Conditional

Sentences
And other expressions of conditions
 If + condition —> present
Zero result —> present (imperative)
Conditional General truths and facts
Instructions

If (when) it’s hot, snow melts .

If I eat too much, I feel sick.

If you see Peter, tell him to call me.

 If + condition —> present
First
result —> will (modal verb) + verb
Conditional
We use the First Conditional to talk about future
situations we think are likely or probable to
happen.

Persuasion
If you finish your homework, we’ll go to the park.
Warning
If you I take the shortcut, you’ll get lost. .

threats
If you don’t finish in ten minutes, you won’t go out
tonight.
 If + condition —> past
Second result —> would + verb
Conditional We use the Second Conditional to talk about
present or future situations we think are
impossible or unlikely to happen.

It is often used to talk about hypothetical

situations and give advice.
If I were you, I‘d buy that dress.

If you had a car, we‘d go to the party.

If I lived in New York, I’d go to see a lot of musicals.

 If + condition —> past perfect
Third
result —> would have + pp
Conditional
We use the Third Conditional when we refer to
a situation in the past that can’t be changed. It
is used to speculate about the past.

Regret or reproach
If you hadn’t driven so fast, you wouldn’t have had
the accident.
Excuses
If I hadn't knew I would have come early

Relief
If you had taken the flight you would have had the
accident.
 If + condition —> past perfect
Mixed
Conditionals result —> would + infinitive
We use this mixed conditional to talk of how a
change in the past would have a result in the
present.
That is if something had happened in the past,
the present would be different.

Past change with present result:

If I had gone to bed earlier last night, I wouldn't be

so tired now.

If I had studied during the term, I wouldn't be

studying now.
 If + condition —> past simple
Mixed
Conditionals result —> would have + pp
We use this mixed conditional to talk of how a
different situation in the present would mean that
the past was different too.
That is if something were different in the present
something would have been different in the past.

Present change with past result:

I can't do this alone. If I could, I wouldn't have

called you!

If I wasn’t good at math, I wouldn't have studied

economics.
I wish... I wish + past perfect
I only... If only + past perfect
We use these expresions:
to express regret about the
Regret
past I wish (if only) I had called him before.
to express a desire for the
present I wish (if only) I hadn’t bought this car, I spent all my
to express a dissatisfaction money.
whith somthing
I wish... I wish + could
I only... If only + could

A desire for the present

I wish (if only) I could travel in winter.

I wish (if only) I could talk to him, he’d

understand.
I wish... I wish + would + infinitive
I only... If only + would + infinitive

We use this expresion to express dissatisfaction

with what somebody is doing in the present. We
don’t use this when talking about ourselves.

Dissatisfaction with others

I wish (if only) he would shut up for five minutes.

I wish (if only) she would explain better.

 Notes
The use of the comma

When the if clause comes before the main

clause, it is followed by a comma.

If you don't hurry, you'll miss the plane!

When the if clause comes after the main

clause, there is no comma between the
clauses.

You'll miss the plane if you don't hurry!

 Notes
if I were or if i was
If I/he/she/it were is used when we refer to a
hypothetical situation. This is a second conditional
sentence.
If I were you, I'd be more careful.

If I/he/she/it was is used when we refer to a real

situation. This is a real or zero conditional sentence.

If I was rude, please forgive me.

 Summary
Zero
or First Second Third Mixed
Real

possible imaginary imaginary

imaginary
generally or likely or or
Condition or less likely
true to impossibl impossibl
to happen
happen e e

present present or present

Result future past
or past future or past