60 Rules

For Conditionals
In English
1st conditional (1)
The 1st conditional is a structure that states a present or future
consequence of a condition. The situation is real and possible. This
structure can be outworked as follows:

If + Present simple clause, Clause with “Will”

This is the most common 1st conditional structure:
If they arrive for the lecture early, they will get a seat near the front
If + Present simple clause, “Then” + Clause with “Will”
The word “then” makes it clearer that one thing depends on another:
If they arrive for the lecture early, then they will get a seat near the front

If + Clause with “Will”, Clause with “Will”

We don’t usually use “will” in the clause with “If”, but it is used where
the condition in the“if” clause is a result of the second clause:
If you will benefit from my assistance, I will help you with your work

This structure can also be used for polite requests (in such clauses,
“will” means “prepared to do something”):
If you will sign the register, we will let you join the class

“If + Will” is also used to show a condition that comes from someone’s
insistence in performing an action:
If he will keep playing those drums so loudly, we will all go deaf!

Remember: Using “will” in the “if”

clause is not particularly common.
All of the structures on this page
can be used without “will” in this
clause, too.
1st conditional (2)
Although “will” is the most common modal verb in 1st conditional
structures, other modal verbs can be used to introduce a different
emphasis on the clause without “if”.

If + Present simple clause, Clause with “Might” or “Could”

This introduces a possible consequence of the “If” clause:
If we run as fast as possible, we might catch the train
If + Present simple clause, Clause with “Must”
Here, the consequence of the “If” clause is necessary:
If you want to catch the train, you must arrive on time
If + Present simple clause, Clause with “Can”
With “can”, fulfilling the condition leads to ability or a possibility
becoming available:
If we buy tickets for the sleeper carriage, we can sleep on the train
If + Present simple clause, Clause with “Should”
This introduces a consequence in the form of advice:
If you want to get a seat on a train, you should travel at quiet times

“Should” and “must” are similar in

conditionals, but represent different
levels of necessity: “Should” introduces
the best course of action. “Must” is either
to urge someone to do the right thing, or
for something completely necessary.
1st conditional (3)
Less commonly, there are various other combinations that can
lead to a 1st conditional meaning:

If + Past simple clause, Clause with “Will”

If using a past situation to describe a likely future consequence, it is
possible to use the past tense in the “if” clause:
If the factory didn’t use high quality materials when making your
shirt, it will wear out quickly

If + Present simple clause, Clause with “Going To”

This introduces a pre-planned consequence:
If the materials arrive on time, I’m going to make socks tomorrow
If + Subject + Clause with “Should”, Imperative Clause
This structure is used when something probably won’t happen, but
you state the condition in case it does:
If you should find the buttons, tell me so I can repair my coat

Variations on this structure include using “happen to” or “should

happen to”:
If you happen to find the buttons, tell me
If you should happen to find the buttons, tell me

The “imperative” is used

when we begin a clause with
the verb in order to give an
instruction.
1st conditional (4)
In certain situations, we can omit words within the 1st conditional
structure:

Omission of “If”
In very informal situations where using an “if” sentence to give
quick instructions, we might omit “if”:
You want to finish early? Work harder!

Omission of Subject + Be
This can be used when giving very formal/official instructions. The
imperative is sometimes used in the second clause instead of a
structure with “will”:
If told to leave, do so immediately

“When” can usually be used instead of “if” in such sentences

(*but read about the difference between “when” and “if” in the
section on Zero Conditionals):
When told to leave, do so immediately

Warning: Omitting “if” to give a

quick, informal instruction can
sound impatient, insistent and
possibly rude!
Zero conditional
The zero conditional is not used for single instances of a condition
leading to a consequence. Rather, it is used for conditions that
always lead to consequences in the same way every time:

If + Present simple clause, Present simple clause

Use this structure for things that will possibly happen and will
always lead to the same consequence:
If the weather turns cold, people don’t go out in this town

When + Present simple clause, Present simple clause

Use this structure for things that will definitely happen and will
always lead to the same consequence:
When autumn arrives, the leaves on many trees turn brown

As with the 1st conditional, “When” clauses can be followed by a

range of modals, leading to different meanings. The key difference is
that a “when” clause represents something that is guaranteed to
happen:
When you get home, you must keep quiet
When you get home, I might be asleep
When you get home, you can eat anything you find in the fridge
When you get home, you should take your shoes off immediately

“When” can sometimes be

replaced by other similar
adverbial phrases, such as:
At the precise moment that you
get home, you must keep quiet
2nd conditional (1)
The 2nd conditional is another structure that, in general, uses an “If”
clause to introduce a condition leading to a present/future
consequence in the second clause. The main difference here,
though, is that the situation is imaginary and/or very unlikely to
happen in real life.

If + Past simple clause, Clause with “Would”

This is the most common 2nd conditional structure:
If I earned a lot of money, I would buy a bigger car

If + Subject + WERE, Clause with “Would”

It is common to use “were” after the subjects “I” and “he/she/it”
instead of “was”:
If I were rich, I would choose to buy a fast car

If + Past simple clause, [Question]

This structure means “if something is true, I have a related
question”. It is often used when a person did something, but the
second person doesn’t understand why this didn’t lead to a
particular consequence:
If you were in my city last week, why didn’t you visit me?

If + Clause with “Would”, Clause with “Would”

Sometimes in informal, conversational English, people use “would”
in the “if” clause, too:
If you would earn a lot of money, would you buy a bigger car?

The structure IF + WOULD, WOULD

can also be used to make requests
more formal or polite sounding:
I would prefer it if you would drive
more slowly
2nd conditional (2)
As with other conditionals, a range of modals can be used to
introduce alternative meanings in the clause not containing “if”:

If + Past simple clause, Clause with “Should”

Represents advice based upon a hypothetical situation:
If you were paid $10000 to do a parachute jump, you should do it

If + Past simple clause, Clause with “Might”

Represents possible actions based upon a hypothetical situation:
If I were paid $20000 to jump out of a plane, I might do it

Here are some other

variations on the 2nd
conditional form

If + Clause with “Would”, Clause with “Will”

This is usually used when making a polite request with a promise of
what happens if the request is granted:
If you would let me do a parachute jump, I will donate to charity

If + Clause with “Were to”, Clause with “Would”

This introduces a future hypothetical activity:
If you were to jump out of a plane, your parents would be terrified!

Would it be ... “If” + Past simple clause

This is a polite way of asking or exploring a possibility:
Would it be ok if I changed my mind about the parachute jump?

But for + noun, Clause with “Would”

“But for” introduces the only reason why a situation did not happen:
But for the storms, we would have jumped out of a plane today
If it wasn’t for + noun, Clause with “Would”
Similar to “but for”; often used to introduce something that saved a
situation from a bad consequence:
If it wasn’t for John, I would never have fulfilled my ambitions
3rd conditional
Whilst the 2nd conditional is used for present/future hypothetical
consequences, the 3rd condition looks back at past situations and
imagines how they might have been different:

If + Past Perfect clause, Clause with “Would have + past participle”

This is the most common 3rd conditional structure:
If I had studied harder, I would have passed my exams

Although this structure usually refers to an imaginary past

consequence in the second clause, it can also refer to a present or
future consequence if the context allows:
If I had studied harder, I would have reached at higher level
If I had passed, I would have been leaving for college tomorrow

Alternatively, a present or future consequence can be introduced in

the following structure:
If + Past Perfect clause, Clause with “Would be”
If I had studied harder, I would be studying at a higher level
If I had passed, I would be leaving for college tomorrow

If + Past Perfect clause, Clause with “Could have + past participle”

This introduces a possible consequence that may have existed if a
certain situation had been different in the past:
If I had revised every day, I could have passed my exams

“Might” can be used instead of

“Could”: If I had revised every day, I
could have passed my exams.
“Must” and “Should” are uncommon
in the 3rd conditional
Short forms of “If”
IF ANYTHING, Clause
“If anything” is an adverbial, introducing a clause meaning “If there is
any possibility of the previous thing being true, then this should
happen instead”:
I don’t think I should invite her to dinner. If anything, she should
invite me!

IF SO, Clause
This links a consequence back to a condition in the previous
sentence:
Why don’t you see if you can get some time off next Friday? If so,
we can accept your mother’s invitation.

IF NOT, Clause
This suggests the consequence of a condition in the previous
sentence NOT being fulfilled:
Why don’t you see if you can get some time off next Friday? If not,
ask for a day off at the weekend.

The structure “if not” can also introduce an intensification:

Often, if not always, she invites us to her birthday party.
Inversion
Many conditional structures can be inverted so that the auxiliary
verb comes first (or “to be” in the 2nd conditional). “If” is omitted.

Clause starting “Were+Subject”, Clause with “Would”

This is an alternative to “If I were” for the 2nd conditional. it is
followed by to+verb, an adjective, or a noun phrase:
Were I to spend time with my son, I would play games with him

Clause starting “Had+Subject”, Clause with “Would have + past

participle”
This is an alternative to “If I had” for the 3rd conditional. It is followed
by a past participle:
Had I spent more time with my son, I would have played games
with him

Clause starting “Should+Subject”, Clause with “Will”

This is an alternative to the “If” clause in the 1st conditional. It is
followed by Subject + Verb infinitive:
Should there be no school today, I will take my son to the park

We don’t use other modals when

inverting a conditional:
Must/Could I spend more time with
my son, I would...
If only
“If only” is a special use which is closely connected to the wishes
someone has that might not have been fulfilled, or that they want
to see fulfilled in the future.

If only + Past tense clause

This introduces a desire for something to be different in the present:
If only the weather was better

If only + Clause with “Would”

This introduces a desire for something to be different in the future:
If only it would stop raining

If only + Past Perfect clause

This looks back to the past, and wishes the outcome of something
was different to the reality:
If only it had been a sunny day yesterday!

“If only” introduces a one clause

sentence. The consequence of the
condition, if there is one, appears in
the next sentence:
“If only the weather was better! I
would go out for a walk.”
Alternative words to “If”
A number of words and phrases can be used instead of “if” to
create a conditional type sentence. Sometimes, this is achieved
with a similar meaning, and sometimes the new word or phrase
leads to a new meaning.

Supposing
This is similar to “if” in the first clause. It often leads to a question in
the second clause:
Supposing the delivery of food for the lunch is late, how will we
feed all of our guests?

Imagine
This word can turn an “if” clause into an independent sentence:
Imagine if everyone had enough food. All charities would close.
It can also introduce a hypothetical situation without “if”:
Imagine life in an igloo. It would be challenging for someone who
comes from a hot country to cook in it.

Provided that/Providing
This introduces a unique condition for the consequential clause; it is
often used as a 1st conditional:
Provided that the food has been cooked thoroughly, it will be safe

On condition that
The second clause can only be fulfilled after the first condition is
also fulfilled:
On condition that you get qualified, you can work as our the cook

So long as is similar to “on condition that”:

So long as you get qualified, you can become our cook

What if...?
This introduces a one sentence hypothetical question about a
condition:
What if the food doesn’t arrive? What would we do next?
Final points to be aware of...
*Will, would and had can be contracted, informally, to ‘ll and ‘d:
If you speak, I’ll answer

*We can use an imperative clause before an “if” or “when” clause:

Answer him if he speaks (present)
Ask him if he will come to dinner (future)
Listen to him when he speaks (always do this)

*”If I were you” uses the 2nd conditional form, but is usually used to
give advice on a real situation (not hypothetical):
If I were you, I would listen to the speaker

*However, ”If I were you” can be omitted if the context of the second
clause is clear, and a clause starting Subject+Should can be used
instead:
“I don’t know the answer”. “If I were you, I would You should listen
to the lecturer. He’ll give you the right answer”

*Unless can introduce a conditional meaning “except if”:

Unless you listen to the speaker, you won’t know the answer

*”Even if” introduces a conditional with the sense that doing

something won’t enable the condition to be fulfilled:
Even if you read all of the books, you won’t learn what the lecturer
can tell you
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