CONDITIONALS

CONDITIONALS

1. ZERO CONDITIONALS

   • Not a true conditional, as the events described both happen
     • IF/WHEN + PRESENT // PRESENT
       • If I stay up later, I feel awful the next day

2. FIRST CONDITIONAL

   • Used to talk about some events in the future if something happens
     • IF + PRESENT // FUTURE
       • If I pass Cabridge First, I'll have a big party

3. SECOND CONDITIONAL

   • Used to talk about unlikely or impossible situations
     • If + Past // Would, could,might
       • If I won the lottery, I'd give all the money to Oxfam

4. THIRD CONDITIONALS

   • Used to speculate about the past.
     • If + Past perfect // would have, could have + past participle
       • If we'd had more money, we'd had gone to the States last year
   • Unless is a conjuction meaning "if not", so the clause following unless never contains a negative verb form
     • I'll see you at the station at 7.00 unless I hear from you

5. MIXED CONDITIONALS

   • If + past(2 cond) with must(n't), should(n't) (3 cond)
     • This is used when a change in a present situation would have affected a past situation
       • If I weren't so busy all the time, I could have come along
   • If + Past perfect (3 Cond) with would(n't), Might(n't)
     • This is used when a change in a past situation would have caused a different present situation
       • If you had told me about the skiing trip, I would be there with you now!