Conditionals lesson in English

Conditionals are sentences that express a condition and its result. They are often referred to as "if clauses" because they usually begin with "if."

In English, there are four main types of conditional sentences: Zero Conditional, First Conditional, Second Conditional, and Third Conditional. Each type expresses a different level of possibility or reality in relation to the condition and its outcome.

Let's dive into the details of each conditional and their uses.

1. Zero Conditional (General Truths)

Form:

If + Present Simple, Present Simple.

The zero conditional is used to talk about facts, general truths, or situations that are always true if the condition is met. It is used for scientific facts, laws of nature, or things that always happen in certain circumstances.

• Example:
• If the sun sets, it gets dark. 

Explanation: In this case, the condition ("If the sun sets ") always leads to the result (", it gets dark").

2. First Conditional (Real Future Possibilities)

Form:

If + Present Simple, will + base verb.

It is used to talk about possible situations in the future.

• Example:
• If I see Sarah at the party, I will say hi .

Explanation: The condition ("If I see Sarah at the party ") is real and possible, and the result (", I will say hi") is something that will happen if the condition occurs.

3. Second Conditional (Unreal Present or Future)

Form:

If + Past Simple, would + base verb.

It is used for unreal situations in the present or future and  when we imagine a situation that is not true or is unlikely to happen.

• Example:
• If I had a million dollars, I would travel around the world.

Explanation: Here, the condition ("If I had a million dollars") is not true in the present, and the result ("I would travel around the world") is an imagined outcome.

4. Third Conditional (Unreal Past)

Form:

If + Past Perfect, would have + past participle.

The third conditional is used to talk about situations that did not happen in the past and their possible outcomes. It refers to imaginary situations in the past and expresses regret or speculation about what might have been.

• Example:
• If we had gone to bed earlier, we would not have felt so tired this morning.

Explanation: The condition ("If we had gone to bed earlier") did not happen, and the result ("we would not have felt so tired this morning.") refers to a hypothetical outcome that could have occurred in the past.

5. More examples:

Zero conditional	First conditional	Second conditional	Third conditional
If you touch a flame, it burns.     If it rains, the ground gets wet.     If I follow a healthy diet, I lose weight.	If Zoe leaves now, she will arrive on time.     If David calls me, I will answer the phone.	If I knew how to speak French, I would visit Paris.     If we lived in a bigger house, we would have more space.     If you worked harder, you would get better results.	If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train.     If she had told me the truth, I would have helped her.     If he had taken the job offer, he would have moved to Paris.

Tasks

Task 1: Conjugate the verb correctly.

1. If she __________ (speak) Spanish, she __________ (communicate) better with the locals.
2. If it __________ (rain) tomorrow, my cousin Jakoub __________ (not to visit ) us.
3. If he __________ (not forget) his keys, he __________ (be) able to open the door.
4. If I __________ (not lose) my wallet, I __________ (be) able to buy lunch.
5. If they __________ (not argue), they __________ (enjoy) the party.

Correction of task 1:

1. If she spoke Spanish, she would communicate better with the locals. (Second Conditional)
2. If it rains tomorrow, my cousin Jakob will not visit us . (First Conditional)
3. If he had not forgotten his keys, he would have been able to open the door. (Third Conditional)
4. If I had not lost my wallet, I would have been able to buy lunch. (Third Conditional)
5. If they had not argued, they would have enjoyed the party. (Third Conditional)

Task 2: Rewrite the following sentences using the correct conditional type.

1. I didn’t know the answer, so I didn’t raise my hand. (Third Conditional)

2. If I were you, I would take the job offer. (Second Conditional)

3. She always gets nervous before exams. (Zero Conditional)

4. If you practice volleyball everyday, you will play better . (First Conditional)

Correction of task 2:

1) If I had known the answer, I would have raised my hand. (Third Conditional)

2) If I were you, I would take the job offer. (Second Conditional)

3) If she touches something hot, she always gets nervous before exams. (Zero Conditional)

4) If you practice volleyball everyday, you will play better . (First Conditional)

Recapitulation of the lesson

Thank you everyone ! Make sure to practice forming sentences and using them in context.