Conditionals

What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if clauses'. They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past) . They are made using different English verb tenses. There are four kinds: The Zero Conditional: (if + present simple, ... present simple) If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. The First Conditional: (if + present simple, ... will + infinitive) If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema. The Second Conditional: (if + past simple, ... would + infinitive) If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world. The Third Conditional (if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle) If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.

The Zero Conditional

We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'): If + present simple, .... present simple. This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main cluase. The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning. For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts) Here are some more examples: If people eat too much, they get fat.

If you touch a fire, you get burned. People die if they don't eat. You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen. Snakes bite if they are scared If babies are hungry, they cry

The first conditional is about a specific situation, but the zero is talking in general.

The First Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause: if + present simple, ... will + infinitive It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true. If it rains, I won't go to the park. If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight. If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes. She'll be late if the train is delayed. She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon. If I see her, I'll tell her. First vs. Zero Conditional: The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general. For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the sitting) But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about what will happen today, another day might be different) First vs. Second Conditional: The first conditional describes things that I think are likely to happen in the future, whereas the second conditional talks about things that I don't think will really happen. It's subjective; it depends on my point of view.

For example (first conditional): If she studies harder, she'll pass the exam (I think it's possible she will study harder and so she'll pass) But (second conditional): If she studied harder, she would pass the exam (I think that she won't study harder, or it's very unlikely, and so she won't pass)

The Second Conditional

The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive: if + past simple, ...would + infinitive (We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing). It has two uses. First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example. If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery) If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello. She would travel all over the world if she were rich. She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't happen) Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples: If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him). If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man. How is this different from the first conditional? This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more unlikely. For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much money, it's just a dream, not very real)

But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much more likely that'll have enough money to buy some shoes)

The Third Conditional

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence: if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation. If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass) If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick). If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine PRACTICE YOUR CONDITIONALS WITH EXERCISES! Finish the sentences with a clause in the correct conditional: 1: If it is sunny tomorrow _______________________________________________ 2: If you sit in the sun too long __________________________________________ 3: If I were you _______________________________________________________ 4: If I were the Prime Minister ___________________________________________ 5: If she had studied harder _____________________________________________ 6: If I won the lottery __________________________________________________ 7: If I hadnt gone to bed so late _________________________________________ 8: If I hadnt come to London ___________________________________________ 9: If you mix water and electricity ________________________________________ 10: If she hadnt stayed at home __________________________________________ 11: If I go out tonight___________________________________________________

12: If I were on holiday today ____________________________________________ 13: If I had listened to my mother _________________________________________ 14: If I hadnt eaten so much _____________________________________________ 15: If it rains later ______________________________________________________ 16: If I were British ____________________________________________________ 17: If I were the opposite sex ____________________________________________ 18: If I have enough money ______________________________________________ 19: If you dont wear a coat in the winter ___________________________________ 20: If I werent studying English __________________________________________

Possible answers (check your answer is in the same tense): 1: If it is sunny tomorrow, we'll go to the park. 2: If you sit in the sun too long , you get burned. 3: If I were you, I would go out tonight. 4: If I were the Prime Minister, I would make the museums free. 5: If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam. 6: If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house. 7: If I hadnt gone to bed so late, I wouldn't have been tired. 8: If I hadnt come to London, I would have gone to New York. 9: If you mix water and electricity, you get a shock. 10: If she hadnt stayed at home, she would have gone shopping. 11: If I go out tonight, I'll go to the cinema. 12: If I were on holiday today, I would go to the beach. 13: If I had listened to my mother, I wouldn't have caught a cold. 14: If I hadnt eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick. 15: If it rains later, I won't go out. 16: If I were British, I would speak perfect English. 17: If I were the opposite sex, I would grow a beard. 18: If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes. 19: If you dont wear a coat in the winter, you get sick. 20: If I werent studying English, I would study French.

The Zero Conditional EXERCISES Make zero conditionals: For example: (not / rain / the flowers / die) ____ If it doesnt rain, the flowers die.______________________________________ 1. (I / wake up late / I / be late for work) _______________________________________________________________ 2. (my husband / cook / he / burn the food) _______________________________________________________________ 3. (Julie / not wear a hat / she / get sunstroke) _______________________________________________________________ 4. (children / not eat well / they / not be healthy) _______________________________________________________________ 5. (you / mix water and electricity / you / get a shock) _______________________________________________________________ 6. (people / eat / too many sweets / they / get fat) _______________________________________________________________ 7. (you / smoke / you / get yellow fingers) _______________________________________________________________ 8. (children / play outside / they / not get overweight) _______________________________________________________________ 9. (you / heat ice / it / melt) _______________________________________________________________ 10. (I / speak to John / he / get annoyed) _______________________________________________________________ For example: he / get a headache / he / use the computer too much ______He gets a headache if he uses the computer too much.____________________ 11. (I / feel good the next day / I / go to bed early) _______________________________________________________________ 12. (lots of people / come / Jenny / have a party) _______________________________________________________________ 13. (she / buy expensive clothes / she / go shopping) _______________________________________________________________

14. (my daughter / pass her exams / she / work hard) _______________________________________________________________ 15. (David / be sick / he / drink milk) _______________________________________________________________ 16. (the river / freeze / it / be very cold) _______________________________________________________________ 17. (I / like to visit the museums / I / be in a new city) _______________________________________________________________ 18. (I / cycle to work / the weather / be fine) _______________________________________________________________ 19. (my flatmate / clean it really well / she / clean the house) _______________________________________________________________ 20. (everybody / be grumpy / it / rain a lot)

Answers: 1. If I wake up late Im late for work. 2. If my husband cooks he burns the food. 3. If Julie doesnt wear a hat she gets sunstroke. 4. If children not eat well they arent healthy. 5. If you mix water and electricity you get a shock. 6. If people eat too many sweets they get fat. 7. If you smoke you get yellow fingers. 8. If children play outside they dont get overweight. 9. If you heat ice it melts. 10. If I speak to John he gets annoyed. 11. I feel good the next day if I go to bed early. 12. Lots of people come if Jenny has a party. 13. She buys expensive clothes if she goes shopping. 14. My daughter passes her exams if she works hard. 15. David is sick if he drinks milk. 16. The river freezes if its very cold. 17. I like to visit the museums if I am in a new city. 18. I cycle to work if the weather is fine. 19. My flatmate cleans really well if she cleans the house. 20. Everybody is grumpy if it rains a lot.