CONDITIONALS

Zero conditional

        general truths, instructions

1. When / If + pr. simple + pr.simple/pr. continuous/imperative

If you heat ice, it melts.

If it’s raining, take an umbrella.

1.2. When / If + past + past

        If/when the weather was bad, we used to stay indoors.

First conditional

        things that are likely to happen in the present/future.

        2.1. If / Unless + pr. simple / pr.continuous + will / modal verb / going to+ inf./ pr. continuous / imperative

                If I win the lottery, I’ll buy a yacht.

                We’ll miss the plane unless the taxi gets here soon.

        If it snows tomorrow, the match will/may/could be cancelled / I’m staying at home.

Second conditional

        If + ps. simple/ps.continuous + would/could/may/might + inf.

        3.1. unreal/hypothetical situations in the present/future.

                What would you do if a burglar broke into your house?

                If I had a car, I would go on a trip.

                If I were going on the trip, I’d pack some goggles and sunscreen.

        3.2. advice

                If I were you, I’d take a jacket.

Third conditional

        If + ps. perfect (simple or continuous) + would/could/may/might + have + ps. particle

        4.1. speculating about situations in the past which didn’t actually happen.

                We would have finished earlier if you had done your part.

                If you had bought the ticket, you might have won the prize.

                If I hadn’t been working so late, I wouldn’t have had to order take out every night.

        4.2. something that was a possibility in the past but didn't happen.

                You could have broken a leg, if you had hit the tree.

        4.3. hypothetical situations that deal with the past and cannot be changed now.      

Here, the speaker recognizes that the consequence is an impossibility and      cannot be fulfilled.

               If Lourdes had hired more staff, she would have been able to delegate duties.

Ricardo’s employees wouldn’t have left the company, if he had paid higher salaries.

4.4. when the speaker wants to relate a present situation with one in the past:

        If Eva would have listened to him, she wouldn’t be in such trouble.

Mixed conditionals

        Combine the verb forms from two different conditional patterns. The most common combinations are:

        5.1. unreal past + unreal present

                If we hadn’t got lost, we’d be there by now.

        5.2. unreal present + unreal past

If I were a more ambitious person (but I’m not), you would have understood. (=criticism)

6 Alternatives to if

• unless (=if … not or only if)

Unless the weather improves, we will have to cancel the trip. (= If the weather doesn’t improve…)

        She won’t go to sleep unless you tell her a story.

• providing/provided that, on condition that, as/so long as (=if only)

THESE CONJUNCTIONS ARE NOT USED WITH 3RD COND.

I’ll lend you money providing (that) you pay it back.

I’d lend you money as long as you paid it back.

• but for (= if it had not been for, if … not)

But for your warning, we wouldn’t have realized the danger. (If you had not warned us…)

• whether or not (= it doesn’t matter which of these situations)

Whether governments like it or not, they have to give more aid to the developing world.

• suppose/supposing, what if (used to talk about imaginary situations)

• present tense suggests the condition may be fulfilled:

• What if your plan fails, what then?

• past tense suggest the condition is unlikely

• Suppose you won the Lottery, what would you do?

• assuming that (= in the possible situation that)

Assuming (that) you’re right, we should turn left here.

• in case (as a way of being safe from something that might happen)

Take your umbrella in case it rains.

• otherwise (=if not)

Let’s hope the weather improves. Otherwise (=If it doesn’t), we’ll have to cancel the picnic.

7 Omission of if

If can be omitted and the auxiliary verb moved in front of the subject (inversion). This structure is formal.

• should suggests that the condition is unlikely

Should you ever find yourself in Oxford, we would be glad to see you. (If you should ever…)

• were suggests that the condition is unlikely

Were the company to collapse, many people would lose their savings. (If the company collapsed…)

• had

Had I known earlier that you wanted to join the team, I’d have put your name on the list. ( If I had known…)

        My team would have won had they not lost in the last minute. (…if they had not lost…)