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IF - Conditional Sentences

The document discusses the four main types of "if" conditional sentences in English: 1) the zero conditional uses present tense in both clauses to refer to general truths, 2) the type 1 conditional uses present tense in the if clause and future tense in the main clause to refer to possible conditions, 3) the type 2 conditional uses past tense in the if clause and present conditional in the main clause to refer to unlikely or hypothetical conditions, and 4) the type 3 conditional uses past perfect tense in the if clause and perfect conditional in the main clause to refer to unreal past conditions and their probable past results. A further type mixes types 2 and 3 by using past perfect in the if clause and present conditional in the main clause

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Chirine Ayoub
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43 views4 pages

IF - Conditional Sentences

The document discusses the four main types of "if" conditional sentences in English: 1) the zero conditional uses present tense in both clauses to refer to general truths, 2) the type 1 conditional uses present tense in the if clause and future tense in the main clause to refer to possible conditions, 3) the type 2 conditional uses past tense in the if clause and present conditional in the main clause to refer to unlikely or hypothetical conditions, and 4) the type 3 conditional uses past perfect tense in the if clause and perfect conditional in the main clause to refer to unreal past conditions and their probable past results. A further type mixes types 2 and 3 by using past perfect in the if clause and present conditional in the main clause

Uploaded by

Chirine Ayoub
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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IF & THE CONDITIONAL

There are four main types of 'If' sentences in English:

1.The 'zero' conditional, where the tense in both parts of the sentence is the Simple
Present.
'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + Simple Present Simple Present
If you heat ice, it melts.
If it rains, you get wet.
In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is Real and Possible.
They are often used to refer to General Truths.

2. The Type 1 conditional, where the tense in the “If Clause” is the Simple
Present, and the tense in the “Main Clause” is the Simple Future

Page | 1
'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + Simple Present Simple Future
If it rains, you will get wet
If you don't hurry, we will miss the train.
Present or Future and the situation is Real. They refer
In these sentences, the time is the
to a Possible Condition and its Probable Result.

3. The Type 2 conditional, where the tense in the “If Clause” is the Simple Past,
and the tense in the Main Clause is the Present Conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE


If + Simple Past Present Conditional
If it rained, you would get wet
If you went to bed earlier, you wouldn't be so tired.

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Now or Any Time, and the situation is Unreal. They are
In these sentences, the time is
Not Based on Fact, and they refer to an Unlikely or Hypothetical Condition and
its Probable Result.

4. The Type 3 conditional, where the tense in the “If Clause” is the Past Perfect,
and the tense in the Main Clause is the Perfect Conditional.

'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE


If + Past Perfect Perfect Conditional
If it had rained, you would have got wet
If you had worked harder , you would have passed the exam.
Past, and the situation is Contrary To Reality. The Facts
In these sentences, the time is
they are based on are the Opposite of what is expressed, and they refer to an Unreal Past
Condition and its Probable Past Result.

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A further type of 'If' sentence exists, where Type 2 and Type 3 are mixed. The tense in the
'If' Clause is the Past Perfect, and the tense in the Main Clause is the Present
Conditional.
'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + Past Perfect Present Conditional
If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
If we had looked at the map, we wouldn't be lost.
Past in the “If Clause”, and Present in the main clause.
In these sentences, the time is
They refer to an Unreal Past Condition and its Probable Result in the Present.

Page | 4

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