Conditional Sentence
Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might
have happened, and what we wish would happen. In English, most sentences using
the conditional contain the word if. Many conditional forms in English
are used in sentences that include verbs in one of the past tenses. This usage
is referred to as the unreal past because we use a past
tense but we are not actually referring to something that happened in the past.
There are five main ways of constructing conditional sentences in English. In
all cases, these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main
clause. In many negative conditional sentences, there is an equivalent sentence
construction using unless instead of
"if".
Conditional
sentence type
|
Usage
|
If
clause verb tense
|
Main
clause verb tense
|
Zero
|
General
truths
|
Simple
present
|
Simple
present
|
Type
1
|
A
possible condition and its probable result
|
Simple
present
|
Simple
future
|
Type
2
|
A
hypothetical condition and its probable result
|
Simple
past
|
Present
conditional or Present continuous conditional
|
Type
3
|
An
unreal past condition and its probable result in the past
|
Past
perfect
|
Perfect
conditional
|
Mixed
type
|
An
unreal past condition and its probable result in the present
|
Past
perfect
|
Present
conditional
|
1. The zero conditional
The
zero conditional is used for when the time being referred to is now or
always and the situation is real and possible. The zero conditional
is often used to refer to general truths. The tense in both parts of the
sentence is the simple present. In zero conditional sentences, the word
"if" can usually be replaced by the word "when" without
changing the meaning.
If clause
|
Main clause
|
If
+ simple present
|
simple
present
|
If
this thing happens
|
that
thing happens.
|
If
you heat ice
|
it
melts.
|
If
it rains
|
the
grass gets wet.
|
2. Type 1 conditional
The type 1
conditional is used to refer to the present or future where the situation
is real. The type 1 conditional refers to a possible condition and its
probable result. In these sentences the if clause is in the simple present, and
the main clause is in the simple future.
If clause
|
Main clause
|
If
+ simple present
|
simple future
|
If
this thing happens
|
that thing will happen.
|
If
you don't hurry
|
you will miss the train.
|
If
it rains today
|
you will get wet.
|
3. Type 2 conditional
The
type 2 conditional is used to refer to a time that is now or any time,
and a situation that is unreal. These sentences are not based on fact.
The type 2 conditional is used to refer to a hypothetical condition and its
probable result. In type 2 conditional sentences, the if clause uses the simple
past, and the main clause uses the present conditional.
If clause
|
Main clause
|
If
+ simple past
|
present
conditional or present continuous conditional
|
If
this thing happened
|
that
thing would happen. (but I'm not sure this thing will happen) OR
that thing would be happening. |
If
you went to bed earlier
|
you
would not be so tired.
|
If
it rained
|
you
would get wet.
|
If
I spoke Italian
|
I
would be working in Italy.
|
4. Type 3 conditional
The
type 3 conditional is used to refer to a time that is in the past, and a
situation that is contrary to reality. The facts they are based on are
the opposite of what is expressed. The type 3 conditional is used to refer to
an unreal past condition and its probable past result. In type 3 conditional
sentences, the if clause uses the past perfect, and the main clause uses the
perfect conditional.
If clause
|
Main clause
|
If
+ past perfect
|
perfect
conditional or perfect continuous conditional
|
If
this thing had happened
|
that
thing would have happened. (but neither of those things really happened) OR
that thing would have been happening. |
If
you had studied harder
|
you
would have passed the exam.
|
If
it had rained
|
you
would have gotten wet.
|
If
I had accepted that promotion
|
I
would have been working in Milan.
|
5. Mixed type conditional
The
mixed type conditional is used to refer to a time that is in the past,
and a situation that is ongoing into the present. The facts they are
based on are the opposite of what is expressed. The mixed type conditional is
used to refer to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the
present. In mixed type conditional sentences, the if clause uses the past
perfect, and the main clause uses the present conditional.
If clause
|
Main clause
|
If
+ past perfect or simple past
|
present
conditional or perfect conditional
|
If
this thing had happened
|
that
thing would happen. (but this thing didn't happen so that thing isn't
happening)
|
If
I had worked harder at school
|
I
would have a better job now.
|
If
we had looked at the map
|
we
wouldn't be lost.
|
If
you weren't afraid of spiders
|
you
would have picked it up and put it outside.
|
TRY THIS EXERCISES !!!
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