UNIT 23

CONDITIONALS

Something that impressed me was the use of real and unreal conditionals. Here I found a type called mixed conditional which is a mix of the second and third conditional. The conditional tense says that an action is reliant on something else. The two most common conditionals are real and unreal, they are sometimes called if-clauses. The real conditional describes situations based on fact. The unreal conditional describes unreal or imaginary situations.

Zero Conditional:

We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact.


IF CLAUSE RESULT
present simple present simple

if you heat ice, it melts
if I get up late, I miss the bus
if people don't eat, they get hungry


First Conditional: real possibility

We are talking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition or situation in the future, and the result of this condition. There is a real possibility that this condition will happen.


IF CLAUSE RESULT
present simple will + base verb

If I study, I will pass the exams.
If you see John tonight, tell him to e-mail me.
If Ben gets up early, he can catch the bus.
If I see Mary, I will tell her.
If they do not pass their exam, their teacher will be sad.


Second Conditional: unreal possibility

The second conditional is like the first conditional. We are still thinking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition in the future, and the result of this condition. But there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen.

IF CLAUSE RESULT

past simple would + base verb

If I studied, I would pass the exams.
If I studied, I could pass the exams.
If I studied, I might pass the exams.
If I married Mary, I would be happy.
If Ram became rich, She would marry him.

The if-clause can be at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

RESULT IF CLAUSE
I would pass the exams if I studied
I would be happy if I married Mary.
She would marry Ram if he became rich.

Third Conditional: no possibility

The first conditional and second conditionals talk about the future. With the third conditional we talk about the past. We talk about a condition in the past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.

IF CLAUSE RESULT

past perfect would have + past participle

If I had seen Mary, I would have told her.
If Tara had been free yesterday, I would have invited her.
If they had not passed their exam, their teacher would have been sad.

The if-clause can be at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

RESULT IF CLAUSE

I would have told Mary if I had seen her.
I would have invited Tara if she had been free yesterday.
Their teacher would have been sad if they had not passed their exam.


Mixed conditionals

Sometimes conditional sentences are mixed, which means that the time in the "if" clause is not the same as the time in the main clause. The following types of mixed conditionals are possible:

Past/present - present/past

If you hadn't taken so long getting ready, we'd be there by now.
If we liked shellfish, we would have eaten the lobster.

Past/future - future/past

If I had saved a bit harder, I'd be going to Jamaica with them next week.
If I didn't have to work this evening, I would have gone with them to the game.

Future/present - present/future

If he didn't have to study tomorrow, he wouldn't be depressed.
If she didn't like travelling, she wouldn't be going to the Amazon next weekend.


STUDENT NAME: JUAN CARLOS POZO QUINTANILLA
COURSE: AOF06