conditionals

ZERO CONDITIONAL

ZERO CONDITIONAL

We use Zero Conditional to describe rules,and situations where one event always follows the other and something that's always true:

If you freeze water,it turns to ice.

ZERO CONDITIONAL• IN THESE SENTENCES if=when

FORM:

If clause

If+Present Simple

main clause

Present simple

If you freeze water,it turns to ice.

FIRST CONDITIONAL

FIRST CONDITIONAL

We use the First Conditional to talk about possible future events which depend on other future events:

If the rain stops, the match will begin.

FIRST CONDITIONAL

FORM:

If clause main clause

If+Present Simple, will/won't + infinitive without to

If the rain stops, the match will begin.

SECOND CONDITIONAL

SECOND CONDITIONALWe use the Second Conditional:

To talk about imagined, impossible or unlikely events in the future:

If i became an MP, I'd fight for animal rights.

To talk about impossible or unreal present situations:

If we had a villa in the Caribbean,we would spend our holidays there.

SECOND CONDITIONAL

FORM:

If clause

If+past simple tense,

main clause

would/could/might + infinitive without to

Third conditional

Third conditional

We use the Third Conditional to talk about unreal situations in the past,to imagine things that did not happen:

If the weather had been better we would have gone sailing.

Third conditional

FORM:

If clause

If+Past Perfect

main clause

would/could/might + have + third form of verb

MIXED CONDITIONALS

MIXED CONDITIONALS

• The term ‘mixed conditionals’ comes from the fact that the mixed conditional sentences combine different conditional structures.

We use mixed conditionals to talk about:

Imaginary past events that could have some consequences in the present:

If he had broken the record, he would be famous now.

(but he didn’t break the record in the past so he isn’t famous now)

If they hadn’t invited me to the party, I wouldn’t be here.

(but they invited me to the party so I’m here now)

FORM:

If+ Past Perfect, would + infinitive without to

(as in 3rd conditional) (as in 2nd conditional)

Unreal present situations, usually imaginary imaginary states, which could have had some consequences in the past:

If he was/were a more skilful player, he would have scored more points.

(but he isn’t a skilful player so he didn’t score points)

If she didn’t speak a few languages, she wouldn’t have got that job.

(but she speaks a few languages so she got the job)

FORM:

If + Past Simple, would + perfect infinitive

(as in 2nd conditional) (as in 3rd conditional)

• If the current Olympic champion took such drugs, she would probably have broken that world recordmore than once.

• If Peter was a more skilful player, he would have scored more points.

• Ben Johnson wolud still be the 100 metres world record holder, if he had not been caught taking drugs.

• If he had broken that record, he would be a world-famous runner now.

By Medina Sivro and Haris Hercegovac