Conditional sentences (also known as conditional clauses or if clauses)
are made up of two halves. One half (the half with the word it in)
is a condition, and the other half (the main clause) states the action to occur
if the condition is fulfilled.
There are four
types of conditional sentence:
1. Conditional Sentence Type 0
Conditional type zero is used to talk about general truths, scientific facts or things which always happen under certain conditions.
Form:
If +
Simple Present, + Simple Present
The zero conditional is used to talk
about things which are always true, scientific facts, general truths.
Examples:
·
If
you cross an international date line, the time changes.
·
Phosphorus
burns if you expose it to air.
·
If
I wake up early, I go jogging.
NOTE: you can use "when"
instead of "if".
2. Conditional
Sentence Type 1
Often called the "real"
conditional because it is used for real or possible situations. These
situations take place if a certain condition is met. It is possible and
also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.
Form:
If +
Simple Present, + Simple Future
Conditional Sentences Type 1 refer
to the future. An action in the future will only happen if a certain condition
is fulfilled by that time. We don't know for sure whether the condition
actually will be fulfilled or not, but the conditions seems rather
realistic – so we think it is likely to happen.
Example:
·
If
I have enough time, I'll watch the football match.
I may have
time to watch the match but I'm not sure about it.
3. Conditional Sentence Type 2
Often called the "unreal"
conditional because it is used for unreal impossible or improbable situations.
This conditional provides an imaginary result for a given situation. It
is very unlikely that the condition will be fulfilled.
Form:
If +
Simple Past, + would + base verb
Were / Was
In conditional type 2, we usually
use in the if clause "were" instead of "was" even if the
pronoun is I, he, she or it.
"were" here is a subjunctive form.
NOTE "was" is also a
possible form.
Example:
· If I were a millionaire, I
would buy a castle.
Conditional Sentences Type 2 refer
to an action in the present that could happen if the present situation were
different. I don't really expect the situation to change because it is very
unlikely.
Example:
·
If
I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
4. Conditional
Sentence Type 3
It is impossible that
the condition will be met because it refers to the past.
Form:
If +
Past Perfect, + would + have + Past Participle
Conditional Sentences Type 3 refer
to situations in the past. They express hypothetical results to past given
situations.
Example:
·
If
he had been careful, he wouldn't have had that terrible accident.
Sometimes
in the past, he was careless. He drove so fast. So he had a terrible accident.
Things to remember
1.
The
main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't
use a comma.
Examples:
·
"Phosphorus
burns if you expose it to air."
·
"
I will send her an invitation if I find her address."
·
"
I would travel around the world if I had a million dollars."
·
"He
wouldn't have had that terrible accident if he had been careful."
2.
Main clause and/or if clause might
be negative.
Example:
·
If I
don’t see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.
·
If
he had been careful, he wouldn't have had an accident.
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