Conditionals

TYPE IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE

Use: general truths, scientific facts
ZERO If you exercise regularly, your body gets stronger
If + present simple1 present simple

Use: possible or likely situations now, generally or in the

FIRST future
If you revise tonight, it will help you in the test
If + present simple2 will/ won’t3 + infinitive

Use: impossible or hypothetical situations now, generally or

SECOND in the future
If I lived at the North Pole, I would eat a lot of fish
4
If + past simple would/ wouldn’t5 + infinitive

Use: hypothetical past situation with a hypothetical result.

THIRD We’re imagining a past that didn’t happen.
If we had known about it, we would have done
something.
If + past perfect would/ wouldn’t have6 + past
participle.

1
In the 0 conditional we can also use other present tenses depending on the meaning (in the “if
clause”)

E.g. If you’re walking to their house, walk along the roads, not across the park.

2
In the 1st conditional we can also use other present tenses depending on the meaning (in the “if
clause”)

E.g. If you’ve eaten fish recently, you’ll do well in the test tomorrow.
3
In the 1st conditional we can also use other modals depending on the meaning (in the “result
clause”)

E.g. If you eat fish tonight, it might/ may/ could/ should help you in the test tomorrow.

4
In the 2nd conditional we can also use the past continuous depending on the meaning (in the “if
clause)

E.g. If you were living at the North Pole, you’d probably eat a lot of fish.
5
In the 2nd conditional we can also use other modals depending on the meaning (in the main
clause)
 E.g. If you lived at the North Pole, you could go fishing every day.

For “I/he/she/it” In the 2nd conditional we can say: If I was a doctor… (less formal, used in
conversation)/ If I were a doctor (more formal, used in writing)

6
In third conditional sentences we can also use “might” and “could” instead of “would”.

We can also form the 3rd conditional by inverting the subject and the auxiliary in the “if clause”
and leaving out “if”. This is common in formal English only. Compare:

 If he had lived for another 20 years, he would have seen his work become popular.
 Had he lived for another 20 years, he would have seen his work become popular.

Mixed conditionals

It’s a combination IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE MEANING

of….
Use: a hypothetical situation in the present and its result in the past
nd
2  past simple If that art school was I would have applied to The art school isn’t
open, it open, so I didn’t
3rd  would have + apply to it.
past participle If + past simple would/ wouldn’t
have+ PP

Use: an imaginary situation in the past and its result in the present
rd
3  past perfect If you hadn’t broken I wouldn’t need a pair You broke my
my sunglasses, of new ones. sunglasses and now I
2nd  would+ inf If + past perfect would/ wouldn’t + inf need a new pair.

Other ways of saying “if”

Word Meaning Example

Unless Except if Unless you work hard, you won’t pass the test

You won’t pass the exam except if you study hard

As long as On the As long as you study hard, you’ll pass the test.
So long as condition that So long as you study hard, you’ll pass the test.

You’ll pass the test on the condition that you study hard.
In case Because the Take an umbrella in case it rains
following
might happen Take an umbrella because it might rain