Conditionals

if [condition-clause], then [main-clause]

	condition clause	main clause
Zero Conditional (real)	Present	Present
First Conditional (future real)	Present	Modal (usually will)
Second Conditional (present/future hypothetical)	Past	Modal-Past (usually would)
Third Conditional (past hypothetical)	Past Perfect	Modal-Past Perfect (usually would have)
Mixed conditional	Past Perfect	Modal-Past

• Conditionals can be simple/progressive, and active/passive

Condition clause

• Using will and shall in condition clause
  • https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/181572/using-will-after-if ,
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_conditional_sentences#Use_of_will_and_would_in_condition_clauses

Main clause

can be indicative, interrogative, and imperative. (in imperative, the action needs to be present)

• Past Perfect (Action in 3rd and mixed cond.) can be replaced with were to have + (past participle).

  • If you had called me, I would have come. → If you were to have called me, I would have come.

• if can be replaced with when

Conditionals

Zero Conditional

• Occasionally, mainly in a formal and somewhat archaic style, a subjunctive is used in the condition clause

First Conditional

• Condition clause
  • Present. (simple/progressive), (active/passive), (perfect/no-perfect)
    • (perfect) Will you wake him if he hasn’t stirred by 10 o’clock?
• Main clause
  • (indicative)
    • usually Modal-Present (usually will. in 1st person often shall)
      • If I see him, I will tell him.
    • sometimes Modal-Past:
    • sometimes Past
      • If it rains this afternoon, then yesterday’s weather forecast was wrong. (deduction about the past)
    • sometimes Present:
      • If it rains this afternoon, your garden party is doomed. (deduction placed in the present)
  • in imperative is obviously not modal
    • If it rains this afternoon, come round to my place!
    • if you see it, photograph it
• if can be replaced with unless, as long as, as soon as or in case
  • I’ll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.
  • I don’t want to stay in London unless I get a well-paid job.
• in indirect speech reported in the past tense, the first conditional naturally changes to the second: She’ll kill me if she finds out. ⇒ He said I would kill him if I found out.
• In colloquial English, an imperative may be used with the meaning of a condition clause, as in “go eastwards a mile and you’ll see it” (meaning “if you go eastwards a mile, you will see it”).

Second Conditional (hypothetical present/future)

• Condition clause
  • Past. (simple/progressive), (active/passive), (perfect/no-perfect)
    • meaning: (hypothetical) present or future time frame (for past time frames the third conditional is used)
      • (present) If I liked parties, I would attend more of them.
      • (future) If it rained tomorrow, people would dance in the street.
  • were to + infinitive
    • If I flew, … / If I were to fly, … / Were I to fly, …
• Main clause
  • usually Modal-Past (usually would. in 1st person often should)

Third Conditional (hypothetical past)

• **Condition clause

  • usually Past Perfect
    • If you had called me, I would have come.
  • were to have + past participle
    • If you were to have called me, I would have come.

• Main clause

  • usually Modal-Past (usually would have. in 1st person often should have)