ZERO CONDITIONAL

If you don’t water flowers, they die.

If I don´t use sun cream, I get burnt.

If clause: Main clause:

PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE

The zero conditional expresses a general truth,

something that is always true or always happens as a
result of something else..
FIRST CONDITIONAL

If the weather is nice, we will go for a walk.

If she passes her exams, we can buy her a car.

If clause: Main clause:

PRESENT FUTURE, IMPERATIVE
OR A MODAL VERB

The first conditional expresses a possible condition and

its probable result in the future.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

Jack wants to buy a house but he can’t do this

because he doesn’t have any money.

If I had a lot of
money,
I would buy a big
house.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

Susan wants to phone Paul but she can’t do

this because she doesn’t know his number.

If I knew his number,

I would phone him.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house.

If I knew his number, I would phone him.

if-clause: main clause:

PAST TENSE WOULD / COULD /
MIGHT + INFINITIVE

We use the second conditional to refer to hypothetical,

imaginary or unlikely situations in the present or future.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

Alternatives to If
‘You would come with us as long as / provided /
providing (that) you paid for your own ticket’ (on
condition that)
‘Suppose / Supposing / Imagine (that) you lost your
job, what would you do? (what if...) Questions.
‘Assuming (that) the restaurant was affordable, I
would invite my friends’ (accepting that something is
true)