Conditionals

Intervenant

Laurence Petoud

Executive Assistant

Formatrice en Entreprise

ECDL Expert

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This support has been developed as part of my revisions for exams Certificate in Advanced English.


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Real Conditionals

In English, we have "real conditionals" (which talk about real possibilities) and

"unreal conditionals" (which talk about imaginary or impossible situations).

Examples of each type:

REAL CONDITIONALS:

Zero Conditional:

If someone breaks a window, an alarm goes off.

First Conditional:

If I miss the bus tonight, then I'll take a taxi instead.

UNREAL CONDITIONALS:

Second Conditional:

If I owned a car, I would drive to work.

Third Conditional:

If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test.

Mixed Conditional:

If I had finished my work yesterday, I wouldn't be so stressed out

today.

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There are two parts to a conditional sentence – the condition and the result. The result depends on the

condition.


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ZERO CONDITIONAL

If the weather is nice, then I walk to work.

Condition: If the weather is nice

Result: I walk to work

If it's raining, I take an umbrella.

If I get to class early, I spend a few minutes reading.

If my husband forgets to take out the trash, I remind him to do it.

In the zero conditional, both verbs (the verb in the condition and the verb in the

result) are in the present tense.

The word if implies that a situation happens less frequently, and the word when

implies it happens more frequently:

If I have a day off from work, I usually go to the park.

Implies that having a day off from work is not frequent

When I go to my favourite restaurant, the waiters greet me by name.

Implies that I go to this restaurant frequently

We can use the words whenever and every time to say that a certain result

always follows the condition:

Whenever I stay up too late, I oversleep the next morning.

Every time I go to that store, it's crowded.


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This is the simplest conditional form - it describes things that normally happen in daily life, when one thing depends on another, or is the result of another:



First Conditional

Whereas the zero conditional talks about real present situations, the first

conditional talks about real future possibilities.

For example:

If it's sunny tomorrow, then we'll go to the beach.

Condition = if it's sunny tomorrow

Result = we'll go to the beach

If it rains tomorrow, then we'll go to the movies.

Condition = if it rains tomorrow

Result = we’ll go to the movies

We can also reverse the order of the condition and result in the sentence, with no

change in meaning:

We'll go to the beach if it's sunny tomorrow.

We'll go to the movies if it rains tomorrow.


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Although both events (the condition and result) are technically in the future, we

use the simple present in the condition (the part that starts with "if"), and

will/won’t or going to/ not going to in the result. Don't make the mistake of

using will/won't in the condition:

If it will rain tomorrow, we'll see a movie.

If it rains tomorrow, we'll see a movie.

You’re going to miss your flight if you won't leave soon.

You’re going to miss your flight if you don't leave soon.

To ask questions about future possibilities, we can use this structure:

Question

word

will subject base form

of verb

if condition

What will you do if you are elected

president?

Question

word

am/is/are subject going to +

verb

if condition

What are you going to

say

if he asks for your

opinion?

For yes/no questions, we don’t need a question word:

Will you buy the TV if it goes on sale next week?

(result) (condition)

Are you going to move if you get the job in London?

(result) (condition)

Again, we ask questions like these when it is a real future possibility that the

condition will happen. A journalist could ask the question “What will you do if you

are elected president?” to a real candidate in the election.

If there is NOT a real future possibility of it happening (if we are only imagining)

or if it is not very likely, then we would use a different structure, with "would"


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Other Words Besides "If"In first conditional sentences, it is possible to use other words instead of if:

ALTERNATIVE TO “IF” WHY USE IT? EXAMPLE

When When the “condition”

will definitely happen.

When I die, I’ll leave all

my money to charity.

As soon as To emphasize

immediacy

This situation is very

urgent. I’ll call you as

soon as I have more

information.

Unless In place of “if not” You’ll fail the test unless

you study.

= You’ll fail the test if

you don’t study.

Let's study each case separately.

When: When the condition will definitely happen in the future.

Look at the difference between these two sentences:

If I see Sam, I'll give him your message.

= I'm not sure if I will see him or not

When I see Sam, I'll give him your message.

= I will definitely see Sam


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As soon as: To emphasize immediacy; the condition will definitely happen and

the result will follow it immediately.

My feet hurt! As soon as I get home, I'm going to take off these high

heels.

As soon as we have enough money saved, we'll take a vacation to Costa

Rica.

We can't wait!

I'll respond to your e-mail as soon as I can.

Unless is a substitute for "if not” or another negative word:

Unless there's an emergency at work, I'll be home on time.

= If there's not an emergency at work, I'll be home on time.

You won't lose any weight unless you start eating healthier food.

= You won't lose any weight if you don't start eating healthier food.

I'm not going to dance unless somebody asks me.

= I'm not going to dance if nobody asks me.

With unless, we often say the result first, followed by the condition:

You’re not going to pass the test unless you study.

more common

Unless you study, you’re not going to pass the test.

less common


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Summary

Conditionals are sentences in which one thing depends on another.

Use the zero conditional for things that happen regularly in daily life - "If

you freeze water, it turns to ice." Both verbs are in the simple present.

The word if implies that a situation happens less frequently, and the word

when implies it happens more frequently. Whenever and every time mean

a certain result always follows the condition.

Use the first conditional for things that are real possibilities in the

future: "If it's sunny tomorrow, then we'll go to the beach." Although both

events are technically in the future, we use the simple present in the

condition, and will/going to in the result.

You can use when instead of if when the condition will definitely happen in

the future.

Use as soon as to emphasize that the result will immediately follow the

condition

Use unless in place of "if not."


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Education

Conditionals