Conditional Sentences – The 4 Types and Examples

What are conditional sentences and their four types?

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES – They are sometimes called “if-clauses” to allow people to talk about situations and possible outcomes.

What is a conditional sentence? This is a hypothetical situation and its possible consequence. This always contains a subordinate clause that expresses a condition and a main clause indicating the outcome of this condition. For example, “If it rains, we will stay home.” In English, conditional sentences are categorized into four main types, with each one indicating a distinct level of probability or possibility.

4 TYPES

• ZERO CONDITIONAL (facts and general truths)
  This is the simplest type and is used to express facts and general truths. The zero conditional formula is: If + [simple present], … [simple present].

Examples:

1. If you heat water to 100°C, it boils.
2. If you heat ice, it melts.
3. If you don’t eat, you get hungry.
4. If you mix red and yellow, you get orange.
5. If I am tired, I go to bed early.

• FIRST CONDITIONAL (real possibilities)
  This is used to talk about real and possible situations in the future. It shows that if the condition happens, the result will likely follow. The first conditional formula is: If + [simple present], … will + [infinitive].

Examples:

1. If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.
2. If you don’t water the plants, they will die.
3. If you eat too much, you will get fat.
4. If she calls me, I will not answer right away.
5. If I forget her birthday, she will get upset.

• SECOND CONDITIONAL (unreal or improbable situations)
  This type is used to talk about unreal or improbable situations in the present or future. This expresses imagination, dreams, or improbable conditions. The second conditional formula is: If + [simple past], … would + [infinitive].

Examples:

1. If they played well, they would win the match.
2. If I won the lottery, I would buy an island.
3. If she weren’t so shy, she would make more friends.
4. If I had more free time, I would learn another language.
5. If I were a millionaire, I would travel around the world.

• THIRD CONDITIONAL (past hypotheticals)
  This type is used to talk about unreal situations in the past. This often expresses regret or imagines a different outcome. The third conditional formula is: If + [past perfect], … would have + [past participle].

Examples:

1. If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
2. If we had taken a taxi, we would have arrived on time.
3. If he had not lied, they wouldn’t have broken up.
4. If she had chosen a different career, she would be happier.
5. If he had saved more money, he would have bought a new car.