All Types of Conditional Sentences
All Types of Conditional Sentences
A conditional sentence is based on the word ‘if’. There are always two parts to a conditional sentence – one part
beginning with ‘if’ to describe a possible situation, and the second part which describes the consequence.
A conditional sentence is a sentence that expresses a condition (syarat). A condition is something that can onlyhappen “if
something else occurs. There are five types of conditional sentences in English. They are :
1. Zero Conditional Sentences.
2. Conditional sentence type 1/ open conditional sentence
3. Conditional sentence type 2
4. Conditional sentence type 3
5. Mixed type conditional sentences
We use the zero conditional to talk about habitual action, scientific facts, and general truth & fact .
1. Zero conditional sentence
A. Habitual Action
If I get sick, I stay home from work.
If I miss the train, I drive to work .
When I’ve finished my work, I show it to my supervisor.
If students miss an exam, the professor fails them.
B. Scientific Fact
Ice melts if you heat it.
Oil floats if you put it in water.
C. General truths & facts
These things are not scientific facts, but they are things that are true, or that we generally believe are true
Plants die if they don't get enough water.
The grass gets wet if it rains.
If the banana is yellow, it is ready to eat.
If the police catch you driving too fast, you get a speeding ticket.
1.
Imperative means : giving an authoritative command; peremptory ( insisting on immediate attention or obedience)
NB : Imperative clauses can be in the form of command ,order, threat, warning ,instruction, direction, request, advice,
suggestion, encouragement/motivation, wishes
Examples :
If Bill phones, tell him to meet me at the cinema.! (COMMAND )
Meet me here if we get separaated. (COMMAND )
Eat something if you’re hungry.( ADVICE)
If you don’t like your job, quit! (SUGGESTION)
If you want to speak to someone, press 1. (INSTRUCTION)
If you call your mother tonight, tell her I said “hello”! (REQUEST)
Remember to buy some bananas if you go to the supermarket.(REMINDER )
You can also use when and whenever instead of if in zero conditional question forms.
Do you always ask for directions when you get lost?
If you get sick, do you stay home from work?
Examples:
If I sleep now, I will be up all night.
If you do not come, I will not go to the party.
If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!
If you don't leave, I'll call the police.
We will stay at home if it rains..
She will get angry if I‘m late for the party.
If we get the money for this job, we will buy a new car.
Will you help Amanda if she asks you?
If he doesn't hurry, he will be late.
If we go by train, it will be cheaper.
Who will you invite if you give a party?
Examples:
If he is still talking on the phone, I will tell him to hang up the phone.
If you are looking for Peter, you can find him upstairs .
If you are seeing the doctor at 10:00, you'll need to leave now.
If she is studying in her room now, I will be very happy
If my mother has cooked the meal, I’ll eat my food.
If I have done my homework, my teacher won’t be angry with me.
If you've finished the work I gave you, you may go home now.
If she has been studying since 9 o’clock, she will need to take a break.
If you have been playing with your cell phone for the whole day, you can suffer from depression,headache
and sleep loss and Teen Tendonitis
Variant tenses in “main clauses/ independent clause”
Examples
If he's late again, I'll be very angry.
If he is accepted, he will be studying in Atlanta next year.
If they begin now, they will have finished their term paper next month.
If you want, we can use modals in both ‘ıf clause’ and ‘main clause’ or you can use modals only in one part.
Examples:
If I can sleep early, I can get up early.
If you can speak English, you will find jobs easily.
If there should be a chaos in the country, it may affect the country economically.
If anyone should ask for me, I’ll be at the meeting.
If I must do that, I will do.
In type 1 conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause instead of the future tense toexpress the
degree of certainty, permission, advice or a recommendation about the outcome.
Examples :
If you drop that glass, it might break.
I may finish that letter if I have time.
If he calls you, you should go.
If you buy my school supplies for me, I will be able to go to the park.
If you're annoyed with him, you should / ought to / had better tell him.
You must / have to study hard if you want to pass the exam.
If you are late, you must take a taxi.
If you're coming clubbing with us tonight, you'd better get ready now.
Examples
If I were an animal, I’d be a tiger. (impossible/ something can not be done / can not be true)
What would you do if you had a billion dollars? (imaginary)
What would you do if you were fluent in English? (imaginary)
If Americans ate less fast food, they’d be healthier. (unlikely/improbable)/unexpected apparently inauthentic)
In ‘If Clauses Type 2’, we usually use ‘were’ which is past form of ‘to be’ instead of ‘was’ although the pronoun is
‘I, he, she or it’.
Examples:
If I were you, I wouldn’t marry with him.
If she were ill, she couldn’t attend the meeting.
If it weren’t snowy, I would go out.
The future form looks the same as the present form. The future is indicated with words such as "tomorrow," "next
week" or "in a couple of days."
Examples
If I were waiting there next week when he gets off the plane, he would be totally surprised.
But I will not be waiting there, so he won't be surprised.
If Jack were playing, they would probably win.
If he were staying in that hotel next week while the conference is being held, he might be able to meet some of the
key speakers and tell them about our new product.
I don't think he will be able to stay at the hotel, so he won't be able to meet anybody there.
If you want, we can use modals in both ‘ıf clause’ and ‘main clause’ or you can use modals only in one part.
Examples:
If I had enough experience for the job, the boss could hire him.
If I could speak English very well, I would look for a job in foreign companies.
If I understood what the teacher said, I could tell you.
We can use modals other than would in the main clause of a sentence in conditional type 2 sentences.
Examples
If no one was late, we could start the meeting on time. (ability)
If you asked George, he might be able to help you. (possibility)
If I had one more chance, I would try to find out where I made the mistake.
Subject + would is often contracted in spoken and written English: I’d, you’d, she’d, he’d, we’d, they’d.
Example:
If you lost time, you would ( you’d ) miss the bus.
If Past Perfect , Past Future Perfect or Past Future Perfect if Past Perfect
Examples :
If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick).
If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine
If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
Past Unreal Conditional + Continuous is used to discuss imaginary situations happening at a very specific time in
the past or over a period of time in the past.
If I had been talking to him when he said that, I would have punched him in the face.
But I wasn't talking to him when he said that.
If he had been standing near the house when the wall collapsed, it would have killed him.
Luckily, he moved away before the wall fell.
If James had been crossing the street when the car ran the red light, it would have hit him.
If Tom had been studying while Becky was making dinner, he would have finished his homework early and they
could have gone to the movie.
If you had gone to his house last night, he would have been sitting on his couch in front of the TV.
But you didn't go to his house, so you didn't see what he was doing.
If she had missed her train, he would have been waiting for her at the station for hours.
Luckily, she caught her train and he didn't have to wait..
If James hadn't stopped to tie his shoe, he would have been crossing the street when the
car ran the red light.
If you had gone to their house last night, Bob would have been reading the newspaper,
Nancy would have beentalking on the phone and the kids would have been watching
TV. They always do the same things.
Mixed Type Conditional Sentences
When we talk about mixed conditionals, we are referring to conditional sentences that combine two different types of
conditional patterns. These combinations are not all that frequent, but the most common combination is when we have
a type 3 conditional in the if-clause (if + past perfect) followed by a type 2 conditional (would + infinitive) in the main
clause.
PAST PRESENT
With this combination we are contrasting an imagined or real event in the past with the present result of that. Consider
these examples:
If he'd taken the medication as prescribed, he wouldn't still be lying sick in bed.
(But I didn’t take the medication as prescribed, so I am lying sick in bed .)
If I had won the lottery, I would be rich.
(But I didn’t win the lottery, so I am not rich .
If she had been born in the United States, she wouldn't need to learn English.
( But I wasn’t born in the United States, so I need to learn English )
If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
(But I didn’t work harder at school, so I don’t do a better job now )
If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.
(But I didn’t look at the map, so I am lost .
PAST FUTURE
Examples:
If she had signed up for the ski trip last week, she would be joining us tomorrow.
But she didn't sign up for the ski trip last week and she isn't going to join us tomorrow.
If Mark had gotten the job instead of Joe, he would be moving to Shanghai.
But Mark didn't get the job and Mark is not going to move to Shanghai.
If Darren hadn't wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas, he would go to Mexico with us next
month.
But Darren wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas and he won't go to Mexico with us next month.
PRESENT PAST
The other possibility, though I think this is less common, is when we have a type 2 conditional in the if-clause (if + past
simple) followed by a type 3 conditional (would've + past participle) in the main clause. These mixed conditional
sentences refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past result
Examples
If you weren't such a poor dancer, you would've got a job in the chorus line in that musical.
If she were not afraid of flying, she wouldn't have travelled by boat.
I'd have been able to translate the letter in Mandarin if my Mandarin were better.
If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday.
If I didn't have to work so much, I would have gone to the party last night.
If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday.
FUTURE PAST
Examples:
If I weren't going on my business trip next week, I would have accepted that new assignment at work.
But I am going to go on a business trip next week, and that is why I didn't accept that new assignment at work.
If my parents weren't coming this weekend, I would have planned a nice trip just for the two of us to Napa
Valley.
But my parents are going to come this weekend, and that is why I didn't plan a trip for the two of us to Napa
Valley.
If Donna weren't making us a big dinner tonight, I would have suggested that we go to that nice Italian
restaurant.
But she is going to make us a big dinner tonight, and that is why I didn't suggest that we go to that nice Italian
restaurant.
Examples:
If I didn't have so much vacation time, I wouldn't go with you on the cruise to Alaska next week.
(But I do have a lot of vacation time and I will go on the trip next week.)
If Cindy were more creative, the company would send her to New York to work on the new advertising campaign.
(But Cindy is not creative and the company won't send her to New York to work on the new campaign.)
If Dan weren't so nice, he wouldn't be tutoring you in math tonight.
(But Dan is nice and he is going to tutor you tonight.)
Second Type with Unreal Future Condition and Unreal Present Result
FUTURE PRESENT
Examples:
As long as the criticism is honestly given and doesn't get personal, I can mind it.
You can get a senior citizen’s reduction provided that you’ve got a rail card.
Providing (that) you’ve got a rail card, you can get a senior citizen’s reduction .
They may do whatever they like provided that it is within the law.
He's welcome to come along, provided that he behaves himself.
The bank lent the company 100,000 pounds on condition that they repaid the money within six months.
Only if makes the condition more restrictive: Only if' means 'only one condition happens".
Examples
Acetaminophen is dangerous to children only if dosage is too high.
Only if you study hard, can you be successful. (You can be successful only if you study hard)
Only if she promises me, will I let her go home.
Only if we are members, can we enter.
Even if focuses that something will happen, would happen or would have happened in any case or condition.
This conjunction emphasizes that a specific situation will continue no matter what happens / whatever the
condition.
Supposing (that)
Supposing may be used with a conditional meaning. It can be used in first, second or third conditional sentences.The
speaker invites the listener to imagine a situation:
Supposing I don’t arrive till after midnight, will the guest-house still be open? (Imagine if I don’t arrive till after midnight
…)
Supposing you lost your passport, you’d have to go to the embassy, wouldn’t you?
Supposing he hadn’t recognized us – he might never have spoken to us.
Suppose/supposing you won the lottery, what would you do?
Suppose/supposing you can't find a job?
What if you are not accepted to university? What will you do then?
Otherwise is used after an order or suggestion to show what the result will be if you do
not follow that order or suggestion:
I'd better write it down . Otherwise, I'll forget it.
Call home. Otherwise, your parents will start to worry.
Come in now. Otherwise, you'll get wet.
I'd better tell him about the letter. Otherwise, he might be angry.
You'd better hurry. Otherwise, you'll miss the train.
Take that chocolate away. Otherwise, I'll eat it all.
These expressions mean "without". They are used in second and third conditionals and are usually followed by a noun phrase:
We can make the if-clause shorter by omitting the subject and the verb be:
If you say that something will happen if necessary, when necessary, or where necessary, you mean that it will happen if it is
necessary, when it is necessary, or where it is necessary.
If necessary, the airship can stay up there for days to keep out of danger.
The army needs men who are willing to fight, when necessary.
All the rigging had been examined, and renewed where necessary.
IF SO, IF NOT
If so and if not can stand for an if-clause which is understood from the context:
Have you called Jack yet? If so, please let me know what he said.
According to the weather forecast, it might rain tomorrow. If so, we'll go hiking another day.
I bake a lot of cookies last night? Do you want any? If so, how many do you want?
Please check to see if the delivery has come? If not, you’d better call the company and find out what happened.
I hope there are still tickets left for that concert. If not I’m going to be disappointed.
I hope Peter gets here soon. If not, we'll have to start without him.
You can have a conditional clause using "should" "had", "were", instead of using a conjunction.
If they should contact you, tell them to get all of the documents ready .
Should they contact you, tell them to get all of the documents ready.
Tell them to get all of the documents ready if they should contact you.
Tell them to get all of the documents ready, should they contact you.
We will be delighted to have you as our guest if you should visit the city again.
We will be delighted to have you as our guest should you visit the city again.
If you should visit the city again, we will be delighted to have you as our guest.
Should you visit the city again, we will be delighted to have you as our guest.
If she should be vacant this afternoon, she will surely see you.
Should she be vacant this afternoon, she will surely see you.
She will be surely see you if she should be vacant this afternoon.
She will be surely see you should she be vacant this afternoon.
If she were here, she would have a lot of objection to the plan.
Were she here, she would have a lot of objection to the plan.
She would have a lot of objection to the plan, if she were here.
She would have a lot of objection to the plan, were she here.
If I were in your position, I would turn down the proposal .
Were I in your position, I would turn down the proposal .
I would turn down the proposal if I were in your position.
I would turn down the proposal were I in your position.
If the firemen had arrived thirty minutes later, the house could have been completely burnt down.
Had the firemen arrived thirty minutes later, the house could have been completely burnt down.
The house could have been completely burnt down, if the firemen had arrived thirty minutes later.
The house could have been completely burnt down, had the firemen had arrived thirty minutes later.
If they had informed us earlier, we would have had better preparation.
Had they informed us earlier, we would have had better preparation.
We would have had better preparation, if they had informed us earlier.
We would have had better preparation, had they informed us earlier.
If he had put more effort. he would have succeeded.
Had he put more effort. he would have succeeded .
He would have succeeded if he had put more effort.
He would have succeeded had he put more effort.