ZERO

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD
 If clause Main clause
If + Present simple Present simple

If I am late for school,

my teacher gets angry.

ITS MEANING CAN BE CLARIFIED BY WHENEVER

 GENERAL TRUTH OR
UNIVERSAL VALIDITY

IIF YOU HEAT ICE, IT MELTS

WHENEVER YOU HEAT ICE, IT MELTS

If clause Main clause

If + Present tense will / can / may / must + verb

CONDITION TO FUTURE LIKELY

BE SATISFIED OUTCOME

If I go to London, I will
see the Big Ben.
IF___________ IN RARE OCASSIONS
IT CAN BE FOLLOWED BY SHOULD

THOUSANDS OF ARGENTINIANS MAY COME

BACK, IF THIS SHOULD BE SO,THE VIRUS
MAY SPREAD
 VARIATIONS

1. IF + PRESENT + MODAL

WILL: CERTAINTY NOT CERTAIN ENOUGH: MODAL

IF IT RAINS TOMORROW CAN (we are free to)
COULD (would be able to)
MAY/ MIGHT (possible)
SHOULD/ OUGHT TO STAY
(advisable) HOME
MUST (necessity)
2) IF + SHOULD + IMPERATIVES (MORE DOUBTFUL
CONDITIONS)

IF YOU SHOULD HAPPEN TO SEE HIM, ASK HIM TO

FORGIVE ME
3 USES:
 POLITE REQUESTS
POLITE SUGGESTIONS
TACTFUL COMMANDS
OMMISION OF “IF” IS POSSIBLE WITH
“SHOULD” AT THE BEGINNING
SHOULD YOU SEE HIM, ASK
HIM TO FORGIVE ME
3) IMPERATIVE + CONJUNCTION + CLAUSE
Comments, requests, advice, threaten

Look right before crossing,

otherwise, you will have an accident,
 If clause Main clause

If + Past Simple would / could / might + verb

USES:
 IMAGINARY SITUATIONS AND CAUSES
 CAN REPLACE TYPE 1 WHEN IT IS SOMETHING
REASONABLY POSSIBLE
If you didn’t stay up so late at night, you wouldn’t feel so
sleepy in the morning

If I were an astronaut, I would travel in a

spaceship.
False negative: you don’t travel
 VARIATIONS

1) IF + WAS/WERE + WOULD/ SHOULD

FOR GIVING ADVICE.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR___explains why
a situation happened or not
2) IF + WAS / WERE + WOULD

MAKES A SUGGESTION MORE TENTATIVE

3) IF + PAST+ MODAL
If clause Main clause
If + Past Perfect would/could/might + have + past
tense participle

If I had studied hard, I would have passed my

exams.It didn’t happen (regret)
Had I studied hard, I would have
passed my exams (inversion)
1ST VARIATION: IF + PAST PERFECT + MODAL
unUNLESS you change (IF you
DON’T change) your marks,
you WON’T GO OUT!
 UNLESS IN THE PAST_______afterthought
I couln’t have left her I could have left her
waiting – unless I had waiting If I hadn’t
caught an earlier caught an earlier
Train ( l left her Train ( l didn’t leave
waiting) her waiting)
SECOND CONDITIONAL
TO HEAR HIM TALK, YOU WOULD THINK HE WAS THE PM
BUT FOR HIS PENSION, HE WOULD STARVE

Without your company, I would

have felt alone