Conditional

Sentences
Conditional Sentences:
• A conditional sentence is a complex sentence. It means it consists of
two clauses:
• A conditional clause or the “if”-clause  the part that starts with “if”
• A consequence or the main clause  the part that does not start with
“if”
• If you rest,
• you will feel better.

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Types of conditional sentences - or the Kardashians of the English
language

Zero, first, second,

third, mixed
First, second and third conditionals and
as future, present and past alternatives to “if”

Zero, first, second

and third Zero, first, second, third,
as the eternal truth, mixed, alternatives to “if”,
future, present and and inversed conditionals
past

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The Four Conditionals

• Zero conditional – things that are always true:

• If you don´t eat, you go hungry.
• If-clause present simple , main clause present simple
• First conditional – things that will (probably) be true in the future
• If you study hard, you will know a lot.
• If-clause present simple , main clause will-future
• Second conditional – completely unrealistic or will not likely to happen in
the future.
• If I inherited a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.
• If-clause past simple , main clause would + infinitive.
• Third conditional – that present circumstances would be different if
something different had happened in the past
• If you had told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
• If-clause past perfect , main clause would + have + past participle.

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 Mixed conditionals

• If my car hadn´t broken down, I would give you a lift now.

• If-clause  3rd conditional
• Main clause  2nd conditional.
Meaning: if something had not happened in the past, the
situation would be different now
• If I were richer, I would have bought you a yacht.
• If-clause  2nd conditional
• Main clause  3rd conditional
• Meaning: if the present (general) situation were different, a
past action or situation would have been different.

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 Alternatives to “if”
• Synonyms for the word “if”:
- provided, as long as, so long as, providing  first conditional sentences
(providing is the most formal).
We can use them to express that one action occurs before another.
- supposing, suppose  first and second conditional sentences.

• “If not”:
- otherwise. Literally means “If not”. Help me. Otherwise / If not, I´ll cry
- unless. It´s “If….not”.
If I can´t fix it, you won´t be able to use it.
Unless I can fix it, you won´t be able to use it.

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Inversed conditionals
• First conditional (should):
• Use the word “Should” instead of “If”
• If you need help, I will lend you a hand  Should you need help, I´ll lend you a hand.

• Second conditional (were / were to)

• If I were a politician, I would be honest.  Were I a politician, I would be honest.
• If he came to visit us, he would stay for days.  Were he to visit us, he would stay for days.

• Third conditional (had)

• If you had come earlier, you could have eaten pizza.  Had you come earlier, you could have eaten
pizza.

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 If I had anything else to say, I
would continue this presentation.
But I don´t.
So, goodbye!

(The first one is a second conditional sentence by the way.)