There are several structures in English that we call conditionals or if conditionals.
The word "condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is
true, then a particular result happens:
if y = 3 then 2y = 6
There are three basic English conditionals plus the so-called zero conditional.
There are some more conditionals that we do not use so often.
conditional usage if-clause main-clause
type
1 possible condition + probable present will + base verb
result simple
2 hypothetical condition + possible past simple would + base verb
result
3 expired past condition + possible past perfect would have + past
past result participle
0 real condition + inevitable result present present simple
simple
Structure of Conditional Sentences
The structure of most conditionals is very simple. There are two basic possibilities.
Of course, we add many words and can use various tenses, but the basic structure is
usually like this:
i condition result
f
i y = 10 2y = 20
f
or like this:
result i condition
f
2y = 20 i y = 10
f
This structure can produce, for example, the following sentences:
If I see her, I will tell her.
I will tell her if I see her.
Notice the comma in the first sentence. (A comma is always correct in this case, but
not always essential if the sentence is short.) In the second sentence we do not
normally use a comma.
First Conditional
for real possibility
If I win the lottery, I will buy a car.
We are talking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition or
situation in the future, and the result of this condition. There is a real possibility that
this condition will happen. For example, it is morning. You are at home. You plan to
play tennis this afternoon. But there are some clouds in the sky. Imagine that it rains.
What will you do?
i condition result
f
Present Simple will + base verb
If it rains, I will stay at home.
Read more about the First Conditional
Second Conditional
for unreal possibility
If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.
The second conditional is like the first conditional. We are still thinking about the
future. We are thinking about a particular condition in the future, and the result of this
condition. But there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen. For
example, you do not have a lottery ticket. Is it possible to win? No! No lottery ticket,
no win! But maybe you will buy a lottery ticket in the future. So you can think about
winning in the future, like a dream. It's not very real, but it's still possible.
i condition result
f
Past Simple would + base verb
If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.
Read more about the Second Conditional
Third Conditional
for no possibility
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car.
The first conditional and second conditionals talk about the future. With the third
conditional we talk about the past. We talk about a condition in the past that
did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third
conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.
Last week you bought a lottery ticket. But you did not win. :-(
i condition result
f
Past Perfect would have + past participle
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car.
Read more about the Third Conditional
Zero Conditional
for certainty
If you heat ice, it melts.
We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true,
like a scientific fact.
Take some ice. Put it in a saucepan. Heat the saucepan. What happens? The ice melts
(it becomes water). You would be surprised if it did not.
i condition result
f
Present Simple Present Simple
If you heat ice, it melts.
Read more about the Zero Conditional
Summary of Conditionals
Here is a table to help you to visualize the basic conditionals.
Do not take the 50% and 10% too literally. They are just to help you.
probability, example time
conditional
100% zero If you heat ice, it melts. any
50% 1st If I win the lottery, I will buy a car. future
10% 2nd If I won the lottery, I would buy a car. future
0% 3rd If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car. past
People sometimes call conditionals "if structures" or "if sentences" because there is
usually (but not always) the word if in a conditional sentence.
