Conditionals

Conditionals

1. Zero Conditional

   • Structure
     • If clause (Condition)
       • If + simple present
     • Main clause (Result)
       • simple present
   • Examples
     • If you freeze water, it becomes a solid.
     • Plants die if they don't get enough water.
     • If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
     • If public transport is efficient, people stop using their cars.
     • If you get a virus, call the IT specialist.
   • Use
     • This conditional is used when the result will always happen.

2. First Conditional

   • Structure
     • If + Present Simple, will + infinitive without to
   • Examples
     • If you study hard, you'll get good marks.
     • If the weather is fine tomorrow, we will go cycling.
     • She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
     • If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
     • If I see her, I'll tell her.
   • Use
     • It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true.

3. Second Conditional

   • Use
     • Case 1
       • we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true.
     • Case 2
       • we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true.
   • Structure
     • if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
   • Examples
     • If I had money, I would travel more.
     • If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
     • If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that woman.
     • If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.
     • If I became President, I would change many things.

4. Third Conditional

   • Structure
     • if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
   • Use
     • It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation
   • Examples
     • If I had asked you, would you have helped me?
     • If you had helped me, I wouldn't have failed the exam.
     • She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
     • If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
     • She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier

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