This document discusses the four types of conditional sentences in English: zero, first, second, and third conditional. It provides examples for each type and explains their structure and usage. The zero conditional uses the present simple tense and is used to talk about facts. The first conditional uses the present simple in the if-clause and will/can/may/must plus a verb in the main clause, and is used to talk about possible future events. The second conditional uses the past simple in both clauses and talks about unlikely or impossible future/present events. The third conditional uses the past perfect in the if-clause and would/could/might have plus a past participle in the main clause, and talks about hypothetical past events.

1. CONDITIONAL
S
Teacher Carla
Zero, first, second and third conditional
February, 2023

2. WHAT IS A
CONDITIONAL?
Conditional sentences are natural language
sentences that express that one thing is
contingent on something else.
Conditional structure: If clause + main clause
2 Teacher Carla

3. ZERO
CONDITIONAL
• Used to talk about facts
• E.g.: If I oversleep, I miss the bus
• E.g.: If I don’t study, I don’t learn
• E.g.: If I don’t eat, I feel sick
3 Teacher Carla
If clause Main clause
If + Present simple Present simple

4. FIRST
CONDITIONAL
• It's used to talk about things which might
happen in the future. Things that are possible
to happen.
• E.g.: If I travel this summer, I will go to Disney.
• E.g.: She’ll miss the bus if she doesn’t leave
soon
• E.g.: If I go to London, I’ll be happy.
4 Teacher Carla
If clause Main clause
If + Present simple will / can / may / must +
verb

5. SECOND
CONDITIONAL
5 Teacher Carla
If clause Main clause
If + Past simple would / could / might +
verb
• we can use it to talk about things in the future
that are probably not going to be true.
• we can use it to talk about something in the
present which is impossible, because it's not
true.
•E.g.: If I met the Queen of England, I would
say hello.
• E.g.: She would travel all over the world if
she were rich
• E.g.: If I had his number, I would call him.

6. THIRD
CONDITIONAL
6 Teacher Carla
If clause Main clause
If + Past Perfect tense would/could/might +
have + past participle
• It talks about the past. It's used to describe a
situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the
result of this situation.
•E.g.: If she had studied, she would have
passed the exam
•E.g.: She would have become a teacher if
she had gone to university
• E.g.: If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have
felt sick