CONDITIONAL SENTENCES Definition: The conditional tense says that an action is reliant on something else.

The conditionals are used to talk about real or unreal situations, they are sometimes called ifclauses. Real Conditional describes real-life situations. Unreal Conditional describes unreal, imaginary situations. For example: If a certain condition is true, then a particular result happens. There are four basic conditionals that we use in English.

Zero Conditional First Conditional Second Conditional Third Conditional * There are some more conditionals formed by mixing some of these four.

Structure of Conditional Sentences The Zero Conditional is used for actions that are always true when the conditions are satisfied. The structure of the conditionals is straightforward. There are two basic possibilities in terms of order in the sentence: IF If Conditio n it rains, Result we will get wet Result we will get wet IF If Conditio n it rains,

* Notice that we only use a comma in the first example. Conditionals: Time and Probability Table Probability Certain Likely Unlikely Impossible Impossible Conditional zero conditional first conditional second conditional second conditional third conditional Example If you heat water to 100 degrees celsius, it boils If it rains, I will stay in. If I won the lottery, I would retire. If I had the money, I would lend it to you If I had seen him, I would have given him the message. Time any time future future present past

Zero Conditional: Certainty The Zero conditional is used for things that are always true as long as the condition is met. Formation: if + present simple, + present simple I F I f I f Condition present simple you heat water to 100 degrees celsius, present simple I drink coffee, Result present simple it boils. present simple I get a headache. factuniversal fact- personal Situation

In these examples, the result will always occur if the condition is met, so the time is not

important. First Conditional: A real possibility in the future A First Conditional sentence is for future actions dependent on the result of another future action or event, where there is a reasonable possibility of the conditions for the action being satisfied. Formation: if + present simple, + will For example: If she gets good grades, she will go to university. We are talking about the future, but we use a present tense for the condition and will for the result. In this case, the person is sure about going to university. We can use other modal verbs in the result part of the sentence. For example: I F I f I f I f I f I f I f Condition she gets good grades, he gets good grades, she gets good grades, he gets good grades, she gets good grades, he gets good grades, Result she will go to university. he may go to university. she should go to university. he can go to university. she could go to university. he might go to university. Possibility If the condition is met, then she definitely will go He is not sure about going to university. The speaker is expressing his or her opinion, giving advice. This means that it is possible. This that This that means that it is possible, but not likely. means that it is possible, but not likely.

We can also use different present forms in the condition part of the sentence like: present simple, present progressive, present perfect, etc Second Conditional: Imaginary Present or Unlikely Future The Second Conditional can be used used to talk about imaginary present situations, where we are imagining something different from what is really the case. We can also use it to talk about things in the future that are unlikely to happen, as the condition is unlikely to be met. We use the past tense in the condition part and would for the result. Formation: if + past simple, + would + base form For Example: If I were you, I'd tell her. I F Condition Time prese nt futur e Result WOULD + base verb I would learn Italian. WOULD + base verb I would travel around the world. impossible I don't have the time, so I'm not going to learn Italian. unlikely There's a very small chance of winning the lottery, so the trip is unlikely Possibility

past simple I I had the f time, past simple I I won the f lottery

We can use other modal verbs in the past tense in the result part of the sentence: I Condition F past simple I I had the f time, I I had f more time, Result WOULD + base verb I would learn Italian. I might learn English. Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is sure that they would do it given the opportunity. Although unlikely to happen, it is only a possibility anyway. Certainty

I I had f more time, I I had f more time

I should learn some more about IT. I could learn Hindi.

Although unlikely to happen, the speaker is saying that it would be a good idea, but is not committed to it. Although unlikely to happen, it is only a possibility anyway.

Third Conditional: Imaginary Past The third conditional is used when we are talking about the past and imagining something different from what actually happened, that means for imaginary past actions, where the conditions for the action WERE NOT satisfied. Formation: if + past perfect, + would have + past participle For example: If I had known, I would have helped. I didn't know and didn't help. I F Condition past perfect If If If If I had known, I had known, I had known, you had known, Result WOULD HAVE+ past participle I would have helped. I could have helped. I might have helped. you should have helped. Certainty

Although this didn't happen, the speaker is sure about the result. Although this didn't happen, the result is only a possibility. Although this didn't happen, the result is only a possibility. Although this didn't happen, it is only a good suggestion or piece of advice.

Third Second Mixed Conditionals For imaginary present actions or situations that are not possible because the necessary conditions were not met in the past. Formation: if + past perfect, + would + base form For example:

If you had taken the course, you would know about it. (The conditions were not met because the person did not do the course and as a result does not know about it now.)

Second Third Mixed Conditionals To avoid the illogicality of saying 'If I had been you', which means that I was not you on that occasion, but could be in the future, which is, of course, impossible. Formation: if + past simple, + would have + past participle For example:

If I were you, I wouldn't have done that.

When the first part is still true For example:

If I could speak English, I wouldn't have needed to get the letter translated. (This means that I couldn't speak English then when I needed the translator and still can't)