Conditioning conditionals

What are conditionals in English grammar?

Conditionals are sometimes called “if clauses”. They describe the result of something that might happen (in
the present or future) or might have happened (but didn't in the past). They are made using different
English verb tenses.

There are four types of conditionals

TYPE 1- Present or Future Real Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after if, then the future simple in the other clauses:

If + present simple….. will + infinitive

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.

Examples:
A. If you don't hurry, you will miss the plane
(It's about what will happen today, another day might be different.)

B. If she studies harder, she'll pass the examination.

(it's possible she will study harder and so she'll pass.)

TYPE 2- Present Unreal Conditional

The second conditional uses the simple past after if, then would and the infinitive:

If + Simple past….. would+ infinitive

It has two uses:

A. We use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true.

Examples:
A. If I had enough money, I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool.
(I'm probably not going to have much money, it's just a dream, not very real.)

B. She would pass the examination if she ever studied.

(She never studies, so this won't happen.)

B. We use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, but because it's not true.

Examples:
A. If I had his number, I would call him.
(I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him.)

B. If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

(but I'm not you,)

TYPE 3- Past Unreal Conditional

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after if, then would have and the past particle in
the second part of the sentence:

If + past perfect….. would + have + past participle

It talks about the past. It is used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this
situation.

Examples:
 A. If she studied, she would have passed examination.
(But, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass.)

B. If I had eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick.

(But I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick.)

ZERO TYPE CONDITIONAL- Past Real Conditional

We can make a zero-conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the if clause and one in
the main clause).

If + present simple….. present simple

This conditional is used when the result will always happen.

Example:
A. If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils.
(It is always true, there can’t be a different result sometimes.)