Conditionals

C1.1 - English CONDITIONALS

Zero conditional

USE: General truths and general habits STRUCTURE: If + present simple // present simple EXAMPLES: - If you add two and two, you get four. - If water reaches 100º, it boils.

First conditonal

USE: Possible situation in the present or future STRUCTURE: If + present tense // Will + infinitive EXAMPLES: - If it rains later, we'll stay at home. - If I miss the bus, I'll get a taxi.

Second conditonal

USE: Impossible, improbable, hypothetical situations in the present or the future STRUCTURE: If + past tense // would/could/might + infinitive EXAMPLES: - If I won the lottery, I would travel to Australia. - If I were you, I wouldn't eat that. * We can use WERE instead of WAS after I/he/she/it

Third conditonal

USE: to talk about a hypothetical situation in the past. STRUCTURE: If + past perfect // would/could/might + have + past participle EXAMPLES: - If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick. - If I had known, I would have come earlier.

First conditional --> possible situationIf + present tense // will + infinitive Second conditional --> hypothetical situation in present If + past tense // would + infinitive Third conditional --> hypothetical past If + past perfect // would have + past participle

Mixed conditonals

USE: when we want to refer to the present and the past in the same sentence. EXAMPLE: - I wouldn't be upset (second conditional) if I had studied more for the exam (third conditional).

Alternatives to IF

* AS LONG AS/SO LONG AS, PROVIDED/PROVIDING (THAT): to emphasize what must happen or be done for something to happen *WHETHER + subject + verb + OR NOT: to emphasize something is true in either of two cases *EVEN IF: for extra emphasis *SUPPOSING/SUPPOSE: when we ask someone to imagine that something is true or might happen

Alternatives to IF

* WHEN: when the condition will definitely happen in the future E.g. When I see Sam, I will give him the message. *AS SOON AS: to emphasize immediacy E.g. As soon as we have enough money, we'll go to Costa Rica *UNLESS: substitute of 'if not' E.g. You won't lose weight if you don't start eating healthier food You won't lose weight unless you start eating healthier food

Well done!