Conditional Sentence (Type 1, 2, 3, mixed)

I. Conditional Type 1:

Conditional Type 1 are possible conditions in the present or future.

If + S + V(present simple), S + will + V

Example:

If you see him tomorrow, you will be surprised.

If can also be replaced by Provided that, Providing that, Even if, As long as, On the condition that

Unless (If not):

Unless NEVER goes with a negative condition, but it has a negative meaning. Example:

If she doesn't arrive within 5 minutes, we will leave without her. ➜ Unless she arrives within 5 minutes, we will leave without her.

Conditional Type Zero (Always real condition):

Conditional Type Zero is considered a part of Conditional Type 1. If + S + V(present simple), S + V(present simple) Example: If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.

II. Conditional Type 2:

Conditional Type 2 are unreal conditions in the present.

If + S + V-ed/2, S + would + V

Example:

They don’t have children, so their house isn’t very noisy.

➜ If they had children, their house would be a lot noisier now.

If I were you:

If I were you can be used to give advice. Example:

You shouldn't smoke so many cigarettes a day. ➜ If I were you, I wouldn't smoke so many cigarettes a day.

III. Conditional Type 3:

Conditional Type 3 are unreal conditions in the past.

If + S + had V-3, S + would have + V-3

Example:

Artists wrote so many poems, so people learned a lot about the past life.

➜ If artists hadn't written so many poems, we wouldn't have known a lot about the past life.

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IV. Inversion in Conditionals

Inversion for Conditional Type 1 - SHOULD

Inversion with Should:

Should + S + V-bare can be used in Conditional Type 1, especially when the condition is less likely to happen.

Example: If he sees you tomorrow, he will give you a letter.

➜ Should you see him tomorrow, he will give you a letter.

Inversion for Conditional Type 2 - WERE

Inversion with Were:

Were + S + to-V can be used in place of If.

Example:

She doesn't like cheese. That's why she refuses the nachos.

➜ Were she to like cheese, she wouldn't refuse the nachos.

This job takes so long because he doesn’t help us.

➜ If he helped us, this job wouldn't take so long.

Inversion for Conditional Type 3 - HAD

Inversion with Had:

Had + S + V-3 can be used in place of If.

Example:

They didn't know about the decision, so they didn't make any efforts to stop it.

➜ Had they known about the decisions, they would have made efforts to stop it.

Jack bought a new laptop, so he ran out of money.

➜ If Jack hadn't bought a new laptop, he would not have run out of money.

V. Advanced structures in Conditionals

[IF 2] If it were not for/Were it not for/But for + Noun Phrase:

These phrases can be used in place of If. Example:

The train is late today. We won't be able to arrive in time. ➜ If it were not for the late train / the train's lateness today, we would be able to arrive in time. Thank you for working with us today. We can finish before lunch time. ➜ But for your working with us today, we wouldn't be able to finish before lunch time.

[IF 3] If it hadn't been for/Had it not been for/But for + Noun Phrase:

These phrases can be used in place of If. Example:

The car tires were flat, so we couldn't go to the party last night. ➜ Had it not been for the flat tires, we could have gone to the party last night. He ate too much french fries. He felt like a pig. ➜ If he hadn't eaten too much french fries, he would not have felt like a pig.

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VI. Mix condition: Unreal past condition with result in the present

Sometimes, unreal past condition can have a result in the present. In this case, we use If-clause of Type 3, but Result of Type 2.

If + S + had V-3, S + would + V

Example:

I stayed up late last night. I'm very tired now.

➜ If I hadn't stayed up late last night, I wouldn't be (very) tired now.

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Related posts:

Wish/If only