll

never speak to you again

How do we make
sentences in the first
conditional?
Form: the first conditional
It depends. If I feel better,
If it rains, we won’t go out. I will go. What about you
and your family?

clause 1: If conditional clause 2: consequence

We can use the
If + present tense, will/won’t + infinitive contractions of will:
1. positive: will = ’ll
If I feel better, I will go. 2. negative: will not = won’t

If it rains, we won’t go out.

Let’s look at the difference between
If it rains, We’ll watch it on TV. the zero and the first conditional

The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general.
For example (zero conditional): If the temperature drops to zero degrees, it snows (the sentence describes what is
generally known to be true all the time)
But (first conditional): : If the temperature drops to zero degrees, it will snow (here, the sentence describes
something that can really happen in the future of the current situation, it will snow here if the temperature keeps
dropping)
The second
conditional
Function: the second conditional
She would travel all over
If I won the lottery, I would the world if she were rich.
buy a big house.

If I had his number, I

Look at what the boy says: would call him.
‘She would travel all over
A
the world if she were rich.’
hypothetical
Is he talking about
case.
something true or a
hypothetical case?
Look at what the girl says: No.
‘If I had his number, I would Because
Look at the first half of what call him.’ she
the girl says: doesn’t
It’s a have his
‘If I won the lottery…’ Is this possible? Can she call
possible number
him?
situation.
Is she sure she will win the
lottery or is it a possibility?
Function: the second conditional
To talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be
true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream.

If I won the lottery, I would She would travel all over

buy a big house. the world if she were rich.

To talk about something in the present which is impossible, because

it's not true.

If I had his number, I

would call him.
How do we make
sentences in the second
conditional?
Form: the second conditional
If I had his number, I
If I won the lottery, I would would call him.
buy a big house.

clause 1: If conditional clause 2: consequence

If + past simple, would + infinitive How is the second
conditional different from
If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house. the first conditional?

If I had his number, I would call him.

Because the second is a lot more unlikely.

For example: ‘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: 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)
 The third
conditional
Function: the third conditional
If you had told me, I would
have gone

Hey, you didn’t go to my party

yesterday

Look at the first half of what

the girl says: No.
‘If you had told me…’

Look at these two girls Did she know about the

The past talking. Are they talking party?
about the past or the
present? No.
Because
Did she go the party? she didn’t
know
Function: the third conditional
To describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result
of this situation

If you had told me, I would

Hey, you didn’t go to my
have gone (you didn’t tell me
party yesterday
and I didn’t go because of this)

How do we make
sentences in the third
conditional?
Form: the third conditional
If you had told me, I would
have gone

clause 1: If conditional clause 2: consequence

(but she didn't study
If + past perfect, would + have + past participle and so she didn't pass)

If she had studied, she would have passed the exam.

(but we didn’t, so we
If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane. miss the plane)

This conditional can be used to express regret about a past decision

For example: 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).
I regret eating that much, because I felt sick, but I can’t change what I did.
 Now, let’s
compare them!
Function: When do we use them?
Look at the
uses and match
the examples.

zero conditional first conditional second conditional third conditional

To talk about things that To describe possible For hypothetical situations For hypothetical
are generally true. future situations. in the present or future. situations in the past.

To talk about the result of To give instructions or To make suggestions or For regrets about the
a situation or action. advice. give advice. past.

If I were you, I’d speak to If you travel abroad, you I wouldn’t have lost my If you study hard this
Tom before booking. need a passport. phone if I hadn’t left my week, you’ll do well in the
bag on the beach. exam.
If I had heard your call, I She would quit her job if
would have answered. she found something If you bring your books Wear white if you come
else. back late, you get a fine. to the party!
Function: When do we use them?
zero conditional first conditional second conditional third conditional
For hypothetical
To talk about things that To describe possible For hypothetical
situations in the present
are generally true. future situations. situations in the past.
of future.

If you travel abroad, you If you study hard this week, If I had heard your call, I
She would quit her job if
need a passport. you’ll do well in the exam. would have answered.
she found something else.
For regrets about the
To talk about the result of To give instructions or To make suggestions or
past.
a situation or action. advice. give advice.

I wouldn’t have lost my

If you bring your books Wear white if you come to If I were you, I’d speak to
phone if I hadn’t left my bag
back late, you get a fine. the party! Tom before booking.
on the beach.
You can also With first For advice and
replace if with conditionals, we can instructions, we use an This is
when here, e.g. use unless here to imperative in the result always
‘When you mean if not, e.g. ‘If clause. Look: with ‘If I
travel abroad, you don’t study, you’ll How do we make
If you’re tired, go home! were
you need a fail’ = ‘Unless you sentences in the
you…’
passport.’ study, you’ll fail.’ conditional structures?
imperative
 Form: How do we form these structures?
zero conditional

If/When + present simple , present simple

If you travel abroad, you need a passport.

first conditional
Look at the example for
If + …?
zero conditional. Now
If you study hard this week, you’ll do well in the exam. try to work out the
structures for the other
second conditional three conditionals.

If + …?
If she found something better, she’d quit her job.

third conditional

If + …?

If I hadn’t left my bag on the beach, I wouldn’t have lost my phone.

 Form: How do we form these structures?
zero conditional

If/When + present simple , present simple

If you travel abroad, you need a passport.

first conditional
Look at the example for
If/Unless + present simple/continuous , will/won’t/might/might not/imperative
zero conditional. Now
If you study hard this week, you’ll do well in the exam. try to work out the
structures for the other
second conditional three conditionals.

If + past simple , would/could/might + infinitive

If she found something better, she’d quit her job.

third conditional

If + past perfect , would + have + past participle

If I hadn’t left my bag on the beach, I wouldn’t have lost my phone.
 Form: How do we form these structures?
zero conditional The result
clause can go
If/When + present simple , present simple first, but then
You need a passport if you travel abroad. you don’t use a
If you travel abroad, you need a passport.
comma. Look…
first conditional
The infinitive is used for
If/Unless + present simple/continuous , will/won’t might/might not/infinitive
giving instructions or
If you study hard this week, you’ll do well in the exam. advice. Might/might not
is to express possibility.
second conditional
With the verb to be in
If + past simple , would/wouldn’t/might/might not + infinitive the second conditional,
If she found something better, she’d quit her job. If I were you, I’d speak to Tom. it’s more common to
use If I/he/she/it were
third conditional rather than If I/he/she/it
was.
If + past perfect , would + have + past participle
We commonly use
If I hadn’t left my bag on the beach, I wouldn’t have lost my phone. contractions in these
Let’s practise!
structures, e.g. I’ll, I’d,
She’d.
 Remember that with any of the
Practice activities conditionals, the result clause can come
before the if hypothetical, but there
shouldn’t be a comma, e.g. ‘I might win the
Rewrite the sentences using the words in bold. race if I train a lot.’

1. It is possible for me to win the race. I just need to train a lot. MIGHT
If I train a lot, I might win the race.
2. I really regret getting home late and then arguing with my parents. GOT
If I hadn’t got home late, I wouldn’t have argued with my parents.
3. There is a possibility of you visiting next month, isn’t there? Please call me when you’re here. IF
If you visit next month, call me when you’re here.
4. It’s a fact that eating healthily and doing exercise keeps you fit. YOU EAT
If you eat healthily and do exercise, you keep fit.
5. You should write her a letter to apologise. WERE
If I were you, I would write her a letter to apologise.