Conditionals (ifconditionals)
A conditional sentence is a sentence containing the word if. There are several structures in English that we call conditionals or ifconditionals. The word “condition” means “situation or circumstance”.
There are three common types* of conditional sentence:
1. if clause > present simple tense : main clause > future tense (will)
If you help me, I will help you.
If I win the lottery, I will buy a new car.
If it snows tomorrow, we will go skiing.
2. if clause > past simple tense : main clause > would
If you knew her, you would agree with me.
If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car.
If it snowed tomorrow, we would go skiing.
if clause > past perfect tense : main clause > would have
If you had helped me, I would have helped you.
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a new car.
If it had snowed yesterday, we would have gone skiing.
Of course, it is possible to start conditional sentences with the main clause:
I will buy a new car if I win the lottery.
I would buy a new car if I won the lottery.
I would have bought a new car if I had won the lottery.
English speakers choose one of the three conditional structures as follows:
Conditional one: (for real possibility)
to express a simple statement of fact or intent
I will buy a new car if I win the lottery.
I will go home if you don’t stop criticizing me.
You will fail your exams if you don’t start working harder.
She will lose all her friends if she continues to talk about them behind their backs.
Conditional two:
to refer to a present unreal situation or to a situation in the future that the speaker thinks is unlikely to happen
If I had a lot of money, I would buy a new car. (but I don’t have a lot of money)
If I were you, I would tell him you’re sorry. (but I am not you)
If I won the lottery, I would buy a new house. (but I don’t expect to win the lottery)
If it snowed tomorrow, we would go skiing. (but I don’t have much hope that it will snow)
Conditional three:
to refer to the past and situations that did not happen
If it had snowed yesterday, we would have gone skiing. (but it didn’t snow, so we didn’t go skiing)
If you had studied harder, you would have passed your test. (but you didn’t study hard, so you didn’t pass your test)
If I had known that, I would have told you. (but I didn’t know, so I didn’t tell you)
If she hadn’t been driving slowly, she would have had an accident. (but she was driving slowly, so she didn’t have an accident)
Conditionals Quiz
1. What would you do if it ________ on your wedding day?
rained
will rain
would rain
2. If she comes, I _____ call you.
will
would
would have
3. If I eat peanut butter, I ________ sick.
would have gotten
would get
get
4. What will you do if you ________ the history exam?
would fail
will fail
fail
5. If they had not _____ the car, I would have driven you.
take
taken
would take
6. If it snows, ________ still drive to the coast?
will you
would you
would you have
7. “He would have gone with you if you had asked him.” Which conditional is this?
first
second
third
8. “If I won a million dollars, I would buy my own airplane.” Which conditional is this?
zero
first
second
9. “If I forget her birthday, Andrea gets upset.” Which conditional is this?
zero
first
second
10. “What will she do if she misses the bus?” Which conditional is this?
first
second
third
- rained
- will
- get
- fail
- taken
- will you
- third
- second
- zero
- first