Zero conditional:
The zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world, and often refers to general truths, such as scientific facts. In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and possible.
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs [If + present simple, .... present simple].
- 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).
- Ice melts if you heat it.
You form the first conditional with [if + present simple or present continuous], … will + infinitive. You separate the two sentences with a comma. The if clause can go at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
- If I go to the post office, I’ll post the letter for you.
- If I’m passing the post office, I will post the letter for you.
o You use the first conditional to talk about a likely situation or a possible condition:
- If they offer me the job, I will accept it.
Second conditional:
You form the second conditional with [if + past simple or past continuous], … would + infinitive. You separate the two sentences with a comma. The if clause can go at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
- If I knew her name, I would tell you.
- If they lived in Dubai, they would invite me to their house.
o You use the second conditional to talk about an unlikely or imaginary situation or a hypothetical condition:
- If I won a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
You can also use could or might to express more uncertainty:
- If they offered me the job, I couldn’t accept it.
Third conditional:
You form the third conditional with [if + past perfect], … would have + past participle. You separate the two sentences with a comma. The if clause can go at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.
- If Peter had seen me at the party, he would have spoken to me.
- If I had known she was allergic to seafood, I would have ordered meat.
o You use the third conditional to talk about an unlikely or imaginary situation in the past or a hypothetical condition in the past:
- If I hadn’t gone to the party, I wouldn’t have met Peter.
You can use may, might have or could have to express more uncertainty:
- If he had been in the street, I could have been injured.
Mixed conditonals:
It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times, and the resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types of mixed conditional sentence:
A. Present result of past condition:
1. Form: In this type of mixed conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional.
As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.
2. Function: This type of mixed conditional refers to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the present. These sentences express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the past and in the present.
In these mixed conditional sentences, the time is the past in the "if" clause and in the presentin the main clause. In these mixed conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause instead of would to express the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.
Examples:
- I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job.
- If you'd caught that plane you'd be dead now.
- If you hadn't spent all your money on CDs, you wouldn't be broke.
B. Past result of present or continuing condition.
1. Form: In this second type of mixed conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional.
As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.
2. Funtion: These mixed conditional sentences refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) pas result. In these mixed conditional sentences, the time in the if clause is now or always and the time in the main clause is before now. For example, "If I wasn't afraid of spiders" is contrary to present reality. I am afraid of spiders. "I would have picked it up" is contrary to past reality. I didn't pick it up.
Examples:
a. If she wasn't afraid of flying she wouldn't have travelled by boat.
b. I'd have been able to translate the letter if my Italian was better.
c. If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.
d. If the elephant wasn't in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden on him by now
Sources:
1. Capman
2. EducationFirst
No comments :
Post a Comment