Conditional sentences
POLINA SALEI
ANTANAS VARNAS
Finish these sentences
1. If I pass my Contemporary English exam, I will….
2. If I passed my Contemporary English exam, I would…
3. If I had passed my Contemporary English exam, I would have…
Zero conditional
• The Zero Conditional is formed in this way:
if + Present Simple, Present Simple
If you heat water, it boils.
• We use Zero Conditional to describe rules and situations
where one event always follows the other.
If you want to study in the USA, you have to pass an exam
in English.
First conditional
• The First Conditional is formed in this way:
if + Present Simple, will + infinitive
If you go to the Zoo, you will see the lions.
• We use the First Conditional to talk about possible future events that depend on
other future events.
If I pass my exams, my parents will buy me a scooter.
Other possible patterns in the First Conditional:
If we save enough money, we can go on holiday. – can
If you see him, tell him to give me a ring. - imperative
Second conditional
The second Conditional is formed in this way:
if + Past Simple, would / could / might + infinitive
If I had enough money, I would buy a new car.
We use the Second Conditional:
1. To talk about imagined, impossible or unlikely events in the future.
If I had enough money, I would love to do something like that.
(the sentence refers to the future)
2. To talk about impossible present situations.
If I were you, I would study more.
Third conditional
The Third Conditional is formed in this way:
if + Past Perfect, would/could/might + Perfect Infinitive
If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam.
We use the Third Conditional to talk about unreal situations in
the past and to imagine things that did not happen.
If I hadn’t broken my leg, I would have gone skiing.
Mixed conditionals
If + past simple/continuous,
would/wouldn’t have + past participle
If + past perfect, would/wouldn’t +
infinitive
If + past simple, will + infinitive
1. If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
2. We wouldn't be lost if we had looked at the map.
3. If you had caught that plane you would be dead now.
4. If I had won the lottery, I would be rich.
Inverted conditionals
In more formal contexts, we sometimes leave out if and invert the
subject and auxiliary.
1. Had I known you before I could have told it to you.
2. Were John here I could have talked to him.
3. Should I had come here before I could have completed the task.
4. Had Rick performed better he could have won the contest.
5. Were you here you could have enjoyed the program.
6. Had I seen you before I could have given it to you.
7. Should you had come here before you could have met Jim.
8. Were Alice here she could have performed in the program.
9. Had Jack not wasted so much time he could have completed the project.
10. Should Bob had studied well he could have got good marks in the exam.
If - When
We use if to say that something might happen.
We use when to say that something will definitely happen.
If Giles comes back to the office, can you The speaker does not know whether Giles
tell him I’ve gone home. is coming back to the office. It is
possible, but not definite.
When Giles comes back to the office, can The speaker is certain that Giles is
you tell him I’ve gone home. coming back to the office.
• Have you done your homework?
No. I’ll do it when we’ve finished dinner.
• Shall we go somewhere this weekend?
Yes. If it’s sunny, we can go to the beach.
Unless = if not
• You don’t get fit unless you exercise regularly.
You don’t get fit if you don’t exercise regularly.
• I won’t go there unless we take a taxi.
I won’t go there if we don’t take a taxi.
Practice
1. If you ask him, he ___________ (take) you to the airport.
2. The view was wonderful. If I ______________(have) a camera with
me, I would have taken some photographs.
3. You know that I can’t afford this ring. If I earned more, I
________________(buy) you the whole world.
4. It’s a pity I didn’t go to Spain last summer. If I had gone there, I
____________________ (have) a chance to use my Spanish.
5. If I were you, I ______________ (take) your neighbour to court.
Answers
1. If you ask him, he will take you to the airport.
2. The view was wonderful. If I had had a camera with me, I would
have taken some photographs.
3. You know that I can’t afford this ring. If I earned more, I would buy
you the whole world.
4. It’s a pity I didn’t go to Spain last summer. If I had gone there, I
would have had a chance to use my Spanish.
5. If I were you, I would take your neighbour to court.
Thanks for your attention!
