Expressing English Conditional sentences

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Expressing Conditional sentences

In English, you use « if » to express condition (a situation that may or may not happen according to circumstances).

There are four (04) types of condition :

If-Conditional Type Zero

1. If-Conditional Type Zero :  In this type of condition, both the if-clause and the result clause are in the present simple and means that the condition can be true at any time.

Example : If you heat water at 100° c, it boils.

Form : If + present simple, present simple.

Since  the condition can be true at any time, you can replace « if » by « when » or « whenever ».

Examples : If / When / Whenever you mix red and blue, you get purple.

You get purple if / when / whenever you mix red and blue.

If-Conditional Type One 

2. If-Conditional Type One : In this type of condition, the if-clause is in the present simple while the result clause is in the future simple. We use the first conditional to talk about situations that are possible in the future.

Example : If it is sunny, we will go to the beach. (= it’s possible that it will be sunny. So, we’ll go to the beach).

Future possibility : If it is sunny,

Result : we will go to the beach.

Notes :

1. When if means if it is true that, the present simple doesn’t describe something true at any time or a general habit. So, when can’t replace if in the first conditional.

If you take this medicine, you will soon feel better.

2. We don’t use will in the if-clause although it refers to the future.

If I pass my BAC exam, I will celebrate.

3. Unless= if….not : Unless is used to replace if and the negative form of the verb.

If you don’t keep quiet, I will not start the lesson.

Unless you keep quiet, I will not start the lesson.

I will not start the lesson unless you keep quiet.

4. In the first conditional, « will » can be replaced by « may » or « can » to mean permission, possibility…..etc.

*Permission : If your car is broken, you can take mine.

*Possibility : If you don’t revise your lessons, you may fail your exams.

5. Provided (that), providing (that), as long as and so long as mean the same as but only if or if and only if.

*Providing / Provided (that) you work harder, you will pass your exam.

* You will pass your exam provided/ providing (that) you work harder.

(= you will pass your exam but only if you work harder.)

* As long as / So long as she studies harder, she will pass the exam.

* She will pass the exam as long as / so long as she studies harder.

(= She will pass the exam but only if she works harder.)

If-conditional Type Two

3. If-conditional Type Two : In this type of condition, the if-clause is in the past simple while the result clause is would + stem (infinitive without « to »). We use the second conditional to talk about the present, and to imagine something totally different from the real situation.

Examples :

*If I were at home now, I would watch TV. (= I am not at home now, so I’m not watching TV.)

*If  he had a visa now, he would go abroad. (= He doesn’t have a visa now, so he is not going abroad.)

Notes :

1. We use were with all pronouns in the if-clause of the second conditional.

If I / you / he / she / we / they were rich, we / I / you / he / she / they would (‘d) travel to Australia.

2. In the second conditional, we can replace would by could or might.

If Martians invaded our planet, they could exterminate us.

If-conditional Type Three 

4. If-conditional Type Three : In this type of condition, the if-clause is in the past perfect while the result clause is would+ have+ the past participle of the verb. We use the third conditional to talk about unreal situations in the past.In other words, it is used to talk about things which didn’t happen in the past.

Example :

If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.(= I didn’t study harder.So, I didn’t pass the exam.)

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