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 Ayn,
Yes, the first conditional would be better if you are making a prediction.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello ValerieP,
In the if-clause (here, unless has the meaning 'if not'), we use a present form, so this is normal. The result clause normally refers to a likely or expected future result and uses a modal verb such as will:
Other modal verbs can be used as well: might, can, should etc.
However, there are some verbs which express present attitudes towards the future which we can use in the result clause. Want is one of these:
Other verbs like this include hope, expect, plan and intend. I'm sure you can see the semantic similarities here.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi gsg238,
Both are possible! It depends how likely you think you are to need it. Using the first conditional (in case I need to use it) means that you think there is a reasonable chance that you will need it. Using the second conditional (in case I needed to use it) means that you see this as unlikely to happen.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Widescreen,
No, you can't use even by itself here. You could use just if or even if.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Dwishiren,
The second sentence in each pair is not correct. It should be '...if they won' and 'If I knew'.
We use present + will (or other modal verbs) when we think the situation is likely. We use past + would (or other modal verbs) if we think the situation is unlikely or impossible:
Arsenal will be top of the league if they win - I think it is likely that they will win.
Arsenal would be top of the league if they won - I don't believe that they will win.
If I know, I will tell you - I think there is a chance I will know.
If I knew, I would tell you - I don't believe I will know.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello gsg238,
You can use many modal verbs in the main clause of conditional sentences:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello BobMux,
I think you have misphrased your question as you are asking why the sentence is a first conditional rather than a first conditional!
The form is used because it describes a real situation rather than a hypothetical one and it decribes a concrete case rather than a general truth.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello IanCorx,
No, we don't replace if with whether in conditionals.
You can use whether or not in place of if to indicate that your action will not change irrespective of the condition:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Yigido,
In speaking, where we don't use punctuation, this sentence is fine. But in writing, it's a run-on sentence, which is not correct in most situations. I'd recommend ending the first sentence after 'exam' and then starting a new one with 'So'.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again Yigido,
What you wrote can work as a general recommendation, but I wouldn't call it a rule. In other words, there is no rule against using conjunctions in conditional sentences, but in the particular sentence you asked about, I'd recommend breaking it into two sentences.
This is not because the sentence is a conditional so much as it has to do with avoiding run-on sentences.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Vitalii Bordun,
Both 'was' and 'were' are correct in the second conditional and other situations that are considered hypothetical or unreal.
In other words, you can use a past simple form ('was' or 'were' depending on the person) or you can use 'were' for any person ('I', 'they', 'she', etc.).
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Bineetha,
That has the form of a second conditional, but really it's a polite request. In other words, this is a polite way of saying 'Please assess Mr John for any pancreatic malignancy'. It's polite because it's indirect -- the hypothetical way it expresses the action makes it indirect.
Does that make sense?
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Via,
I'm afraid this is a very general question. The comments sections of the site are for short answers rather than long explanations. We're happy to explain any examples on our pages which you find confusing or unclear, and we'll try to help if you need help expressing something.
Longer explanations are published on our pages and if you search for a given topic in the grammar reference section then you'll often find the information you need. We have a page on will vs would, for example:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/will-and-would
We also have a page on verb forms in time clauses and if clauses:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/verbs-in-time-clauses-and-if-clauses
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ali_Gokapl98,
As far as I know, 'must' can be used in a first conditional sentence. For example, one could say 'If you must know, I'll tell you'. It might be a bit unusual, though.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ali_Gokalp98,
Your example is fine.
It's perfectly fine to use a range of modal verbs in the result clause of a conditional sentence. Sometimes this is will or would, but other modals can also be used:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ali_Gokalp98,
When we use 'be' in such a situation, 'were' is correct for all subjects and 'was' is correct for 'I', 'he', 'she' and 'it'. I'm not aware of any difference for 'there is/are'. In other words, as far as I know, both of the sentences you ask about are correct. Some people say that 'were' is better here, so if you're writing this, that might be a better choice.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello yo_carme,
Glad you find it useful! You can certainly use these words with other verb tenses, but I'm not sure you can use them all with all the different conditional forms.
I'd recommend you have a look at the example sentences in a good dictionary (for example, see the Grammar box for 'unless') to see how they're used there. Then, if you want to write a specific sentence or two to ask us to check if they're all right, please feel free to do so.
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello LilyLinSZ,
Changing the verb form changes the meaning, so while you could say the alternative sentences you ask about, I can't really say if they're appropriate or not because I don't know what the situation and your intentions are.
For example, it would be strange to say what you propose in 1, though I'm not sure I'd say it's incorrect. In any case, I'd probably say 'When' instead of 'If' here, unless I've misunderstood the idea. In 2, 'will remain' would work better if, for example, you had to run a complex computer model to get results and then draw a conclusion. But if it's something simpler, the simple present form is probably better. Again, I'd be tempted to say 'when' here. In 3, 'I will' expresses a decision you're taking in the moment, whereas the present continuous form expresses a plan you have, i.e. you've probably already taken the decision before now.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Naureen,
That sentence looks fine to me. Well done!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello everyday-nato,
The forms here are actually present subjunctive and past subjuntive. These are not the same as present and past tense.
We use the subjunctive to describe things that are not true but that we would like to be true or hope can be true (present subjunctive), and things which are not true and which we acknowledge may not become true (past subjunctive). The names (present and past) are misleading and do not refer to time but to form.
The present subjunctive form is the same as the base form of the verb; it does not change in the third person.
The past subjunctive form is the same as the past simple.
In your examples, you could use either form. The present subjunctive suggests that the speaker expects the other person to comply; the past subjunctive implicitly acknowledges that they may not, making it a more polite form as it is more tentative.
You can read more about the Englishs subjunctive here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_subjunctive#Use_of_the_present_subjunctive
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Najmiii3579,
These sentences have slightly different meanings. Sentence 1 has the meaning of 'being willing to act', because it includes would. Sentence 2 is just about the action – whether the countries act or don't act. It doesn't say anything about their willingness.
For your second question, yes! You could use will instead of would. There's a slight difference in how the action is presented. If you use will, it's a real and possible consequence. If you use would, it frames the action (that would be all to the good) as hypothetical or imagined (not a real one).
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Najmiii3579,
Even though conditionals are usually taught as Type 1/2/3 structures, in real life speakers often mix these structures, especially in speaking. Was this sentence taken from real life language usage?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team