What are
conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if clauses'. They
describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future)
or might have happened but didn't (in the past). They are made using different
English verb tenses.
There are four
types of conditionals
The 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 First 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.
The Second 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 mansion.
Second, we can
use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's
not true.
If I were you,
I wouldn’t go out with him.
The Third 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)
