THE CONDITIONALS

Conditionals are a very useful type of

sentences to pose scenarios ranging from real
to imaginary ones.

Zero conditional
Real facts.
Option 1: If + Condition (present simple) + Result (present simple)
If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
Option 2: Result (present simple) + if + Condition (present simple).
An ice cube melts if you put in the sun.

First conditional
Scenarios in the future which are very likely to happen.
Option 1: If + Condition (present simple) + will / won't + Result
(infinitive without to).
If everyone agrees, we will go to Spain next year.
Option 2: Will / Won't + Result (infinitive without to) + if + Condition
(present simple)
We will rent it if we like the apartment.

Second conditional
Hypothetical imaginary scenarios.
Option 1: If + Condition (past simple) + would / wouldn't + Result
(infinitive without to).
If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
Option 2: Would / Wouldn't + Result (infinitive without to) + if +
Condition (past simple).
You would speak Japanese if you lived in Japan.

Third conditional
Situations in the past that did not happen.
Option 1: If + Condition (past perfect) + would / wouldn't + have +
Result (past participle).
If I had studied medicine, I would have been a surgeon today.
Option 2: Would / wouldn't + have + Result (past participle) + if +
Condition (past perfect).
I would not have been happy today if I had not studied music.

'I wish' and 'if only'

Things we would like to be different in the present or in the past.
In the present: We can use wish/if only + a past form to talk about a
present situation we would like to be different.
In the past: We can use wish/if only + a past perfect form to talk
about something we would like to change about the past.
Expressing annoyance: We can use wish + would(n't) to show that
we are annoyed with what someone or something does or doesn't do.

Rebeca Muñoz Oliete