First Conditional

Use:
The first conditional structure is used to talk about something which will or may happen in
the future as a result of something else.
Example: If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay at home.

Form:
Make the first conditional in this way.

If I present simple , I will / won’t verb

When you you might / might (infinitive
he he not form)
she... she...

Examples: If I see Tom, I will tell him the news.

When you visit, we might go to the park.

Or

I will / won’t verb if I present simple

you might / might not (infinitive form) when you
he he
she... she...

Zero Conditional

Use:
The Zero conditional structure is used to talk about something which is always true. It
always happens, on the condition that something else happens.
Example: If it rains a lot, our garden floods.

Form:
1. Make the first conditional in this way.

If I present simple , I present simple

When you you
Unless he he
she... she...

Examples: If you fly on a budget airline, you have to buy your own drinks.
When we visit Geoff, he always cooks us a roast dinner.
Or

I present simple if I present simple

you when you
he unless he
she... she...

Examples: You have to buy your own drinks if you fly on a budget airline.
Geoff always cooks us a roast dinner when we visit him.

2. You can also form the zero conditional with the imperative form.
If you have a membership card, enter through the door on the left.
Enter through the door on the left if you have a membership card.

3. You can also form the zero conditional using a modal verb.
If the alarm goes off, we should leave the building.
If it’s rainy and sunny at the same time, you can often see a rainbow.

Second Conditional

Use:
The second conditional structure is used to talk about imaginary situations and the
consequences.
Example: If I had a car, I could visit my friend.
(But the truth is, I do not have a car, and I cannot visit my friend).

The second conditional structure is also used to talk about imaginary abilities and the
consequences.
Example: If I could fly, I wouldn’t need a car.
(But the truth is, I cannot fly, and so I need a car.)

Form:
1) Make the second conditional in this way.

If I past simple , I would / wouldn’t verb

you you ‘d (infinitive
he he form)
she... she... could / couldn’t

Example: If we had more money, we would buy that house.

Or
I would / wouldn’t verb if I past simple
you ‘d (infinitive form) you
he he
she... could / couldn’t she...

Example: She’d be more successful if she worked harder.

2) The verb to be can use were for all subjects. This is particularly true in the sentence: If
I were you…
If I were you, I’d buy a bicycle.

However, this rule is often overlooked.

If he were more careful, he wouldn’t break everything. =>
If he was more careful, he wouldn’t break everything.

3) To talk about imaginary abilities, use could.

If I could + verb , I would / wouldn’t verb

you (infinitive) you ‘d (infinitive
he he form)
she... she...

Example: If I could help you, I would!

Third Conditional

Use:
Use the third conditional to talk about past events. Use it to describe what could have
happened (event ‘b’) as a result of something else (event ‘a’). However, neither event a nor
event b happened. Therefore the third conditional describes hypothetical, imaginary
situations.

If I had been at home yesterday, I’d have got your phone call.
(But, I was not at home, and I didn’t receive your call.)

The third conditional is often used to criticise:

If you had worked harder, you wouldn’t have failed the test.
(But you didn’t work hard and you failed the test).
Or it can be used to express regret:
If I hadn’t spent all my money, I could’ve bought a computer.
(But I spend all my money and I couldn’t buy a computer).
Or it can be used to express relief:
If I we’d taken that route, we’d have been stuck in the traffic jam for hours!
(But we didn’t take that route, and we didn’t get stuck)
Form:
a) Make the third conditional structure this way:

would have
would’ve
If past perfect , ‘d have past participle
(had + past participle) wouldn’t have
(hadn’t + past participle)
EVENT A EVENT B

If you’d told me that Anna had put on weight, I wouldn’t have congratulated her on
becoming pregnant.

Or:

I / you / he / she / would have past perfect

we / it / they would’ve (had + past participle)
‘d have past participle if (hadn’t + past participle)

wouldn’t have
EVENT B EVENT A

Jim wouldn’t have made those mistakes if you had trained him properly.

b) You can also use may have / may not have, might have / might not have or could
have / couldn’t have to describe less certain possibilities rather than certain consequences.
You might have had an accident if you’d driven home in the snow last night.

c) Sometimes the if clause is implied but not spoken.

‘I’d have helped.’
means ‘I’d have helped if you’d asked me.’
‘I wouldn’t have said that.’
means ‘I wouldn’t have said that if I’d been there.’
 The Zero Conditional
If + present simple,.... present simple.
This conditional is used when the result will always happen.

 If people eat too much, they get fat.

 If you touch a fire, you get burned.
 You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen.
 Snakes bite if they are scared
 If babies are hungry, they cry

The First Conditional

if + present simple, ... will + infinitive
It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what
will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true.

 If it rains, I won't go to the park.

 If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
 If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
 She'll be late if the train is delayed.
 She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
 If I see her, I'll tell her.
 The Second Conditional
if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true.
Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example:

 If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
 If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
 She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
 She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't
happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's
not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:

 If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's
impossible for me to call him).
 If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

The Third Conditional

if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the
result of this situation.

 If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she
didn't study and so she didn't pass)
 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