Conditionals in tables and accompanied by exercises

It can often be heard from students that the topic of Conditionals is not a piece of cake for plenty of them while learning English. In this article, we will discuss each type of these sentences and look at detailed examples so that you can more easily see how to use them in practice.

Contents

1. The structure of Conditionals in English
2. Conditional sentences in English
    2.1. Zero Conditional
    2.2. First Conditional
    2.3. Second Conditional
    2.4. Third Conditional
    2.5. Mixed Conditionals
3. Comparison table
4. Exercise to consolidate your knowledge

The structure of Conditionals in English

Conditionals are a type of sentence where a certain condition is given in one clause, and its result or consequences in the other.

Let's look at an example:

• If you don’t eat your breakfast, you’ll be hungry all day. 

The most interesting thing is that there are five types of such sentences in the English language. Let's look at the typical sentence structure:

In general, there are two clauses: if-clause and main clause. If-clause is usually placed at the beginning of the sentence and has the word “if” with it – an indicator of a specific condition. Conversely, the main clause is the part that contains the result of the previous condition.

Conditional sentences in English

In total, there are five types of these sentences in English:

• type 0;
• type 1;
• type 2;
• type 3;
• mixed types.

Zero Conditional

Remembering the grammatical construction of this type is a piece of cake: the entire sentence is built by means of the Present Simple. Take into account that in such sentences the events go one after the other. Zero Conditional is used when talking about things that are generally true, facts, natural processes.

• If you throw a ball, it falls down.
• If you cut your finger, it bleeds.
• If you take a fish from the water, it dies.

First Conditional

It’s a type of sentence that tells us about a possible condition and its possible consequences in the future. The structure of it looks the following:

• If the weather is fine, we will go to the park with you. 
• If I do sport every week, I will become more and more healthier.
• If you read this book by the end, you may ask me for a new one.

An interesting fact! Sometimes the result part in this type may not have the Future Simple, but the imperative will be used instead:

• If you see Rose tonight in the bar, tell her to call me immediately!

Second Conditional

It’s typically used to express a hypothetical situation in the present. It's worth noting that here, there is still a chance to bring the event to life, but the likelihood is extremely small. This type is built as follows:

• If our sister knew this topic, she could pass the test.
• If John apologized, Sam wouldn’t be so angry.
• If they studied harder, they might become the best students in the group. 

An interesting fact! Second Conditional is also used for certain pieces of advice that we wish to give to our friends or acquaintances, usually using the phrase "if I were you":

• If I were you, I would learn English without any doubt. 

Third Conditional

It’s a type of conditional sentence that expresses a completely unreal situation in the past, which is no longer possible to change.

It is often confused with the 2 type, but that one is used for situations that could theoretically still become reality, though in the present. Third Conditional is only relevant in the past instead.

Most often, this type is used to express sympathy, criticism, or regret for an action that did not happen. Let's look at the structure and examples:

• If Mary had known this information before entering the university, she wouldn’t have enter at all. 
• If you had learned this topic, you would have passed the test better. 
• If my boss had asked me for help, I would definitely have helped him. 

Mixed Conditionals

They combine different parts of conditional sentences.

2+3 = a combination of the second (condition) and the third types (result). It describes a certain unreal situation in the present with its impossible result in the past:

Let's take a look at a couple of example sentences to understand this type better:

• If Kate knew the rules, she could have passed the IELTS exam. 
• If I had more knowledge in that sphere, I might have applied for the Senior manager position. 

3+2 = a combination of the third (condition) and the second types (result). It describes an unreal situation in the past and its impossible result connected with it in the present:

• If our company had won the prize, we would donate money for the charity. 
• If they hadn’t moved to Paris, we could still be the best neighbors.

So, the most important thing is to remember that mixed types allow you to express certain conditional situations in different tenses.

Comparison table

Exercise to consolidate your knowledge

We suggest that you do this exercise to practice and remember the topic. Complete the sentences by opening the brackets. 

You can complete more Conditionals activities on our Smarte interactive platform for free! The activities are divided into English levels, so choose yours. Have fun with your practice!