Muhammad Afif Ibrahim: Conditional Sentences

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: