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 Conditional Sentence

1. Conditional Sentence Type 0/ Zero condition

Conditional type zero is used to talk about general truths, scientific facts or things which always
happen under certain conditions.
Form:
If + Simple Present, + Simple Present

Use: The zero conditional is used to talk about things which are always true, scientific facts,
general truths:
Examples:
Phosphorus burns if you expose it to air.
If you eat too much food, you get fat.
If babies are hungry, they cry.
You get water if you mix oxygen and hydrogen.
If I wake up early, I go jogging.
If you cross an international date line, the time changes.

NOTE: you can use "when", “in case”, “provided that”, “suppose”, “whenever” etc. instead of
"if".
If I go to school, I get up at seven. (Whenever I go to school I get up at the same time.)
If you park your car on double yellow lines, you pay a fine. (Whenever you park illegally, you
pay a fine.)
We use the present simple tense in both the main clauses and the ‘if’ clauses.
2. Conditional Sentence Type 1
Probable/Open/Real condition
Often called the "real" conditional, because it is used for real or possible situations. These
situations take place if a certain condition is met. It is possible and also very likely that the
condition will be fulfilled.
Form:
If + Simple Present, + Simple Future
Use
Conditional Sentences Type 1 refers to the future. An action in the future will only happen if a
certain condition is fulfilled by that time. We don't know for sure whether the condition actually
will be fulfilled or not, but the condition seems rather realistic – so we think it is likely to
happen.

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Example: 1. If I have enough time, I'll watch the football match.

Meaning: I may have time to watch the match but I'm not sure about it.
Example 2. You will visit Lake Tana if you go to Bahir Dar.
Meaning: Your probability to visit Lake Tana depends on your going to Bahir Dar town.

Structure of the first conditional

Positive negative question

If I see him, I'll (I will) tell If you don't hurry, you'll What will you do if there is
him. miss the bus. a problem?

 The first conditional sentences are used to speculate about possible situations that can
really happen at present or in future. We do not use will in the ‘if’ clause to describe future
activities.
If he studies hard, he will pass the exams.
If we catch the morning bus, we will arrive on time.
If you don't get the ticket, what will you do?
We make if clauses with if + present tense and main clauses with will + bare infinitive.

3. Conditional Sentence Type 2

Improbable/Unlikely/Unreal Condition
It is often called the "unreal" conditional because it is used for unreal or improbable situations.
This conditional provides an imaginary result for a given situation. It is very unlikely that the
condition will be fulfilled.
Form:
if + Simple Past, + would + base verb

 Use: Conditional Sentence Type 2 refers to an action in the present that could happen if the
present situation were different. I don't really expect the situation to change because it is very
unlikely.
Were / Was
In conditional type 2, we usually use in the ‘if’ clause "were" instead of "was" even if the
pronoun is I, he, she or it.
Example:1. If I were a millionaire, I would buy a castle.
Example 2. If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.

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Example 3: If we had enough rain, we would not worry about irrigation system.
Meaning: We don’t have enough rain, so we worry about irrigation system.

Structure of the second conditional

Positive negative question

I wouldn't (would not)

If I had more time, I'd (I What would you say if you
refuse if you offered me
would) travel more. met Queen Elizabeth?
$10,000.

If I were you, I'd leave the I wouldn't (would not) leave Would you leave the job if
job. the job if I were you. you were me?

 In the second conditional sentences, we speculate about situations that will probably never
happen at present or in future.
If I had more time, I would help you. (But I am not free at the moment. I can't help you).
If I won a million dollars, I would start a business of my own. (But I know that it is not
realistic.)

 We make if clauses with if + past tense and main clauses with would + bare infinitive.
Note: the verb to be can be specific in the ‘if’ clause.
If I were rich, I wouldn't work.
If he were younger, he would marry her.
(But ‘was’ is also possible: If I was rich, I wouldn't work. If he was younger, he would marry
her.)
But: If I were you, I wouldn't do it. (In this expression, ‘were’ is much more usual than was.)
 The main difference between the first conditional and the second conditional is about
probability:
 the first conditional is realistic, the second conditional is unrealistic.
Sometimes we can use both with the following difference in meaning.

If I see him, I will tell him. (I suppose I will see him, because we go to the same school.)
If I saw him, I would tell him. (I don't think I will see him, because he is ill.)
If I need your help, I'll call you. (It is probable that I will need your help.)
If I needed your help, I would call you. (It is not very probable that I will need your help.)

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Sometimes we must use either the first conditional or the second conditional to make it clear that
the situation is real or unreal.
If you get up late, you will miss your bus. (A real situation.)
If I came from your country, I would understand your problems. (An unreal situation - I am not
from your country.)
4. Conditional Sentence Type 3 /Impossible Condition
It is impossible that the condition will be met because it refers to the past.
Form:
if + Past Perfect, + would + have + Past Participle

Use: Conditional Sentences Type 3 refers to situations in the past. They express hypothetical
results to past given situations.
Example: 1. If he had been careful, he wouldn't have had that terrible accident.
Meaning: Sometimes in the past, he was careless. He drove so fast. So he had a terrible accident.
Example 2. If he had asked her, she would have married him.
Meaning: However, he did not ask her. Therefore, it was impossible for her to marry him.

Structure of the third conditional

Positive negative question

If I'd (I had) known you If she hadn't (had not) been Would you have done it if
were coming, I would have ill, she would have gone to you'd (you had) known
waited for you. the cinema. earlier?

 The third conditional sentences always refer to the past. We speculate about situations that
happened or did not happen in the past.
If I had won a million, I would have started a business of my own. (But I didn't win
anything.)
If he had met her, he would have told her. (Unfortunately, he didn't meet her.)
If we hadn't practiced, we wouldn't have won the match. (But we practiced and won.)

 Things to Remember about Conditionals

1. The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't use a comma.

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Examples:
A. Phosphorus burns if you expose it to air.
B. I will send her an invitation if I find her address.
C. I would travel around the world if I had a million dollars.
D. He wouldn't have had that terrible accident if he had been careful.
2. Main clause and/or subordinate/ if clause might be negative.
Example:
A. If I don’t see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.
B. If he had been careful, he wouldn't have had an accident.

Types of Tenses

I. Present Tense
1. Simple Present Tense-
Indicates an action that is generally true or habitual. That is, it took place in the past , continue to
take place in the present, and will take place in the future. This tense is used to denote
-a habitual action- for instance, "He walk to school."
-general truths- for instance, "The sun rises in the east", "Honesty is the best policy."
-a future event that is part of a fixed timetable- for instance, "The match starts at 9 o' clock."
Note
a. The form of Simple Present Tense is- verb (infinitive without 'to' and agreeable with the
subject)
2. Present Perfect Tense-
Indicates an action that has been completed sometime before the present moment, with a result
that affects the present situation.
For example, "He has finished the work."
"He has slept."
Note
a. The form of Present Perfect Tense is- has/have + verb (past participle form or 3rd form of the
verb)
3. Present Continuous Tense-
Indicates an action that is taking place at the moment of speaking.
For example, "She is walking."
"I am studying."
Note
a. the form of Present Continuous Tense is- is/am/are + verb + ing

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4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense-

Indicates an action that started in the past and is continuing at the present time.
For example, "He has been sleeping for an hour."
Note
a. The form of Present Perfect Continuous Tense is- has/have + been + verb + ing

II. Past Tense

1. Simple Past Tense-
Indicates an action took place before the present moment and that has no real connection with the
present time.
For example, "He danced in the function." (The action took place in the past, is finished and is
completely unrelated to the present)
"He flew to London yesterday."
Note
a. The verb 'flew' is an irregular verb which does not take 'ed' in the past tense like regular verbs.
b. The form of Simple Past Tense is - verb + ed
2. Past Perfect Tense-
Indicates an action in the past that had been completed before another time or event in the past.
For example, "He had exercised before it started to rain."
"He had slept before I came back from the market."
Note
a. The form of Past Perfect Tense is- had + verb (past participle form or the 3rd form of the verb)
3. Past Continuous Tense-
Indicates an action going on at some time in the past or an action in the past that is longer in
duration than another action in the past.
For example, "It was getting darker."
"The light went out while they were reading."
Note
a. The form of Past Continuous Tense is- was/were + verb + ing

4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense-

Indicates an action in the past that took place before another time or event in the past and
continued during the second event/time point in the past.
For example, "At that time, he had been writing a novel for two months."
"He had been exercising when I called."
Note:
a. The form of Past Perfect Continuous Tense is- had + been + verb + ing

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III. Future Tense

1. Simple Future Tense-
Indicates an action that will take place after the present time and that has no real connection with
the present time.
For example, "She will visit her ailing grandmother soon."
"He will walk home."
Note
a. the form of Simple Future Tense is- will/shall + verb

2. Future Perfect Tense-

Indicates an action in the future that will have been completed before another time or event in the
future.
For example, "By the time we arrive, he will have studied."
Note
a. The form of Future Perfect Tense is- will/shall have + verb(past participle form or 3rd form of
the verb)
3. Future Continuous Tense-
Indicates an action in the future that is longer in duration than another action in the future.
For example, "He will be walking when it starts to rain."
Note
a. The form of Future Continuous Tense is-will/shall be + verb + ing
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense-
Indicates an action in the future that will have been continuing until another time or event in the
future.
For example, "He will have been exercising an hour at 2:00."
Note
a. The form of Future Perfect Continuous Tense is- will/shall have been + verb + ing

GOOD LUCK!!!

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Compiled by: Tezera Gessesse, UoG, CSSH, DELL