CONDITIONAL SENTENCES



ZERO CONDITIONAL (REAL CONDITIONALS)
 Real situations are things that are true, have happened, generally happen or are likely to happen

 Tenses are normally used in the same way as in other kinds of sentences

If you want to learn the guitar, you really need to practise.
If I criticised her unfairly, then I always apologised.
If you have toothache like that, you must go to the dentist.
If you’re getting backache, then you’re not sitting properly.

THE FIRST CONDITIONAL
 IF + present simple + modal verb with future reference (will/shall/may)

 A speaker predicts a likely result in the future, if the condition is fulfilled:

If Sally comes, there will be five of us.
If you don’t go to the dentist, you won’t be able to sleep.
If you decide to go, I’ll take you there.

THE SECOND CONDITIONAL
 IF + simple past tense + modal verb with future-in-the-past reference (would, could, might)

 A speaker responds to a possible or hypothetical situation by indicating a possible outcome:

If I knew what you wanted, maybe I could help you.
I would do a computer course, if I had time.
I would go to the doctor’s, if I wasn’t afraid.

THE THIRD CONDITIONAL
 IF + past perfect tense + modal verb with future-in-the-past reference (would, could, might) +
have + -ed participle (3rd verb form)

 A speaker is talking about a past event which didn’t happen:

She would have gone to the doctor’s, if she hadn’t been afraid. (=she didn’t go)
If I had known about your problems, I would have helped you. (=I didn’t know)