Conditionals SentenceBy:

Aornwara Nitkhosakul No.1

Isaya Lorjitsa-ard No.3

• They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past)

• What could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen

4 Main Types

1. Zero - if + present simple, ... present simple

2. First - if + present simple, ... will + infinitive

3. Second - if + past simple, ... would + infinitive

4. Third - if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle

** Mixed

The Zero Conditional

• Used when the result will always happen (facts)

If + present simple,.... present simple

Example :

• If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils.

• People die if they don't eat.

Inversion: The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning.

Example:

• When water reaches 100 degrees, it boils.

The First Conditional

• the future possible/real conditional

• Used to talk about things which might happen in the future.

If + present simple, ... will + infinitive

• Example:

• If I see her, I'll tell her.

• If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.

• If you sit in the sun, you'll get burned

o Zero VS First : The first conditional describes a particular situation but the zero conditional describes what happens in general.

Inversion

can contain 'going to' or the future perfect as well as 'will'.

Example :

• If I see him, I'm going to tell him exactly how angry I am.

can also contain other modal verbs such as 'can' and 'must'.

Example :

• If you go to New York, you must have the cheesecake in Lindy's.

• If he comes, you can get a lift home with him.

The Second Conditional

if + past simple, ... would + infinitive

1. Talk about things that are unlikely (improbable) or impossible to happen now or anytime

Examples:

• 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

2. Giving advice in the form 'If I were you'

Examples:

• If I were you, I'd look for a new place to live.

• If I were you, I'd go back to school and get more qualifications.

**We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing

Example:

• If she were happy in her job, she wouldn't be looking for another one.

**Sometimes, we use should, could or might (modal verbs) instead of would

Example:

• If I won a million dollars, I could stop working.

• If I won the lottery, I might donate some of it to charity.

** Difference between first and second is second is a lot more unlikely to happen

Inversion: Use ‘Were’ instead of if clause

Examples:

• If she were older, it would be betterWere she older, it would be better

• If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.

Were I to meet the Queen of England,…….

The Third Conditional

if + past perfect, ... would + perfect

1. Talk about things that didn't happen in the past

2. Show regrets no possibility

Examples:

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

• If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick.

• If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane

**Sometimes, we use should have, could have, might have instead of would have

Example:

• If you had bought a lottery ticket, you might have won.

Inversion: Use ‘Had’ instead of if clause

Examples:

• Had she studied, she would have passed the exam.

• Had I not eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick. NO contracted forms

The Mixed Conditional

1. Refer to a condition in the past and its ongoing result in the present

If + Past Perfect….would + infinitiveIf this thing had happened, that thing would happen

Examples:

• If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now

• If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost

2. Refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) result in the past

If + simple past… would + perfect

Examples:

• If I wasn't afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up.

• If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.