CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
BY:AHMAD ALI
DEFINITION:
• Conditional sentences are statements discussing known factors or
hypothetical situations and their consequences. We use them to
communicate that something is true or happens only if something
else is true or happens—that is, only under a certain condition.
Complete conditional sentences contain a conditional clause (often
referred to as the if-clause) and the consequence.
EXAMPLES:
• If a certain condition is true, then a particular result happens.
• I would travel around the world if I won the lottery.
• When water reaches 100 degrees, it boils.
TYPES:
• There are four different types of conditional sentences in English.
Each expresses a different degree of probability that a situation will
occur or would have occurred under certain circumstances.
1. Zero conditional sentences
2. First conditional sentences
3. Second conditional sentences
4. Third conditional sentences
ZERO CONDITIONAL:
• Zero conditional sentences express general truths—situations in
which one thing always causes another. When you use a zero
conditional, you’re talking about a general truth rather than a specific
instance of something. Consider the following examples:
• If you don’t brush your teeth, you get cavities.
• When people smoke cigarettes, their health suffers.
First, when using the zero conditional, the correct tense in both clauses is the simple present tense. A
common mistake is to use the simple future tense.
When people smoke cigarettes, their health will suffer. (INCORRECT)
FIRST CONDITIONAL:
• First conditional sentences are used to express situations in which the
outcome is likely (but not guaranteed) to happen in the future. Look
at the examples below:
• If you rest, you will feel better.
• If you set your mind to a goal, you’ll eventually achieve it.
Note that we use the simple present tense in the if-clause and the simple future tense in the main
clause—the clause that expresses the likely outcome. This is how we indicate that under a certain
condition (as expressed in the if-clause), a specific result will likely happen in the future. Examine
some of the common mistakes people make using the first conditional structure:
• If you will rest, you will feel better. (INCORRECT)
• If you rest, you will feel better. (CORRECT)
CONTINUED:
Explanation: Use the simple present tense in the if-clause.
• If you set your mind to a goal, you eventually achieve it.(INCORRECT)
• If you set your mind to a goal, you’ll eventually achieve it. (CORRECT)
Explanation: Use the zero conditional (simple present + simple present) only when a certain result
is guaranteed. If the result is likely, use the first conditional (simple present + simple future).
SECOND CONDITONAL:
• Second conditional sentences are useful for expressing outcomes that
are completely unrealistic or will not likely happen in the future.
Consider the examples below:
• If I inherited a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon.
• If I owned a zoo, I might let people interact with the animals more.
Notice that the correct way to structure second conditional sentences is to use the simple past
tense in the if-clause and a modal auxiliary verb (e.g., could, should, would, might) in the main
clause (the one that expresses the unrealistic or unlikely outcome). The following sentences
illustrate a couple of the common mistakes people make when using the second conditional:
• If I inherit a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon. (INCORRECT)
• If I inherited a billion dollars, I would travel to the moon. (CORRECT)
CONTINUED:
Explanation: When applying the second conditional, use the simple past tense in the if-clause.
• If I owned a zoo, I will let people interact with the animals more.(INCORRECT)
• If I owned a zoo, I might let people interact with the animals more. (CORRECT)
Explanation: Use a modal auxiliary verb in the main clause when using the second conditional to
express the unlikelihood that the result will actually happen.
THIRD CONDITIONAL:
• Third conditional sentences are used to explain that present
circumstances would be different if something different had
happened in the past. Look at the following examples:
• If you had told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
• If I had cleaned the house, I could have gone to the movies.
These sentences express a condition that was likely enough but did not actually happen in the past.
The speaker in the first sentence was capable of leaving early but did not. The speaker in the second
sentence was capable of cleaning the house but did not. These are both conditions that were likely
but (regrettably, in these cases) did not happen.
CONTINUED:
Note that when using the third conditional, we use the past perfect (i.e., had + past participle) in
the if-clause. The modal auxiliary (would, could, should, etc.) + have + past participle in the main
clause expresses the theoretical situation that could have happened.
• Consider these common mistakes when applying the third conditional:
• If you would have told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.(INCORRECT)
• If you had told me you needed a ride, I would have left earlier.(CORRECT)
CONTINUED:
Explanation: With third conditional sentences, do not use a modal auxiliary verb in the if-clause.
• If I had cleaned the house, I could go to the movies. (INCORRECT)
• If I had cleaned the house, I could have gone to the movies. (CORRECT)
Explanation: The third conditional expresses a situation that could have happened in the past only if
a certain condition had been met. That’s why we use the modal auxiliary verb + have + the past
participle.