Conditional tenses in English are used to talk about situations that depend on a condition. These are often called “if” sentences because they usually include the word “if” to introduce the condition.
There are four main types of conditional sentences:
- Zero conditional: Used for facts or general truths.
- Structure: If + present simple, ... present simple
- Example: If you heat water, it boils.
- First conditional: Used for real and possible future situations.
- Structure: If + present simple, ... will + base verb
- Example: If it rains, I will stay home.
- Second conditional: Used for unreal or unlikely present or future situations.
- Structure: If + past simple, ... would + base verb
- Example: If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.
- Third conditional: Used for unreal past situations (things that didn’t happen).
- Structure: If + past perfect, ... would have + past participle
- Example: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
Understanding these conditional tenses helps you talk about possibilities, probabilities, and hypothetical scenarios in English.
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Table of Contents
- First, Second, Third Conditionals
First, Second, and Third Conditionals in English grammar, including their rules, examples, and usage for expressing real, hypothetical, and unreal situations.
- Mixed Conditionals
Explanation of mixed conditional grammar in English, including rules and examples for combining past and present conditions.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
