English conditionals

The four patterns at a glance

The zero conditional for facts and habits

Use it for things that are always or generally true. You can replace "if" with "when" and the meaning stays almost the same.

• If you heat ice, it melts.
• If I drink coffee at night, I don't sleep well.
• Plants die if they don't get water.

The first conditional for a real possibility

Use it for a future situation that may happen, and its likely result.

• If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home.
• If you study, you will pass the exam.
• I'll call you if I'm late.

You can use other modal verbs or an imperative in the result: If you finish early, you can go home. If you see Anna, tell her to call me.

The second conditional for unreal or unlikely situations

Use it to imagine a situation that is not true now, or that you think will probably not happen. The verb is in the past form, but the meaning is present or future.

• If I had more time, I would learn Japanese. I do not have more time.
• If she lived nearer, we would see her more often. She does not live near.
• What would you do if you won the lottery? It is unlikely.

With the verb "be", formal English uses were for every person: If I were rich, I would travel. If he were here, he would help. "If I was" is common in informal speech. For advice, the usual form is If I were you, I would talk to her.

First or second?

The choice shows how likely you think the situation is.

• If I get the job, I will move to Berlin. I think I may get it.
• If I got the job, I would move to Berlin. I think I probably will not get it, or I am only imagining.

The third conditional for an unreal past

Use it to imagine a different past. The situation did not happen, so the result did not happen either. It is often used for regret or relief.

• If I had studied harder, I would have passed. I did not study hard, and I did not pass.
• If we had left earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train. We left late, and we missed it.
• She would have come if you had invited her. You did not invite her.

Mixed conditionals

You can mix the second and third patterns when the time of the condition and the time of the result are different.

• Past condition, present result If I had taken that job, I would be in London now.
• Present condition, past result If I spoke French, I would have understood the film.

Useful details

• Comma. Use a comma when the if clause comes first. Do not use one when it comes second. If you need help, call me. Call me if you need help.
• Unless means "if not". We will be late unless we leave now. This means the same as We will be late if we don't leave now.
• Could and might can replace "would" when the result is less certain. If I had more money, I could buy a car. If you asked him, he might help.
• Short forms. "I'd" can be "I would" or "I had". If I'd known, I'd have called. The first is "had", the second is "would".

Common mistakes

Try the quiz

1. If you ___ (mix) red and yellow, you get orange.
2. If it ___ (be) sunny tomorrow, we ___ (go) to the beach.
3. If I ___ (be) you, I ___ (take) the job.
4. If she ___ (know) his number, she would call him.
5. If we ___ (leave) on time, we wouldn't have missed the flight.
6. I ___ (help) you if I had known you were in trouble.
7. We won't finish unless everyone ___ (help).
8. What ___ you ___ (do) if you lost your passport?
9. If he ___ (not eat) so much last night, he wouldn't feel ill now.
10. I ___ (send) you a message if my train is late.

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