What
Are Conditional Sentences?
Conditional sentences
(also known as conditional clauses or if clauses) are made up of
two halves. One half (the half with the word if in) is a condition, and
the other half (the main clause) states the action to occur if the condition is
fulfilled. The first conditional is about a specific situation, but the zero is
talking in general.
The
Types of Conditional Sentence
There are three types of
conditional sentence :
Conditional
Sentence Type 0
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if
clause' and one in the 'main clause'):
“If”
+ Present Simple, .... Present Simple
This conditional is used when the result will always
happen. So, if water reaches 100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm
talking in general, not about one particular situation. The result of the 'if
clause' is always the main clause.
The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced
by 'when' without changing the meaning.
For example:
If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils.
(It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes).
If I eat peanuts, I am sick.
(This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that
I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)
Here
are some more examples of Conditional Sentences Type 0 :
If you touch a
fire, you get burned.
If babies are hungry,
they cry
If people eat too
much, they get fat.
Conditional
Sentence Type 1
Type 1 sentences are used
when it is likely that the condition will be fulfilled. It is formed like this
:
“If + [Simple Present], “Will” + [Verb]
Examples
of Conditional Sentence Type 1 :
If you swallow some of
the celaning fluid, it will kill you.
If I get a little
humility, I will be perfect.
If it rains today, you
will get wet.
Conditional
Sentence Type 2
Type 2 sentences are used
when it is unlikely than the condotion will be fulfilled. It is formed like
this :
“If” + [Simple Past], “Would” + [Verb]
Examples
of Conditional Sentence Type 2 :
If you swallowed some of
the cleanning fluid, it would kill you.
If I had a litttle
humility, I would be perfect.
If it rained, you would
get wet.
Conditional
Sentence Type 3
Type 3 sentences are used
when it is impossible for condtion to be fulfilled because the possibility has
already passed. It is formed like this :
“If” + [Past Perfect], “Would Have” +
[Past Participle]
Examples
of Conditional Sentence Type 3 :
If you had swallowes some
of the celanning fluid, it would have killed you.
If I had a little humility,
I would have been perfect.
If it had rained, you
would have gotten wet.
Using
Commas in Conditional Sentences
When the condition is at
the start of the sentence (like in all the examples above), it is usual to
separate it from the main clause with a comma. However, if the condition is at
the back of the sentence, it
is less common to use a comma. (You can still use a
comma to assist your reader if you think it aids understanding.)
It will kill you if you
swallow some of the cleaning fluid.
I would have been perfect
if I had a little humility.
Forming
Conditional Sentences (Graphical Summary)
Here is a graphical
summary of the three types of conditional sentence:
SOURCES :
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