Conditional Sentences “If Clause”
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 contditional |
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. |
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. |
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 |
|
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. |
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 |
|
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. |
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. |
For more information about If Conditional Sentences, click this link : https://youtu.be/mCNMdePD-vk
Sources : English First & Wallstreet
