The conditionals

The conditionals

1. ZERO conditional

   • Used to talk about universal truths (facts that always happen when a condition occurs)
     • Example: If you don´t wash you socks, they smell bad
     • Structure
       • conditional clause: present simple
       • result clause: present simple
     • When you don´t wash you socks, they smell bad
   • To give orders or instructions
     • If your mother calls, tell her I want to speak to her

2. FIRST conditional

   • To talk about probable, real situations in the future
     • Example:If you don´t clean the house, you´ll sleep on the sofa
     • Form: present simple, will-won´t
     • If I sleep on the sofa, I won´t sleep well!

3. SECOND conditional

   • To talk about the future but the condition is hypothetical (unlikely)
     • Example: If I won the lottery, I´d move to Japan
     • Past simple, would
   • To talk about situations in the present that aren´t possible
     • If he WERE talle, I´d wear high heels
       • WERE: subjective
   • To give advice
     • If I were you, I´d travel to England more often

4. THIRD conditional

   • To talk about an imaginary situation in the past
     • If you hadn´t been looking at your phone, you wouldn´t have burnt my toast
   • Form: past perfect(conditional clause), would+have+past participle(result clause)
   • To talk about repentance
     • If I hadn´t left you in charge of breakfast, you wouldn´t have burnt my toast