There are several structures in English that are called conditionals. "Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens.
If y = 10 then 2y = 20 If y = 3 then 2y = 6
There are three basic conditionals that we use very often. There are some more conditionals that we do not use so often. The structure of most conditionals is very simple. There are two basic possibilities. Of course, we add many words and can use various tenses, but the basic structure is usually like this: IF IF condition y = 10 result 2y = 20
Notice that we are thinking about a future condition. It is not raining yet. But the sky is cloudy and you think that it could rain. We use the present simple tense to talk about the possible future condition. We use WILL + base verb to talk about the possible future result. The important thing about the first conditional is that there is a real possibility that the condition will happen. Here are some more examples (do you remember the two basic structures: [IF condition result] and [result IF condition]?): IF condition present simple If If If If If I see Mary Tara is free tomorrow they do not pass their exam it rains tomorrow it rains tomorrow Result WILL + base verb I will tell her. he will invite her. their teacher will be sad. will you stay at home? what will you do?
Result WILL + base verb I will tell Mary He will invite Tara Their teacher will be sad Will you stay at home What will you do
IF
if if if if if
I see her. she is free tomorrow. they do not pass their exam. it rains tomorrow? it rains tomorrow?
Sometimes, we use shall, can, or may instead of will, for example: If you are good today, you can watch TV tonight.
an opinion, hope, uncertainty or assumption regarding the future example: He will probably come back tomorrow.
an action in the future that cannot be influenced example: It will rain tomorrow.
Notice that we are thinking about a future condition. We use the past simple tense to talk about the future condition. We use WOULD + base verb to talk about the future result. The important thing about the second conditional is that there is an unreal possibility that the condition will happen. Here are some more examples: IF condition past simple If If If If I married Mary Ram became rich it snowed next July it snowed next July Result WOULD + base verb I would be happy. she would marry him. would you be surprised? what would you do?
result WOULD + base verb I would be happy She would marry Ram
IF
if if
if if
Sometimes, we use should, could or might instead of would, for example: If I won a million dollars, I could stop working.
Form
A: He would talk. N: He would not talk. Q: Would he talk?
Use
action that might take place if clause type II (If I were you, I would go home.)
Last week you bought a lottery ticket. But you did not win. :-( condition Past Perfect If I had won the lottery Result WOULD HAVE + Past Participle I would have bought a car.
Notice that we are thinking about an impossible past condition. You did not win the lottery. So the condition was not true, and that particular condition can never be true because it is finished. We use the past perfect tense to talk about the impossible past condition. We use WOULD HAVE + past participle to talk about the impossible past result. The important thing about the third conditional is that both the condition and result are impossible now. Sometimes, we use should have, could have, might have instead of would have, for example: If you had bought a lottery ticket, you might have won. Look at some more examples in the tables below: IF condition past perfect If If If I had seen Mary Tara had been free yesterday they had not passed their exam Result WOULD HAVE + past participle I would have told her. I would have invited her. their teacher would have been sad.
If If
would you have stayed at home? what would you have done?
result WOULD HAVE + past participle I would have told Mary I would have invited Tara Their teacher would have been sad Would you have stayed at home What would you have done
IF
if if if if if
I had seen her. she had been free yesterday. they had not passed their exam. it had rained yesterday? it had rained yesterday?
Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.
The conditional II simple expresses an action that could have taken place in the past.
Form
A: He would have talked. N: He would not have talked. Q: Would he have talked?
Use
action that could have taken place in the past if causes type III (If I had seen that, I would have helped.)
Notice that we are thinking about a result that is always true for this condition. The result of the condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the present simple tense to talk about the condition. We also use the present simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result. We can also use when instead of if, for example: When I get up late I miss my bus. Look at some more examples in the tables below: IF condition present simple If If If If I miss the 8 o'clock bus I am late for work people don't eat you heat ice Result present simple I am late for work. my boss gets angry. they get hungry. does it melt?
result present simple I am late for work My boss gets angry People get hungry Does ice melt
IF
if if if if
I miss the 8 o'clock bus. I am late for work. they don't eat. you heat it?
Conditionals: Summary
Here is a chart to help you to visualize the basic English conditionals. Do not take the 50% and 10% figures too literally. They are just to help you. probability 100% 50% 10% 0% conditional zero conditional first conditional second conditional third conditional Example If you heat ice, it melts. If it rains, I will stay at home. If I won the lottery, I would buy a car. If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car. Time any time Future Future Past