· There are
four types of conditional sentences.
· It’s important to use the correct
structure for each of these different conditional sentences because they
express varying meanings.
· Pay attention to verb tense when
using different conditional modes.
· Use a comma after the if-clause
when the if-clause precedes the main clause.
Conditional sentences are
statements discussing known factors or hypothetical situations and their
consequences. Complete conditional sentences contain a conditional clause (often
referred to as the if-clause) and the consequence. Consider the following
sentences:
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.
What Are the Different Types of Conditional Sentences? 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.
· Zero
Conditional Sentences
· First Conditional Sentences
· Second Conditional Sentences
· Third Conditional Sentences
Let’s look at each of these different types of conditional
sentences in more detail.
How to Use Zero Conditional
Sentences
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.
There are a couple of
things to take note of in the above sentences in which the zero conditional is
used. First, when using the zero conditional, the correct tense to use 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.
Secondly, notice that the words if and when can be
used interchangeably in these zero conditional sentences. This is because the
outcome will always be the same, so it doesn’t matter “if” or “when” it
happens.
How to Use First Conditional
Sentences
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
simple future tense in the main clause—that is, 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.
If you rest, you will feel better.
If you set your mind to a goal, you
eventually achieve it.
If you set your mind to a goal, you’ll
eventually achieve it.
Explanation: Use the zero conditional (i.e.,
simple present + simple present) only when a certain result is guaranteed. If
the result is likely, use the first conditional (i.e., simple present + simple
future).
How to Use Second Conditional
Sentences
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 the correct way to structure second conditional sentences
is to use the simple past tense in the if-clause and an auxiliary modal 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.
If I inherited a billion
dollars, I would travel to the moon.
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.
If I owned a zoo, I might let people
interact with the animals more.
Explanation: Use a modal auxiliary verb in the
main clause when using the second conditional mood to express the unlikelihood
that the result will actually happen.
How to Use Third Conditional
Sentences
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. Along these same lines, the speaker in
the second sentence was capable of cleaning the house, but did not. These are
all conditions that were likely, but regrettably did not happen.
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, shoud, 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.
If you had told me you
needed a ride, I would have left earlier.
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.
If I had cleaned the house, I could
have gone to the movies.
Explanation: The third conditional mood
expresses a situation that could have only happened in the past if a certain
condition had been met. That’s why we use the modal auxiliary verb + have + the
past participle.
Exceptions and Special Cases When
Using Conditional Sentences
As with most topics in the English language, conditional sentences
often present special cases in which unique rules must be applied.
Use of the Simple Future in the If-Clause
Generally speaking, the simple future should be used only in the
main clause. One exception is when the action in the if-clause will take place after the
action in the main clause. For example, consider the following sentence:
If aspirin will ease my headache, I will take a couple tonight.
The action in the if-clause is the aspirin easing the headache,
which will take place only after the speaker takes them later that night.
“Were to” in the If-Clause
The verb phrase were to is
sometimes used in conditional sentences when the likely or unlikely result is
particularly awful or unthinkable. In this case, were to is used
to place emphasis on this potential outcome. Consider these sentences:
If I were to be sick,
I would miss another day of work.
If she were to be late
again, she would have to have a conference with the manager.
If the rent were to have been
a penny more, they would not have been able to pay it.
Note that the emphatic “were to” can be used to describe
hypothetical scenarios in the present, future, and past.
Punctuating Conditional Sentences
Despite the complex nature of conditional sentences, punctuating
them properly is really simple!
Here’s the skinny:
Use a comma after the if-clause when the if-clause precedes the
main clause.
If I’d had time, I would have cleaned the house.
If the main clause precedes the if-clause, no punctuation is
necessary.
I would have cleaned the house if I’d had time
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