This blog has been designed to share interesting materials with my secondary EFL students (14-17) but you are welcome if you also find it useful to improve your English.

Friday 19 January 2018

Conditional sentences in English



ZERO TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING& USE
The zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world, and often refers to general truths, such as scientific facts. In these sentences, the time is the present or always and the situation is real and possible.
  • If you heat water, it boils.
  • Water boils if you heat it.
  • When you heat ice, it melts.
  • Ice melts when you heat it.
  • If it snows, the grass gets white.
  • The grass gets white if it snows.
  • When it rains, the grass gets wet.
  • The grass gets wet when it rains.

FORM
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'):

If/when/unless + present simple, .... present simple.

EXERCISES
1ST TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING & USE
The first conditional is also called the "real" conditional because it is used for real, or possible, situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.

In the first conditional we can salso use unless, which means "if... not". In other words, "... unless he hurries up" could also be written, "... if he doesn't hurry up."
1st type conditional sentence
  • If it rains, we will stay at home.
  • He will arrive late unless he hurries up.
  • Sophie will buy a new car, if she gets her raise.


FORM
The first conditional is formed by the use of the present simple in the if clause followed by a comma and a future simple verb (will + infinitive) in the result clause. You can also put the result clause first without using a comma between the clauses.
  • If he finishes on time, we will go to the movies.
OR
  • We will go to the movies if he finishes on time.

EXERCISES

2nd TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING
2nd type conditional sentence
The second conditional is used to talk about situations or actions in the present or future which are not likely to happen or are imaginary, hypothetical or impossible.






  • If I were a rich woman, I would travel around the world. I think it is very unlikely that I will be rich. However, in this unlikely condition, I will travel around the world.
  • If I weren't / wasn't watching TV now, I would be playing tennis. I am watching TV, but I am imagining an alternative activity I would be doing if I wasn't watching TV
  • If you had a bigger dog, your house would be protected. You don't have a big dog, but I am imagining how protected you would be if you had one.
  • If I were an alien, I would be able to travel around the universe. It is impossible for me to be an alien. However, I am imagining what I would do in this situation.
  • We would go to Paris this summer if we passed all our subjects. That is our plan but, unfortunatelly,  we know we are not going to pass all our subjects.
FORM
If + past simple + conditional (would)
Conditional (would) + if + past simple
Verb be is usually were for all subjects; was (1st & 3rd person) is colloquial.

SONGS
If I were a rich man (Fiddler in the Roof-movie)
If I were a boy (Beyonce)

EXERCISES
- Malted ESO-4 unit 7 (Gwineth and the Wizard)



3RD TYPE CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

MEANING
The first conditional and second conditionals tell us about the future. With the third conditional we refer to the past. We speak about a condition in the past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.
  • If I had travelled to Italy I would have visited Luca. But I have not travelled to Italy and, therefore, I have not visited Luca.
  • If you had got a good mark, would you have complained to the teacher? but your mark was bad, so we don't know for sure what you would have done.
  • What would you have done if it had snowed last weekend? but it didn't snow.
  • I wouldn't have called if I had known that she wasn't home. but I knew so I called
FORM
If + past perfect  // would have + past participle
Past participle // if + past perfect

EXERCISES
ALL TYPES OF CONDITIONALS
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1 comment:

  1. Mike Frolow5 November 2020 at 11:25

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