CONDITIONAL CLAUSES TYPE 0 CONDITIONAL If metal gets hot, it expands. If you stand in the rain, you get wet.

and in the rain, you get wet. IF-clause: Present Simple Main clause: Present Simple Use: Scientific facts, general truths, laws of nature TYPE 1 CONDITIONAL If it rains, well stay at home. If you should see him, give him my message. IF-clause: Present Tense or should + bare infinitive (more doubtful or polite) Main clause: Future, Imperative, modals, had better Use: Real situation (likely to happen in the present or future) TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL If I were you, I would tell her the truth. If he were here, he could help me. IF-clause: Past Tense (Unreal Past referring to present) Main clause: would + infinitive or modal + infinitive Use: Advice - e.g. sentence 1 Imaginary situation in the present or future (unreal or unlikely to happen) e.g. sentence 2 TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL If he had worked harder, he would have been promoted. IF-clause: Past Perfect (Unreal Past referring to the past) Main clause: would (or modal) + have + p.p. Use: Imaginary situations in the past (regrets, unfulfilled plans, wishes impossible to fulfil, criticism) NOTES Future tense with a future meaning (will / would) is never used in if-clauses. However, will / would can be used to express polite requests, insistence, willingness (or refusal): If you will wait for a moment, Ill wrap the present up for you. (polite request)

If you will go on chatting, Ill send you out of the classroom. (insistence) If you wont leave the building, Ill call the security. (willingness / refusal) If-clause can either precede or follow the main clause. When it precedes the main clause, we put a comma after it. When the main clause comes first, no comma is used. If he is still in Paris, he may visit us. He may visit us if he is still in Paris.