IF AND THE CONDITIONAL

There are four main types of 'if' sentences in English:

1. The 'zero' conditional, where the tense in both parts of the sentence is the simple present:

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + simple present If you heat ice If it rains	simple present it melts. you get wet

In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and possible. They are often used to refer to general truths.

2. The Type 1 conditional, where the tense in the 'if clause is the simple present, and the tense in the main clause is the simple future

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + simple present If it rains If you don't hurry	Simple future you will get wet we will miss the train.

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. They refer to a possible condition and its probable result.

3. The Type 2 conditional, where the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + simple past If it rained If you went to bed earlier	Present conditional you would get wet you wouldn't be so tired.

In these sentences, the time is now or any time, and the situation is unreal. They are not based on fact, and they refer to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result.

4. The Type 3 conditional, where the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + past perfect If it had rained If you had worked harder	Perfect conditional you would have got wet you would have passed the exam.

In these sentences, the time is past, and the situation is contrary to reality. The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed, and they refer to an unreal past condition and its probable past result.

A further type of 'if' sentence exists, where Type 2 and Type 3 are mixed. The tense in the'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional:

'IF' CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
If + past perfect If I had worked harder at school If we had looked at the map	Present conditional I would have a better job now. we wouldn't be lost.

In these sentences, the time is past in the 'if' clause, and present in the main clause. They refer to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the present.

Examples

Type 1 Conditional

• If the weather is nice, she is going to walk to work.
  It depends on the weather.
• I am going to read if there is nothing on TV.
  It depends on the TV schedule.
• If I go to my friend's house for dinner tonight, I will take a bottle of wine or some flowers.
  I am still not sure if I will go to his house or not.

Type 2 Conditional

• If I had a day off from work next week, I would go to the beach.
  I don't have a day off from work.
• I am busy next week. If I had time, I would come to your party.
  I can't come.
• Jerry would help me with my homework tomorrow if he didn't have to work.
  He does have to work tomorrow.

Type 3 Conditional

• If I had owned a car, I would have driven to work. But I didn't own one, so I took the bus.
• She would have traveled around the world if she had had more money. But she didn't have much money, so she never traveled.
• If Jack had worked harder, he would have earned more money. Unfortunately, he was lazy and he didn't earn much.

EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs

There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English:

would + can = could

would + shall = should

would + may = might

would have + shall = should have

would have + may = might have

would have + can = could have

The words "can," "shall" and "may" cannot be used with "would." Instead, they must be used in these special forms.

Examples:

• If I went to Egypt next year, I would can learn Arabic. Unfortunately, that's not possible. Not Correct
• If I went to Egypt next year, I could learn Arabic. Unfortunately, that's not possible. Correct
• If I had had more time, I could have exercised after work.

• If he had invited you, you might have gone.

Exercises

if-clauses, type I
Complete the sentences.

1.    If it (rain) , we (stay)  at home.

2.    If you (know/not)  the way, I (pick)  you up.

3.    My mum (bake)  a cake if you (come)  to see us.

if-clauses, type II
Complete the sentences.

1.    If you (study)  harder, you (get)  better marks in your tests.

2.    If I (be)  rich, I (travel)  around the world.

3.    She (come)  to the market with us if she (have/not)  to work.

if-clauses, type III
Complete the sentences.

1.    If you (help)  us, we (finish)  the work in next to no time.

2.    I (call)  you earlier if I (lose/not)  your phone number.

3.    They (go/not)  to the theatre by car if the weather(be)  better.

Answers

1.    Rains, will stay

2.    Don’t know, will pick

3.    Will bake, come

1.    Studied, would get

2.    Were, would get

3.    Would come, didn’t have

1.    Had helped, would have finished

2.    Would have called, hadn’t lost

3.    Wouldn’t have gone, had been

Source:

http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/pastconditional.html

http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/futureconditional.html

http://www.english4today.com/englishgrammar/grammar/if_conditional1.php

https://english.lingolia.com/en/grammar/sentences/if-clauses/exercises