CONDITIONALS

ZERO CONDITIONAL If you dont water flowers, they die. If you have a headache, stop watching TV.With zero conditional we express a general truth or we give advice.If clause: PRESENT SIMPLE Main clause: PRESENT SIMPLE or IMPERATIVE

FIRST CONDITIONALIf the weather is nice, we will go for a walk. If you dont apologize, she will never trust you again.The first conditional refers to the present and future. It expresses a possible condition and its probable result in the future. If clause: PRESENT SIMPLE Main clause: FUTURE SIMPLE

Jack wants to buy a house but he cant do this because he doesnt have any money. If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house. SECOND CONDITIONAL

Susan wants to phone Paul but she cant do this because she doesnt know his number. If I knew his number, I would phone him. SECOND CONDITIONAL

If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house. If I knew his number, I would phone him.if-clause: PAST TENSE SIMPLEmain clause: PRESENT CONDITIONAL would + infinitiveSECOND CONDITIONALThe second conditional refers to the present and future. It expresses an unreal situation and its probable result. The situation or condition is improbable, impossible, imaginary, or contrary to known facts.

FIRST v. SECOND CONDITIONALTHE DIFFERENCE: FIRST and SECOND CONDITIONALBoth conditionals refer to the present and future. The difference is about probability, not time.First conditional: real and possible situationsSecond conditional: unlikely to happenIf John runs fast, he will win the race.If John ran fast, he would win the race.This is still possible to happen.This is unlikely to happen because John doesnt run fast.

THIRD CONDITIONALJack wanted to buy a house last year but he couldnt do that because he didnt have any money. If I had had a lot of money, I would have bought a big house.

THIRD CONDITIONALYesterday, Susan wanted to phone Paul but she couldnt do that because she didnt know his number. If I had known his number, I would have phoned him.

THIRD CONDITIONALIf I had had a lot of money, I would have bought a big house. If I had known his number, I would have phoned him.if-clause: PAST PERFECT SIMPLEmain clause: PAST CONDITIONAL would + have + past participleThe third conditional refers to the past and it is not based on facts. It expresses the a situation which is contrary to reality in the past.

SECOND v. THIRD CONDITIONALTHE DIFFERENCE: SECOND and THIRD CONDITIONALThe difference is about time.Second conditional: refers to the present and future Third conditional: refers to the past situationsIf I saw a car accident, I would call an ambulance.If I had seen a car accident, I would have called an ambulance.But I dont see an accident now. This is unlikely to happen. But I didnt see an accident yesterday. This is contrary to the fact in the past.

ALL CONDITIONALS0. If he drives carefully, he avoids the accident. General time reference.1. If he drives carefully, he will avoid the accident tomorrow. This is still possible to happen.2. If he drove carefully, he would avoid the accident today. But he doesnt drive carefully. This is unlikely to happen.3. If he had driven carefully, he would have avoided the accident yesterday. But he didnt drive carefully, so he didnt avoid the accident.

Exercise : Use correct conditional sentence to complete each sentenceIf we ______ (have) wings, we _______ (can fly) as high as we like.Tom acts as if he ____ (be) the boss.It is raining now so the game is cancelled. If it ____ (not rain) now, the game ______ (not cancel). 4.Carol missed the train because she got up late this morning. If Carol _____ (get) up early, she _____ (not miss) the train.5.I didnt eat breakfast this morning so I feel hungry now. If I ______ (eat) my breakfast this morning, I _______ (not feel) hungry now.

Complete sentences with the appropriate conditional formItll be quicker if we .. a taxi to the airport. (get)If the company stopped advertising online it . (have) higher operating costs.I think hed be happier if he ..(not live) alone.The managing director wouldnt have fired so many of his employees if they .. (relocate) earlier.We dont start if all the students ..(talk)Ill be very surprised if Maria .(not get) the job that was advertised here last week.If you cross an international date line, the time..(change).If the entrepreneur hadnt taken so many risks, the company .(not close down).All the goods would have sold out If we .. (drop) the prices a little.If I (pass) all my exams I would be working by now.If I (to be) you, Id leave it until tomorrow.

KEY Itll be quicker if we get a taxi to the airport. If the company stopped advertising online, it would have higher operating costs.I think hed be happier, if he didnt live alone.The managing director wouldnt have fired many of his employees if they had relocated earlier.We dont start if all the students are talking.Ill be very surprised if Maria doesnt get the job that was advertised here last week.If you cross an international date line, the time changes.If the entrepreneur hadnt taken so many risks, the company wouldnt have closed down.All the goods would have sold out, If we had dropped the prices a little.If I had passed all my exams, I would be working by now. (mixed cond)If I were you, Id leave it until tomorrow.

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