Conditional sentences
- If
you heat ice, it melts.
- Ice
melts if you heat it.
- When
you heat ice, it melts.
- Ice
melts when you heat it.
- If
it rains, the grass gets wet.
- The
grass gets wet if it rains.
- When
it rains, the grass gets wet.
- The
grass gets wet when it rains.
- If
you freeze water, it becomes a solid.
- Plants
die if they don't get enough water.
- If
my husband has a cold, I usually catch it.
- If
public transport is efficient, people stop using their cars.
- If
you mix red and blue, you get purple.
- If
Bill phones, tell him to meet me at the cinema.
- Ask
Pete if you're not sure what to do.
- If
you want to come, call me before 5:00.
- Meet
me here if we get separated.
- If
it rains, you will get wet.
- You
will get wet if it rains.
- If
Sally is late again I will be mad.
- I
will be mad if Sally is late again.
- If
you don't hurry, you will miss the bus.
- You
will miss the bus if you don't hurry.
- If
I have time, I'll finish that letter.
- What
will you do if you miss the plane?
- Nobody
will notice if you make a mistake.
- If
you drop that glass, it will break.
- If
you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!
- If
you don't leave, I'll call the police.
- If
you drop that glass, it might break.
- I
may finish that letter if I have time.
- If
he calls you, you should go.
- If
you buy my school supplies for me, I will be able to go to the park.
- If it rained, you would get wet.
- You would get wet if it rained.
- If you went to bed earlier you wouldn't be so tired.
- You wouldn't be so tired if you went to bed earlier.
- If she fell, she would hurt herself.
- She would hurt herself if she fell.
- If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park. (But the
weather is bad so we can't go.)
- If I was the Queen of England, I would give everyone a chicken.
(But I am not the Queen.)
- If you really loved me, you would buy me a diamond ring.
- If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her.
- If I were taller, I would buy this dress.
- If I were 20, I would travel the world.
- If I were you, I would give up smoking.
- If I were a plant, I would love the rain.
- We might buy a larger house if we had more money
- He could go to the concert if you gave him your ticket.
- If he called me, I couldn't hear.
- If it had rained, you would have gotten wet.
- You would have gotten wet if it had rained.
- You would have passed your exam if you had worked harder.
- If you had worked harder, you would have passed your exam.
- I would have believed you if you hadn't lied to me before.
- If you hadn't lied to me before, I would have believed you.
- If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam. (But I didn't
work hard, and I didn't pass the exam.)
- If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake. (But I
didn't know and I didn't bake a cake.)
- I would have been happy if you had called me on my birthday. (But
you didn't call me and I am not happy.)
- If I had worked harder I might have passed the exam.
- You could have been on time if you had caught the bus.
- If he called you, you could go.
- If you bought my school supplies for me, I might be able to go to
the park.
- If I'd
known you were in hospital, I'd
have visited you.
- If I had
known you were in hospital, I would
have visited you.
- I'd have bought you a
present if I'd
known it was your birthday.
- I would have bought you a
present if I had
known it was your birthday.
- If you'd
given me your e-mail, I'd
have written to you.
- If you had
given me your e-mail, I would
have written to you.
- If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
- I would have a better job now if I had worked harder at school.
- If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.
- We wouldn't be lost if we had looked at the map.
- If you had caught that plane you would be dead now.
- You would be dead now if you had caught that plane.
- If I had studied I would have my driving license. (but I didn't
study and now I don't have my license)
- I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job. (but I didn't
take the job and I'm not a millionaire)
- If you had spent all your money, you wouldn't buy this jacket. (but
you didn't spend all your money and now you can buy this jacket)
- If you had crashed the car, you might be in trouble.
- I could be a millionaire now if I had invested in ABC Plumbing.
- If I had learned to ski, I might be on the slopes right now.
- If I wasn't afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up.
- I would have picked it up if I wasn't afraid of spiders.
- If we didn't trust him we would have sacked him months ago.
- We would have sacked him months ago if we didn't trust him.
- If I wasn't in the middle of another meeting, I would have been
happy to help you.
- I would have been happy to help you if I wasn't in the middle of another
meeting.
- If she wasn't afraid of flying she wouldn't have travelled by boat.
- I'd have been able to translate the letter if my Italian was
better.
- If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.
- If the elephant wasn't in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden
on him by now.
Zero Conditional
In zero conditional sentences, the tense in both parts of the sentence is the simple present.
If clause (condition) |
Main clause (result) |
|
|
If
+ simple present |
simple
present |
|
|
If
this thing happens |
that
thing happens. |
|
|
|
|
Examples
Function
The
zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world and often
refers to general truths, such as scientific facts. In these sentences, the
time is now or always and the situation is real and possible.
Examples
The
zero conditional is also often used to give instructions, using the imperative
in the main clause.
Examples
-----------------
Type 1 Conditional
In Type 1 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future.
If clause (condition) |
Main clause (result) |
If
+ simple present |
simple
future |
If
this thing happens |
that
thing will happen. |
As
in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may
have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order
of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.
Examples
Function
The
type 1 conditional refers to a possible condition and its probable result.
These sentences are based on facts, and they are used to make statements about
the real world, and about particular situations. We often use such sentences to
give warnings. In type 1 conditional sentences, the time is the present or
future and the situation is real.
Examples
In
type 1 conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause
instead of the future tense to express the degree of certainty, permission, or
a recommendation about the outcome.
Examples
Type 2 Conditional
In Type 2 conditional sentence, the
tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause
is the present conditional or the present continuous conditional.
If clause
(condition) |
Main clause
(result) |
If + simple past |
present conditional or present
continuous conditional |
If this thing happened |
that thing would happen. |
As in all conditional sentences, the
order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and
adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.
Examples
Function
The type 2 conditional refers to an
unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result. These sentences are
not based on the actual situation. In type 2 conditional sentences, the time is
now or any time and the situation is hypothetical.
Examples
It is correct, and very common, to say
"if I were" instead of "if I was" (subjunctive mood).
Examples
In type 2 conditional sentences, you
can also use modals in the main clause instead of "would" to express
the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.
Examples
The present
conditional tense
The present conditional of any verb is
composed of two elements:
would + the infinitive of the main verb, without "to"
Subject |
+ would |
+
infinitive |
He |
would |
go |
They |
would |
stay |
Type 3 Conditional
In Type 3 conditional sentence, the
tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause
is the perfect conditional or the perfect continuous conditional.
If clause
(condition) |
Main clause
(result) |
If + past perfect |
perfect conditional or perfect
continuous conditional |
If this thing had happened |
that thing would have happened. |
As in all conditional sentences, the
order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and
adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.
Examples
Function
The type 3 conditional refers to an
impossible condition in the past and its probable result in the past. These
sentences are truly hypothetical and unreal because it is now too late for the
condition or its result to exist. There is always some implication of regret
with type 3 conditional sentences. The reality is the opposite of, or contrary
to, what the sentence expresses. In type 3 conditional sentences, the time is
the past and the situation is hypothetical.
Examples
In type 3 conditional sentences, you
can also use modals in the main clause instead of "would" to express
the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.
Examples
Contractions
Both would and had
can be contracted to 'd, which can be confusing if you are not
confident with type 3 conditional sentences. Remember 2 rules:
1. would never
appears in the if-clause so if 'd appears in the if clause,
it must be abbreviating had.
2. had never
appears before have so if 'd
appears on a pronoun just before have, it must be abbreviating would.
Examples
The perfect conditional tense
The perfect conditional of any verb is
composed of three elements:
would + have + past participle
Have followed by the past participle is used in other constructions as
well. it is called the "perfect infinitive".
Subject |
+ would |
+ have |
+ past
participle |
He |
would |
have |
gone |
They |
would |
have |
stayed |
Mixed Conditional
It is possible for the two parts of a
conditional sentence to refer to different times, and the resulting sentence is
a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types of mixed
conditional sentence.
·
Present result of a
past condition
·
Past result of
present or continuing condition
·
Present result of a
past condition
In this type of mixed conditional
sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in
the main clause is the present conditional.
If clause
(condition) |
Main clause
(result) |
If + past perfect |
present conditional |
If this thing had happened |
that thing would happen. |
As in all conditional sentences, the
order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and
adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.
Examples
Function
This type of mixed conditional refers
to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the present. These
sentences express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the past and
in the present. In these mixed conditional sentences, the time is the past
in the "if" clause and in the present in the main
clause.
Examples
In these mixed conditional sentences,
you can also use modals in the main clause instead of would to express
the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.
Examples
Past result of present or continuing
condition
In this second type of mixed
conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and the
tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional.
If clause
(condition) |
Main clause
(result) |
If + simple past |
perfect conditional |
If this thing happened |
that thing would have happened. |
As in all conditional sentences, the
order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and
adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.
Examples
Function
These mixed conditional sentences
refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past result.
In these mixed conditional sentences, the time in the if clause is now
or always and the time in the main clause is before now.
For example, "If I wasn't afraid of spiders" is contrary to present
reality. I am afraid of spiders. "I would have picked it up" is
contrary to past reality. I didn't pick it up.