The English Conditional
There are a number of structures in English that are called the conditionals
which are used to talk about possible or imaginary situations. A "Condition" is a
"situation or circumstance".
For example: If a certain condition is true, then a particular result happens.
There are four basic conditionals that we use in English.
Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional
There are some more conditionals formed by mixing some of these four.
Structure of Conditional Sentences
The structure of the conditionals is straightforward. There are two basic
possibilities in terms of order in the sentence:
IF Condition Result
If it rains, we will get wet
or like this:
Result IF Condition
We will get wet if it rains.
Notice that we only use a comma in the first example.
Conditionals: Time and Probability Table
Probability Conditional Example Time
If you heat water to
zero any
Certain 100 degrees celsius, it
conditional time
boils
first
Likely If it rains, I will stay in. future
conditional
second If I won the lottery, I
Unlikely future
conditional would retire.
second If I had the money, I
Impossible present
conditional would lend it to you
If I had seen him, I
third
Impossible would have given him past
conditional
the message.
Zero Conditional: Certainty
The Zero conditional is used for things that are always true as long as the
condition is met.
IF Condition Result Situation
present simple present simple
you heat water to 100 degrees fact-
If it boils.
celsius, universal
present simple present simple
I get a
If I drink coffee, fact- personal
headache.
In these examples, the result will always occur if the condition is met, so the
time is not important.
First Conditional: A real possibility in the future
A First Conditional sentence is one connecting two future actions, where one
must take place before the second is possible. Take a student who wants to go
to university but hasn't got the results of their exams yet. They cannot go to
university until they have received their results. In the case of a good student
who is expected to get good grades, then there is a good possibility of
achieving the marks required to get to university, so the following sentence
could be used:
IF Condition Result
present simple WILL + base verb
If she gets good grades, she will go to university.
We are talking about the future, but we use a present tense for the condition
and will for the result. In this case, the person is sure about going to
university. We can use other modal verbs in the result part of the sentence:
IF Condition Result Possibility
she gets good she will go to If the condition is met, then she
If
grades, university. definitely will go
he gets good he may go to He is not sure about going to
If
grades, university. university.
she gets good she should go to The speaker is expressing his or
If
grades, university. her opinion, giving advice.
he gets good he can go to
If This means that it is possible.
grades, university.
she gets good she could go to This means that it is possible, but
If
grades, university. not that likely.
he gets good he might go to This means that it is possible, but
If
grades, university. not that likely.
Second Conditional: Imaginary Present or Unlikely Future
The Second Conditional can be used used to talk about imaginary present
situations, where we are imagining something different from what is really the
case. We can also use it to talk about things in the future that are unlikely to
happen, as the condition is unlikely to be met. We use the past tense in the
condition part and would for the result.
IF Condition Time Result Possibility
past WOULD +
present impossible
simple base verb
I had the I would learn I don't have the time, so I'm
If
time, Italian. not going to learn Italian.
past WOULD +
future unlikely
simple base verb
I would travel There's a very small chance
I won the
If around the of winning the lottery, so the
lottery
world. trip is unlikely
We can use other modal verbs in the past tense in the result part of the
sentence:
IF Condition Result Certainty
past WOULD +
simple base verb
Although unlikely to happen, the
I had the I would learn
If speaker is sure that they would do it
time, Italian.
given the opportunity.
I had more I might learn Although unlikely to happen, it is only a
If
time, Spanish. possibility anyway.
I should learn Although unlikely to happen, the
I had more
If some more speaker is saying that it would be a
time,
about IT. good idea, but is not committed to it.
I had more I could learn Although unlikely to happen, it is only a
If
time Hindi. possibility anyway.
With the verb to be, there are two forms that can be used with I, he, she &
it:
IF Condition Result
I, he, she, it Were
If I were you, I'd marry her.
I, he, she, it Was
If I was you, I'd marry her.
Third Conditional: Imaginary Past
The third conditional is used when we are talking about the past and imagining
something different from what actually happened:
What actually
Condition Result
happened
WOULD HAVE + Past
Past Perfect
Participle
I had I didn't know and didn't
If I would have helped.
known, help.
IF Condition Result Certainty
past WOULD HAVE+
perfect past participle
I had I would have Although this didn't happen, the
If
known, helped. speaker is sure about the result.
I had I could have Although this didn't happen, the
If
known, helped. result is only a possibility.
I had I might have Although this didn't happen, the
If
known, helped. result is only a possibility.
Although this didn't happen, it is only
you had you should have
If a good suggestion or piece of
known, helped.
advice.
