Conditionals? Is that something you use after shampooing your hair? Not quite. You may have heard your English teacher talk about conditionals. Who knows, you may have even learnt a couple:

 

  • If it rains, you will get wet!
  • If you don’t study, you won’t pass the exam.
 

But just when you think you’ve mastered them all, another one pops up that seems harder than the last.

Well, the good news is there are four main conditionals. All of which we’re going to teach you today. So that by the end of this blog post you’ll not only recognise them but also feel comfortable to use them in a variety of situations. We’ll also share some fun videos with you!

So, if you’re ready to begin, let’s get the ball rolling. (That’s the first conditional by the way).

 

The conditionals

 

Conditionals are also known as if clauses, we use them to say that one thing depends on something else. They can be used to talk about something that always happens, might happen or might have happened as a result of another state, action or event.

Check out these four conditionals and how to use them in a sentence.

The conditionals | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

As you can see, the sentences are divided into two parts:

If clause (condition), + main clause (result)

These are separated by a comma, but they also function in the following order without one and mean exactly the same thing:

Main clause (result) + if clause (condition)

Confused? Let’s take things back to basics.

1. Zero conditional

The zero conditional is used to talk about things that are certain, or always true. It is a real condition that has an inevitable result. Think about how scientific facts are written or general truths.

Structure & Examples

The structure of the zero conditional is: If + present simple…present simple
Zero Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

The message here is that if something happens there will always be a guaranteed consequence. If you stand out in the rain, you’ll get wet. If you eat too much, you’ll put on weight. If you touch a fire…well, then you’re asking for it.

‘When’ instead of ‘if’

We can also use the word when instead of if and the meaning stays the same.

When instead of If | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

Activity One

Got it? Good. Now try out this fun quiz from Get Grammarous to practise the zero conditional!

 

2. First conditional

Finished the quiz? Now, back to work! Let’s move on to the first conditional. We use this to talk about things in the future that are likely to happen or have a real possibility of happening.

Structure & Examples

The structure of the first conditional is: If + present tense,…will/won’t + infinitive

First Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

Other connectors: when, as soon as, in case, etc.

We can use the following connectors instead of if:

When, as soon as, in case, unless, as long as, after. However, each of these connectors changes the meaning of the sentence slightly.

Other Connectors First Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

Modal verbs or imperatives

We can use modal verbs instead of will/won’t:

May, might, shall, should, could or an imperative in the main clause. This changes the meaning, or the likelihood of the result.

Modal Verbs or Imperatives First Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

Activity Two

Want to try out your skills with the first conditional? Try this Grammar Gameshow from BBC Learn English.

 

3. Second conditional

So you’re halfway through learning the conditionals. Well done you! The thing is, this is where things get a bit more difficult.

Whereas the zero and first conditionals describe a real or possible situation, the second and third are imaginary or hypothetical situations. Let’s start with the second conditional:

Structure & Examples

The structure of the second conditional is: If + past simple,… would/wouldn’t + infinitive

As you can see, in the if clause we use the past simple, and in the main clause we use the conditional would. We can also use the word could to mean a hypothetical possibility.

Second Conditional 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona|

The second conditional refers to the present or the future, and is used to talk about anything unlikely to happen. Imagine meeting Lionel Messi, or finding a million dollars on the floor. These things might not have happened to you, but you sure can dream!

Were’ instead of ‘was’

When there is the verb to be in the if clause, we can change it from was to were. This is because we are talking about hypothetical situations, so we’re changing the mood of the verb from indicative to subjunctive. Both options are correct, but were is often preferred.

Were instead of Was Second Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

Activity Three

Lots of songs contain the second conditional! Here are some great examples for you to sing along with:

 

4. Third conditional

Last but not least, we have the third conditional. We use this structure to talk about an imagined past. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, here’s where you can change the past. Well, at least speculate how things could have been different.

Structure & Examples

The structure of the third conditional is: If + past perfect,…would/wouldn’t + have + past participle.

Third Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

As you can see, we often use the third conditional to talk about regrets, and it is based on an unreal situation that cannot be changed.

Past participles

The third conditional is a little tricky, as there’s a lot to remember. So make sure you know your past participles inside out first. Here’s a list of past participles for you to revise.

Activity Four

Watch this story about a surprise birthday party from The British Council to see third conditional in use:

 

Bonus conditional: mixed conditional

And just when you thought the fun was about to end, we have another surprise conditional for you…the mixed conditional. Don’t worry you’ve already learned the basis of the structure. It’s just about em>meshing two conditionals together. The most common is to mix the third and the second to create a present result of a past conditional. For example:

Mixed Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

These sentences express that if something had been different in the past, something would be different now in the present.

So that’s the end of our round up of the main conditionals! If you’re in the mood for some more grammar, why not sign up for one of our General English classes? Or check out these blog posts below:

 

 

Glossary for Language Learners

 

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Pop up (pv): to appear suddenly.

Get the ball rolling (exp): to make a start or set an activity in motion.

Inevitable (adj): certain or unavoidable.

Asking for it (exp): behaving in a way that is going to get them into trouble.

Slightly (adv): a little.

Skills (n): abilities.

Unlikely (adj): not probable.

Regret (n): to feel sorry about a situation in the past, especially a mistake in the past.

Know something inside out (exp): to be really familiar with something, especially because you have learned about it or you have a lot of experience.

Mesh (v): to fit or work together.

Key

pv = phrasal verb

exp = expression

adj = adjective

adv = adverb

n = noun

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