Using Conditionals (NI2)

There are several ways of the conditionals in English. Here you have a diagram:

TYPE	MEANING	IF-CLAUSE	MAIN CLAUSE
Type 0	General truth; you can substitute if for when	Present If you boil water	Present it evaporates
Type 1	Possible condition; it is likely to happen	Present If I have time	Future I’ll go to the cinema
Type 2	Improbable condition; it is very hypothetical this could happen	Simple past If I could buy a new car	Simple conditional I’d take a van
Type 3	Impossible conditional; this is referred to the past and it is more connected with regrets	Past perfect If I’d known you were coming	Perfect conditional I would have made your favourite dish
Mixed conditional	The condition is a regret but the results are in the present	Past perfect If I’d thought about that twice	Simple conditional I wouldn’t have so many problems

When we talk about using present or future, it means that they might be in the simple, continuous, perfect or perfect continuous form, depending on the message.

Other forms instead of if

connectors	meaning	example
should	It means if by any chance… You must replace if for should	Should you see John, can you give him a message?
provided/providing	The same as if but a bit more formal	Provided you leave, you’ll catch the train
unless	The meaning is if … not	I won’t go to the doctor unless you come with me
on condition	This introduces a that-clause	On condition that we get the money, we’ll do it
as long as	It is the same as if	I don’t mind your coming as long as you keep quiet

Links for practising conditionals:

• exercise 1: low intermediate; to start with
• exercise 2: including some mixed conditionals
• exercise 3: go to the video screen to play the game To Become a Billionaire; quite funny
• exercise 4: another funny game
• exercise 5 : higher level and there is a possibility of explanation in each sentence

· I hope you've got enough but remember there is more on the internet if you need it.