CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

First,
second and
third conditional

FIRST CONDITIONAL
If I see Andrew at the meeting, I'll give him your message.
PRESENT SIMPLE

WILL + INFINITIVE

USE: To talk about something that is quite likely

to happen in the future. It is very possible that I
will see Andrew at the meeting, in which case I'll
give him your message. The condition is quite
likely to be fulfilled. For presenting future plans,
real possibilities, steps in an argument, points in a
procedure, predictable consequences,
instructions.

PUT THE VERB INTO THE CORRECT FIRST

CONDITIONAL FORM:
1. If I __________________ (go) out tonight, I
__________________ (go) to the cinema.
2. If you __________________ (get) back late, I
__________________ (be) angry.
3. If we __________________ (not / see) each
other tomorrow, we __________________ (see)
each other next week.
4. If he __________________ (come), I
__________________ (be) surprised.
5. If we __________________ (wait) here, we
__________________ (be) late.

6. If we __________________ (go) on holiday this

summer, we __________________ (go) to Spain.
7. If the weather __________________ (not /
improve), we __________________ (not / have) a
picnic.
8. If I __________________ (not / go) to bed early,
I __________________ (be) tired tomorrow.
9. If we __________________ (eat) all this cake,
we __________________ (feel) sick.
10. If you __________________ (not / want) to go
out, I __________________ (cook) dinner at home.

1. If I go out tonight, I'll go to the cinema.

2. If you get back late, I'll be angry.
3. If we dont see each other tomorrow, we'll see
each other next week.
4. If he comes, I'll be surprised.
5. If we wait here, we'll be late.
6. If we go on holiday this summer, well go to
Spain.
7. If the weather doesnt improve, we won't have a
picnic.
8. If I dont go to bed early, I'll be tired tomorrow.
9. If we eat all this cake, we'll feel sick.
10. If you dont want to go out, I'll cook dinner at
home

SECOND CONDITIONAL (HYPOTHETICAL)

What would happen if?
If my parents were alive, they would be very proud of me now.
PAST SIMPLE

WOULD + INFINITIVE

USE: To talk about a present situation which is impossible, a hypothetical

situation. The situation cannot be fulfilled because my parents are not
alive.

If she changed her job, she'd be much happier.

USE: To talk about a future event which is unlikely to happen. The
speaker doesn`t expect her to change her job. That is, it is unlikely that
the condition will be fulfilled.

SECOND CONDITIONALS - PUT THE VERB INTO

THE CORRECT TENSE:
. If I _________________ (be) you, I
_________________ (get) a new job.
2. If he _________________ (be) younger, he
_________________ (travel) more.
3. If we _________________ (not / be) friends, I
_________________ (be) angry with you.
4. If I _________________ (have) enough money, I
_________________ (buy) a big house.
5. If she _________________ (not / be) always so
late, she _________________ (be) promoted.

6. If we _________________ (win) the lottery, we

_________________ (travel) the world.
7. If you _________________ (have) a better job,
we _________________ (be) able to buy a new car
8. If I _________________ (speak) perfect English,
I _________________ (have) a good job.
9. If we _________________ (live) in Mexico, I
_________________ (speak) Spanish.
10. If she _________________ (pass) the exam,
she _________________ (be) able to enter
university.

1. If I were you, I would get a new job.

2. If he were younger, he would travel more.
3. If we werent friends, I would be angry with you.
4. If I had enough money, I would buy a big house.
5. If she werent always so late, she would be promoted.
6. If we won the lottery, we would travel the world.
7. If you had a better job, we would be able to buy a new
car
8. If I spoke perfect English, I would have a good job.
9. If we lived in Mexico, I would speak Spanish.
10. If she passed the exam, she would be able to enter
university.

THIRD CONDITIONAL
What would have happened if?
If she had worked harder, she would have passed her exams.

PAST PERFECT

WOULD + PERFECT INFINITIVE

USE: To talk about something that might have happened

in the past, but didn`t. She didn`t work hard enough and,
consequently, she didn`t pass her exams.
It also expresses excuses, regrets and blame for past
events.

PUT IN THE CORRECT THIRD CONDITIONAL VERB FORM:

1. If you ______________ (not / be) late, we

______________ (not / miss) the bus.
2. If she ______________ (study), she
______________ (pass) the exam.
3. If we ______________ (arrive) earlier, we
______________ (see) John.
4. If they ______________ (go) to bed early, they
______________ (not / wake) up late.
5. If he ______________ (become) a musician, he
______________ (record) a CD.

6. If she ______________ (go) to art school, she

______________ (become) a painter.
7. If I ______________ (be) born in a different
country, I ______________ (learn) to speak a
different language.
8. If she ______________ (go) to university, she
______________ (study) French.
9. If we ______________ (not / go) to the party,
we ______________ (not / meet) them.
10. If he ______________ (take) the job, he
______________ (not / go) travelling.

THE ZERO CONDITIONAL (FACTUAL)

What happens if?
If I stay out late, I always take a taxi home.
PRESENT SIMPLE

PRESENT SIMPLE

USE: To describe something that is generally true. The use of if here

is very similar to when. For presenting habits, general truths, rules,
typical patterns, correlations.

We can also use the past simple in the two clauses.

If I stayed out late, I always got a taxi home.

MAKE ZERO CONDITIONALS:

1. (I / wake up late / I / be late for work)

_____________________________________________________
2. (my husband / cook / he / burn the food)
_____________________________________________________
3. (Julie / not wear a hat / she / get sunstroke)
_____________________________________________________
4. (children / not eat well / they / not be healthy)
_____________________________________________________
5. (you / mix water and electricity / you / get a shock)
_____________________________________________________

6. (people / eat / too many sweets / they / get fat)

_______________________________________________

7. (you / smoke / you / get yellow fingers)

_______________________________________________

8. (children / play outside / they / not get overweight)

_______________________________________________

9. (you / heat ice / it / melt)

_______________________________________________

10. (I / speak to John / he / get annoyed)

_______________________________________________

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES: VARIATIONS

IN TENSES
First Conditional: The if clause is usually in the present simple.
However, we can also use:

Present continuous:
If he's still waiting for you, he'll be very angry.

Present perfect simple:

If Rob's received your letter, he'll phone you.
Present perfect continuous:
If it's been raining all night, you'll have to wear boots.

Can: If I can finish work early, I'll help you.

Should: If I should see him, I'll tell him the news.

The main clause usually has the verb will / shall. But
we can also use:
Going to:
If Helen passes her exams, I'm going to buy her a present.
Future continuous:
If we book this holiday, we'll be lying on the beach in two weeks` time.

Future perfect:
If they win the next match, they'll have won every match in the season.
Imperative:
If you need me, call me.

Can / could, may / might, should / ought to, must

If you don't eat your dinner, you can't have an ice cream.

TENSE VARIATIONS IN CONDITIONAL 2

The if clause usually takes the past simple. However, it
is also possible to use:

Past continuous:
If you were coming with me, I`d give you a lift.

Could
If I could have the day off, I`d go with you.

Were / was to:

If you were to ask Steve, I`m sure he would do it.

The main clause usually has the modal would +

infinitive. However, the modals could and
might are also used and the infinitive can be
in the continuous form:

If we had more money, we wouldn`t be living here.

If we had more money, we could go out more.
If you asked Tony, he might do it for you.

TENSE VARIATIONS IN CONDITIONAL 3

The if clause is usually in the past perfect simple.
However, we can also use the past perfect
continuous or could + perfect infinitive.
If he had been travelling in the car, he would have been
killed too.
If we could have got a taxi, we would have come round to
see you.

The main clause usually has the modal would +

perfect infinitive. However, we can also use
the modals could and might + perfect
infinitive.
If I had known there was no more work to do, I
could have stayed in bed.

If the ambulance had come sooner, he might

have been saved.

MIXED CONDITIONALS

If-clauses can be mixed provided that they make sense within a context.

Type 3

Type 2

Type2

If-clause

Main clause

If she had worked harder

at university,

She would have a degree Type 2

now.

(she didn`t work hard at

university

so she doesn`t have a

degree now. )

If I were faster,

I would have won the

race.

(Im not fast

so I didnt win the race.)

If they were studying all

morning,

they will be tired now.

(they were studying

so they are tired now.)

Type 3

Type 1

Words other than if

Unless
Even if
If only
As/so long as
On condition
(that)
Provided /
providing
(that)
Assuming
(that)

I won`t go out unless he comes too.

Even if it rains, we`ll go to the match.
If only I had money, I would go out more.

You can use the car as long as you take care of

it.
I`ll lend you the car on condition that you take
care of it.
I`ll lend you the car provided that you take care
of it.
Assuming that you take care of the car, I`ll lend
it to you.

In questions.

Suppose /
supposing (that)
What if

Imagine

Suppose you had a lot of

money, would you give up
work?
What if you had a lot of money,
would you give up work?

Imagine you had a lot of

money, would you give up
work?

IMPLIED CONDITIONALS
Conditions are not always expressed in the form of
conditional clauses, particularly in spoken English.
They can be expressed in another way or they
may be evident from the context. The rules for the
verb usage are still followed in the result clause
(main clause).
He committed the crime, otherwise he wouldnt have been
arrested. (implied conditional)
If he hadnt committed the crime, he wouldnt have been arrested.

I would have stayed longer, but he didnt ask me to.

(implied conditional)
I would have stayed longer if he had asked me to.

INVERSION

If the first verb in a conditional if clause is should,

were or had, we can leave out if and put the verb at
the start of the clause. We do this particularly in
formal or literary English.

Should any of this cost you anything, send me the bill (If any

of this should)

It would be embarrassing were she to find out the truth. ( if

she were to find out)

Had they not rushed to hospital, Dan would have died. (If they
hadn`t rushed)

We use if it was / were not for + noun to say that one

situation is dependent on another situation.

If it wasn`t / weren`t for the fireman, my dog would have

died in the fire.
If it hadn`t been for my parents, I wouldn`t have gone to
university.

We also use but for + noun with a similar meaning:

But for Jim`s support, I wouldn`t have got the job.

In real conditional sentence, we use

If happen to,
If should,
If should happen to
to talk about something that may be possible
but is not very likely:

If you happen to be in our area, drop in and see us.

If you should be in our area,
If you should happen to be in our area,

POLITE REQUESTS

We can use if will in requests:

If you will take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, we

can begin the meeting.

if you want to make a request more polite, you

can use ifwould:

If you would take your seats,

TEST EXAMPLES

If you ask him, he ___________ (take) you to the

airport.
The view was wonderful. If I ______________(have)
a camera with me, I would have taken some
photographs.
You know that I cant afford this ring. If I earned
more, I ________________(buy) you the whole
world.
Its a pity I didnt go to Spain last summer. If I had
gone there, I ____________________ (have) a
chance to use my Spanish.
If I were you, I ______________ (take) your
neighbour to court.

TEST EXAMPLES
If you ask him, he will take you to the airport.
The view was wonderful. If I had had a camera
with me, I would have taken some
photographs.
You know that I cant afford this ring. If I
earned more, I would buy you the whole world.
Its a pity I didnt go to Spain last summer. If I
had gone there, I would have had a chance to
use my Spanish.
If I were you, I would take your neighbour to
court.

THE END!