Look at these examples to see how zero, first and second conditionals are used.
If you freeze water, it becomes solid.
If it rains tomorrow, I'll take the car.
If I lived closer to the cinema, I would go more often.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition (If you study hard) and the main clause tells you the result (you will pass your exams). The order of the clauses does not change the meaning.
If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
You will pass your exams if you study hard.
Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.
Zero conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially for laws and rules.
If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep at night.
Ice melts if you heat it.
When the sun goes down, it gets dark.
The structure is: if/when + present simple >> present simple.
First conditional
We use the first conditional when we talk about future situations we believe are real or possible.
If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
Arsenal will be top of the league if they win.
When I finish work, I'll call you.
In first conditional sentences, the structure is usually: if/when + present simple >> will + infinitive.
It is also common to use this structure with unless, as long as, as soon as or in case instead of if.
I'll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.
I don't want to stay in London unless I get a well-paid job.
I'll give you a key in case I'm not at home.
You can go to the party, as long as you're back by midnight.
Second conditional
The second conditional is used to imagine present or future situations that are impossible or unlikely in reality.
If we had a garden, we could have a cat.
If I won a lot of money, I'd buy a big house in the country.
I wouldn't worry if I were you.
The structure is usually: if + past simple >> + would + infinitive.
When if is followed by the verb be, it is grammatically correct to say if I were, if he were, if she were and if it were. However, it is also common to hear these structures with was, especially in the he/she form.
If I were you, I wouldn't mention it.
If she was prime minister, she would invest more money in schools.
He would travel more if he was younger.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello Ira92,
The sentence is not entirely grammatical. You need to add an object after believe:
However, the sentence is still not correct in terms of standard grammar. The form is [if + past simple > (then) would verb], sometimes called a second conditional. This is used to talk about unlikely or impossible (unreal) situations in the present or future. However, this sentence refers to an unreal past as it contains the phrase a week ago. This is inconsistent. To make the sentence consistent you should use a past perfect in the first clause:
The second clause is fine as it describes an unreal present result of that unreal past situation.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Remember
The first sentence is a correct zero conditional statement; the second is not correct. But you could make a first conditional ('People will get upset if I let them down') or second conditional ('People would get upset if I let them down') by changing the verb forms.
Note that the past simple of the verb 'let' is 'let', i.e. it doesn't change form in the past simple.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Lobna Tarek,
Not all conditional sentences contain modal verbs. So-called zero conditionals contain normal finite (present) verbs in each clause, for example.
I don't think your first example is a well-formed sentence. We would use either unless or if to form the sentence rather than as long as:
The result clause here describes a present emotional state rather than a future action. You can contrast it with this:
In your second example can probably describes specific ability in the future, though you could have a context in which it describes a general truth - something which is always possible because of the way the house or flat is organised, rather than being a particular situation on a particular day.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Mouha++,
Both sentences are grammatically correct. Note that these are examples of subject questions in which the question word (what) is the subject of the verb. You could also make object questions:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team