If you’re confused with the conditional sentences, this post will help you instantly. We’ve covered the essentials you need to know about them.
The conditionals you may have heard of are :
| Zero conditional | If you heat water, it boils. |
| First conditional | If I do exercise, I’ll be healthier. |
| Second conditional | If I won the lottery, I would travel the world. |
| Third conditional | If she had studied harder, she would have passed the test. |
After you read this post, you’ll be able to make examples like those and really use them.
(Yes, use them. What’s the point of studying tedious grammar if it’s not useful?
Okay, the essentials that you need to know :
What are conditional sentences?
What are the types of conditional sentences?
1. zero conditional
2. first conditional
3. second conditional
4. third conditional
5. imperative conditional
6. mixed conditional
Which modal to use in conditional sentences?
“Were to” phrase in conditional
How do you do conditional sentence exercises?
Key Takeaways
Let’s see what we’ve got.
What are conditional sentences?
Conditional sentences talk about what might happen in different situations, whether they are real or just in our imagination. These sentences allow us to express things like “If this happens, that will happen” or “If this had happened, that would have happened.”
Conditional sentences structure
A typical conditional sentence has two parts.
First, there’s the “if” part (if clause), which describes a condition. Then, there’s the part that tells us what could result from that condition.
When we put the if clause first, we have to put a comma (,) before the result. But when the result is stated first, no comma is needed in the sentence.
Look at this example of first and second conditional :
| If I do exercise (if clause) | , | I’ll be healthier. (expected result) |
| I’ll be healthier (expected result) | (no comma) | if I do exercise. (if clause) |
| If I won the lottery (if clause) | , | I would travel the world. (expected result) |
| I would travel the world (expected result) | (no comma) | if I won the lottery. (if clause) |
What kind of tenses we use for conditional sentences?
The tenses for conditional sentences vary depending on the type of conditional.
Use this table as a general rule.
| Conditionals | If clause | Result |
|---|---|---|
| zero | present simple | present simple |
| 1st | present simple | future with will |
| 2nd | past simple | would + base verb could + base verb |
| 3rd | past perfect | would have + past participle could have + past participle might have + past participle |
Okay, after you get the big picture of conditionals, let’s continue with the details …
What are the types of conditional sentences?
There are four main types of conditionals :
- zero conditional
- first conditional
- second conditional
- third conditional
And for addition, we have imperative and mixed conditionals.
1. Zero conditional
The zero conditional refers to things that are always true or general truth.
Or direct result of an action. The word “if” can be replaced with “when” and still has the same meaning.
How to form the zero conditional:
| If clause | Comma | Result |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | , | present simple |
| If you heat water | , | it boils. |
| When you heat water | , | it boils. |
Water boils when you heat it.
Water boils if you heat it.
Condition/action : you heat water
Result : the water boils
More examples :
- If you heat ice, it melts.
When you heat ice, it melts. - Ice melts if you heat it.
Ice melts when you heat it. - If you drop the glass, it breaks.
- Rock sinks when you put it in water.
- When you mix red and blue paint, you get purple.
2. First conditional
The first conditional is also called the “future real” conditional.
In other words, we believe that the action or event is possible, and the result will likely happen.
How to form the first conditional:
| If clause | Comma | Result |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | , | future with will |
| If I do exercise | , | I’ll be healthier. |
Examples :
- If I do exercise, I’ll be healthier.
(It’s possible to do exercise.) - If it rains, I’ll stay at home.
(It’s dark outside, and it might rain.) - She can join us for dinner if she finishes her work early.
(It’s possible for her to work faster.) - If I see Sarah, I’ll give her your message.
(It’s possible I’ll see her but I might not)
Unlike the zero conditional, “if” does not mean the same as “when” in sentences like these:
When it rains, I’ll stay at home. (It will definitely rain, I’m sure)
When I see Sarah, I’ll give her your message. (I know I’m going to see her)
First conditional with “unless”
“Unless” can replace “if” in first conditional sentences. It means “if … not”.
For example :
If you don’t study hard, you will fail the test.
Unless you study hard, you will fail the test.
3. Second conditional
The second conditional is an unreal conditional. It refers to unreal action or events that might lead to impossible results.
The action or event is something that you want to happen but you know it’s completely unrealistic. It will not likely happen in the future.
How to form the second conditional:
| If clause | Comma | Result |
|---|---|---|
| past simple | , | would/could + base verb |
| If I won the lottery | , | I would travel the world. |
| If I learned English | , | I could visit London. |
Examples :
- If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.
(But you didn’t win that lottery, so you don’t travel the world) - If he won the election, he would make changes to the pension system.
(But he didn’t win, so there is no change in the pension system) - If I moved to Hawaii, I would live near the beach.
(But you didn’t move, so you don’t live near the beach)
Use were instead of was in the if clause, especially when you write.
- If I were you, I wouldn’t call him.
(Use the expression “If I were you, I would …” to give advice. It means : This is what I would do in your situation) - If she were nicer to her colleagues, she would be the supervisor by now.
- If you were at the party, she would not go home so soon.
- The amusement park would get more visitors if the ticket were cheaper.
4. Third conditional
The third conditional usually expresses regret for something you wish you did differently in the past.
The expected result didn’t happen. And the opposite result happened.
In other words, the action or event and result are the opposite of reality.
How to form the third conditional:
| If clause | Comma | Result |
|---|---|---|
| past perfect | , | would have + past participle could have + past participle might have + past participle |
| If she had studied harder | , | she would have passed the test. |
| If he had invited me | , | I could have visited him. |
| If she had left the house earlier | , | she might have caught the bus. |
Examples :
- If she had studied harder, she would have passed the test.
(She didn’t study harder, so she failed the test) - If I had woken up earlier, I would have caught my flight.
(I woke up late, so I missed my flight) - If we had taken the job offer, we would have lived in different cities.
(We didn’t take the job offer, so we still live in the same city) - They might have made a profit if they had invested in the stock market last year.
(They didn’t invest, so there’s no profit)
In spoken English, you can use contraction as in :
If I’d (had) seen Karen, I’d (would) have given her your message.
(If I had seen Karen, I would have given her your message.)
Formal third conditional
We can make the third conditional sound more formal by putting “had” in the beginning and dropping “if”.
Examples :
- If you had attended the event, you would have met the director.
Had you attended the event, you would have met the director. - If I had studied harder at school, I could have studied engineering.
Had I studied harder at school, I could have studied engineering.
5. Imperative conditional
The imperative conditional is used to tell the action you need to do for a situation. It sounds like advice, offer, or order.
For example :
- If you’re cold, put on a jacket.
- If you’re hungry, get something to eat.
- Don’t stay up late if you’re sleepy.
- Let me know if you need something.
The imperative conditional can be made from the first conditional, too. The imperative always comes first.
This form is more common in spoken English. Use it to make a promise or threaten someone. (But go easy on them)
For example :
- Pass this test and we’ll let you use the car.
- Wait a minute and we’ll be able to help you.
- Break that window and you’ll have to pay for it.
6. Mixed conditional
Depending on the context, sometimes conditional can be a mixture of second and third conditional.
It’s often used to express regret. Sometimes it refers to future situations when used with future time expressions.
Examples :
- If Lily was better organized, she wouldn’t have missed the flight.
(The “if clause” is as in the second conditional and the result is as in the third conditional.) - If we hadn’t missed the bus, we would be at the airport by now.
(The “if clause” is as in the third conditional and the result is as in the second conditional.) - She would be starting her new job tomorrow if her parents hadn’t visited her.
Which modal to use in conditional sentences?
Modals for first conditional
You can use will or can, depending on what you want to express.
Examples :
- If I save enough money, I will buy a house.
- If I save enough money, I can buy a house.
(The first example states a possibility, while the second one states your ability.)
Modals for second and third conditional
You can use would, could, or might to express the ability, uncertainty, or possibility.
Examples :
- If I saved enough money, I would buy a house.
- I could buy a house if I saved enough money.
- If I saved enough money, I might buy a house.
- I would have bought a new car if I had saved enough money.
- If I had saved enough money, I could have bought a new car.
- I might have bought a new car if I had saved enough money.
Go to my post Modal Verbs : What and How to Use Them Correctly to understand more about those modals.
“Were to” phrase in conditional
When we use “were to” in a conditional sentence, it’s like saying “if this happen, it would be horrible.”
It makes the situation sound serious. (Yes, so use a serious tone!)
For example :
- If he were to lose his job, it would be a big problem for his family.
(Losing a job is a serious issue) - If she were to be late again, she would be fired.
(It’s important not to be late) - If it were to rain on our wedding day, we’d have to move it indoors.
(It’s awful if we must change the wedding plan)
How do you do conditional sentence exercises?
You know the grammar rule, now what?
Practice. Do some exercises.
There are 3 ways you can do to really master the conditional sentences :
1. Practicing question and answer
Choose some questions in conditional sentences and answer them. Write them down and read aloud to practice your pronunciation. And to get used to the grammar pattern.
Download the Questions in Conditionals for free and start practicing your conditional sentences.
2. Walk-the-talk
Put your words into action. Act all the conditional sentences you have made in real-life activities.
For instance, for zero conditional, I choose the bathroom. I walk into the bathroom and open the water tap. As I am opening it, I say : “If I open the water tap, the water flows.”
Another example is the first conditional. I go to my kitchen and grab some red beans for tomorrow’s lunch. They need to be soaked overnight. As I am soaking them, I say : “If I soak the red beans now, they will be ready to cook tomorrow.”
3. Find a speaking partner
Exchanging ideas with friends using the conditional sentences can be fun. As the second conditional expresses unrealistic condition, you can explore unlimited answers for impossible results. You can make up things. That’s the point of the second conditional.
If you still need help on how to practice the conditional sentences, head to my post : How to Do Conditionals Exercises (3 Surprisingly Effective Tips).
Key Takeaways
Decide which conditional to use by assessing the condition or action and the result.
Here’s the concept:
- A real condition leads to a real result
- A possible condition leads to a possible result
- An unreal condition leads to an impossible result
- An impossible condition leads to an unreal result
Use this table as a general rule to help you.
| Conditional | Condition (If clause) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| zero | real | real |
| 1st | possible | possible |
| 2nd | unreal | impossible |
| 3rd | impossible | unreal |
Grammar book reference
DK. English for Everyone: English Grammar Guide: A Comprehensive Visual Reference. DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley), 2016.
Thomas, Barbara, et al. Grammar and Vocabulary for First and First for Schools Book with Answers and Audio. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
What can I do for you?
Grammar can be overwhelming sometimes. But with consistent practice, you can beat it.
Grab your pen and notebook, then make your own examples as you read this post.
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