As students of
the English language make progress in knowledge, they come across something
called Conditional Clauses. If you don’t know what this means, it would be
worthy to read the following:
A conditional clause, also known as If-Clause, is simply a clause that has the word “if” in it. So, since this two letter word implies a condition, there is also a resultant (or main) clause and both of them make up a conditional sentence. This sentence can be found in 5 different cases, namely:
1. Zero Conditional (or Real Conditional):
It talks about things that are always true.
E.g. If you heat water, it boils (use simple present in both clauses)
2. First Conditional (Possible Conditional – Less likely than the previous one):
It talks about possibilities in the present or the
future.
E.g. If I have time today, I’ll go shopping on
the way home. (Use If + simple
present in the If-clause, and will (or be going to) + infinitive in the second
clause)
3. Second Conditional (or Present Unreal Conditional):
It talks about hypothetical
situations in the present.
E.g. If I won the
lottery, I’d buy a Mercedes Benz. (Use If + past simple in the if clause,
and would + infinitive in the resultant clause)
4. Third Conditional (or Past Unreal Conditional):
It talks about unreal
situations in the past. Things that didn’t happen at all:
E.g. If I’d seen you
in the party yesterday, I’d have danced with you. (I didn’t see you
yesterday in the party; therefore I didn’t dance with you)
Or it also talks about
things that did happen but that might not have happened.
If I hadn't had a good education, I wouldn't have got this job.
(I could have not had a good education, but fortunately I did; therefore, I
have a good job now)
(Use If + past perfect
in the If-clause, and would have + past participle in the main clause)
5. Mixed Conditionals:
(Combinations
of tenses between the two clauses):
Examples:
If he’d gone to university,
he would have a better job.
If he didn’t have to work
tomorrow, he wouldn’t be so miserable today.
·
Notice that other modal
verbs can be used instead of ‘would’ (e.g. ‘could’, ‘might’
‘may’)
·
Don’t write a comma when
the main clause goes first: I’ll go shopping on the way home if I have time.
·
All ways of contractions
are possible. Be careful not to confound the ‘d contraction:
If I’d seen you in the party yesterday, I’d have danced with you = If I had seen you in the party yesterday, I would have danced with you.
Sources & suggested web pages:
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