2. Conditional clauses are also known as if clauses.
They are consist of two clauses. One clause
describes the conditions under which the possibility
of the other clause takes place. They express that
the action in the main clause can only take place if
another action becomes fulfilled. There are four
types of conditional clauses.
Type 0: is used for factual events/physical realities
and general truths that are always true.
If + present simple, present simple
If you heat the water to 100 C, it boils
If you water the plants, they grow.
If you freeze the water, it becomes ice.
3. If you pass the hour 12 p.m., the day changes.
Type 1: is used for real events and situations that are possible
for the future and present.
If + present simple, future simple.
If I get enough money, I will travel around the world.
If your right hand itches, you will have a lot of money.
I will stay at home if it rains this afternoon.
Come and see us if you are in Istanbul next week.
If you don’t understand, ask the teacher.
I will give you the address if you call me tonight.
If you need any help please let me know.
If you come with us on holiday, you will enjoy it.
The first conditionals express a possible condition and it has a
probable result in the present and or future.
4. If you go to Britain , you will be able to speak English all day
long .
Type 2 conditional is a future unreal conditional because
the event in the main clause can not be true – it is
impossible/ not probable for the event to be true for the
future or present. It is also called hypothetical conditional
because second conditional is not based on fact but
imaginary situation. It expresses a situation which is
contrary to reality in the present and future . The unreality
is shown by the change in tense from present to past.
If + past simple , would + infinitive
If I had a lot of money, I would travel all around the world.
( I don’t have a lot of money)
If I were taller, I would join the police force.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
5. Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?
If it was my birthday tomorrow, I would invite my friends out
for a meal
If I were rich, I would buy a villa in the Caribbean.
If I was (were) English, I wouldn’t need to take this
international English exam.
I would go to the USA if I had enough money. (but I haven’t
got enough)
If my family didn’t own a holiday house in Antalya, we
wouldn’t always go to the same place.
If they built a factory in the field in front of our house, we
would move to another neighbourhood.
6. Type 3 conditional is used to imagine the results of events
that happened in the past.
If + past perfect, would have past participle.
If I had known the answer, I would have told you. (It refers to
the past – finished action - I didn’t know the answer so I
couldn’t tell you.)
If I had known about the delay, I wouldn’t have got to the
airport early. (I didn’t know that there was going to be a
delay with the flight so I went to the airport early.
If the weather had been better, we would have gone to the
beach yesterday.
If I had known, I could have helped you.
If I hadn’t just been on holiday, I could have lend the money.
If you had told me where you were staying, I could have got in
touch with you.
7. Exercise:
1. If I succeed in my exam, I _____________ (can) go
abroad.
2. If you cook the meal, I ________ (wash) the dishes.
3. If I found her address, I ____________ (send ) her an
invitation.
4. If she was more friendly, she ____________ (have)
more friends.
5. If it __________rainy and sunny at the same time,
you sometimes _________(see) a rainbow.
6. If they __________ (not/be) hungry, they _______
(understand) the lesson better.
7. If she had learnt her lessons, she __________(fail )
her exam.
