Amanda.
T
XII A 2
Conditional
Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have
happened, and what we wish would happen. In English, most sentences using the conditional
contain the word if. Many conditional forms in English are used in sentences that include
verbs in one of the past tenses. This usage is referred to as "the unreal past" because we use
a past tense but we are not actually referring to something that happened in the past. There
are five main ways of constructing conditional sentences in English. In all cases, these
sentences are made up of an if clause and a main clause. In many negative conditional
sentences, there is an equivalent sentence construction using "unless" instead of "if".
Conditional Usage If clause Main clause verb tense
sentence type verb tense
Zero General truths Simple Simple present
present
Type 1 A possible condition and its Simple Simple future
probable result present
Type 2 A hypothetical condition Simple Present conditional or
and its probable result past Present continuous
conditional
Type 3 An unreal past condition Past Perfect conditional
and its probable result in the perfect
past
Mixed type An unreal past condition Past Present contditional
and its probable result in the perfect
present
The zero conditional
The zero conditional is used for when the time being referred to is now or always and the
situation is real and possible. The zero conditional is often used to refer to general truths.
The tense in both parts of the sentence is the simple present. In zero conditional sentences,
the word "if" can usually be replaced by the word "when" without changing the meaning.
If clause Main clause
If + simple present simple present
If this thing that thing happens.
happens
If you heat ice it melts.
If it rains the grass gets wet.
Type 1 conditional
The type 1 conditional is used to refer to the present or future where the situation is real.
The type 1 conditional refers to a possible condition and its probable result. In these
sentences the if clause is in the simple present, and the main clause is in the simple future.
If clause Main clause
If + simple present simple future
If this thing that thing will happen.
happens
If you don't hurry you will miss the train.
If it rains today you will get wet.
Type 2 conditional
The type 2 conditional is used to refer to a time that is now or any time, and a situation that
is unreal. These sentences are not based on fact. The type 2 conditional is used to refer to a
hypothetical condition and its probable result. In type 2 conditional sentences, the if clause
uses the simple past, and the main clause uses the present conditional.
If clause Main clause
If + simple past present conditional or present continuous conditional
If this thing happened that thing would happen. (but I'm not sure this thing will
If clause Main clause
happen) OR
that thing would be happening.
If you went to bed you would not be so tired.
earlier
If it rained you would get wet.
If I spoke Italian I would be working in Italy.
Type 3 conditional
The type 3 conditional is used to refer to a time that is in the past, and a situation that
is contrary to reality. The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed. The
type 3 conditional is used to refer to an unreal past condition and its probable past result. In
type 3 conditional sentences, the if clause uses the past perfect, and the main clause uses the
perfect conditional.
If clause Main clause
If + past perfect perfect conditional or perfect continuous conditional
If this thing had happened that thing would have happened. (but neither of those things
really happened) OR
that thing would have been happening.
If you had studied harder you would have passed the exam.
If it had rained you would have gotten wet.
If I had accepted that I would have been working in Milan.
promotion
Mixed type conditional
The mixed type conditional is used to refer to a time that is in the past, and a situation that
is ongoing into the present. The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is
expressed. The mixed type conditional is used to refer to an unreal past condition and its
probable result in the present. In mixed type conditional sentences, the if clause uses the past
perfect, and the main clause uses the present conditional.
If clause Main clause
If + past perfect or present conditional or perfect conditional
simple past
If this thing had that thing would happen. (but this thing didn't happen so that
happened thing isn't happening)
If I had worked harder at I would have a better job now.
school
If we had looked at the we wouldn't be lost.
map
If you weren't afraid of you would have picked it up and put it outside.
spiders
