Conditional sentences
Conditional
sentences (also known as conditional clauses or if
clauses) are made up of two halves. One half (the half with the word it in)
is a condition, and the other half (the main clause) states the action to occur
if the condition is fulfilled.
There
are four types of conditional sentence:
1. Conditional Sentence Type 0
Conditional type zero is used to talk about
general truths, scientific facts or things which always happen under certain
conditions.
Form:
If + Simple Present, + Simple Present
The zero conditional is used to talk about things which are
always true, scientific facts, general truths.
Examples:
· If you heat water to 100 ° C,
it boils. / Water
boils if you
heat it to 100 °
C.
· If I do not practice
the piano everyday I play poorly. / I play the piano
poorly if I do
not practice everyday. (If you do not practice the piano every day I
play bad.)
2. Conditional Sentence Type 1
Often called the "real" conditional because it is used
for real or possible situations. These situations take place if a certain
condition is met. It is possible and also very likely that the
condition will be fulfilled.
Form:
If + Simple Present, + Simple Future
Conditional Sentences Type 1 refer to the future. An action
in the future will only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled by that
time. We don't know for sure whether the condition actually will be fulfilled
or not, but the conditions seems rather realistic – so we think it is
likely to happen.
Example:
·
If Bill studies, He Will pass the
exam. / Bill Will
pass the exam
if I studies.
·
If It
Does not Rain, We Will go to the beach. /
We will go to the
beach if it Does not rain. (If
it rains, go to
the beach.)
3. Conditional Sentence Type 2
Often called the "unreal" conditional because it
is used for unreal impossible or improbable situations. This conditional
provides an imaginary result for a given situation. It is very unlikely that
the condition will be fulfilled.
Form:
If + Simple Past, + would + base verb
Were / Was
In conditional type 2, we usually use in the if clause
"were" instead of "was" even if the pronoun is I, he, she
or it. "were" here is a subjunctive form.
NOTE "was" is also a possible form.
Example:
·
If I won the lottery, I Would
Travel Around the World. / I Would Travel Around the World if I won the lottery. (If you
win the lottery, travel around the world.)
·
If more time HAD Rachel,
Would she learn
to play the guitar. / Rachel Would learn
to play the guitar if She Had more time. (If Rachel
had more time, learn to play guitar.)
Conditional Sentences Type 2 refer to an action in the
present that could happen if the present situation were different. I don't
really expect the situation to change because it is very unlikely.
Example:
4. Conditional Sentence Type 3
It is impossible that the condition will be
met because it refers to the past.
Form:
If + Past Perfect, + would + have + Past
Participle
Conditional Sentences Type 3 refer to situations in the past.
They express hypothetical results to past given situations.
Example:
·
If I had Known Then What I know now, I Would Have Done
Things Differently. / I Would Have Done
Things Differently If I Had Known Then
What I Know now. (If
I had known in the past what I know now,
would have done things differently.)
Reference:
