Conditionals: Unlocking Possibilities
Conditionals are sentences that talk about possibilities, choices, and results. Think of them like different paths you can take depending on the situation. Let’s explore all the types of conditionals, break them down with easy-to-understand examples, and discover how they work.

1. Zero Conditional – Facts and General Truths
The zero conditional is used for facts that are always true. If something happens, the result is guaranteed to happen too. These are situations where the cause always leads to the effect.
Structure:
If + Present Simple, Present Simple
Example:
- If you heat water to 100°C, it boils.
- (This is always true. Every time you heat water to 100°C, it will boil. There’s no exception.)
- If I eat too much sugar, I feel tired.
- (This is a fact. Eating too much sugar leads to feeling tired every time.)
Explanation:
In the zero conditional, both the “if” part and the result are in the present simple because it describes something that is always true.
2. First Conditional – Real Possibilities in the Future
The first conditional is used for situations that are possible in the present or future. It’s like saying, “If this happens, that will happen.” It’s real, not imaginary, and it’s based on what could happen.
Structure:
If + Present Simple, will + Verb
Example:
- If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home.
- (There is a possibility that it will rain tomorrow. If it does, we will stay at home. The future action depends on the present condition.)
- If I finish my homework early, I will go to the cinema.
- (If I complete my homework, I will go to the cinema. It’s a real possibility.)
Explanation:
The first conditional talks about real and possible events in the future. We use the present simple for the condition and “will” for the result.
3. Second Conditional – Hypothetical or Unreal Situations
The second conditional is used to talk about things that are unlikely or unreal. It’s like imagining a situation that isn’t true now. It’s a “what if” situation.
Structure:
If + Past Simple, would + Verb
Example:
- If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.
- (This is an imaginary situation. I haven’t won the lottery, but if I did, I would travel.)
- If I were a bird, I would fly to different countries.
- (This is hypothetical. I’m not a bird, but I’m imagining what I would do if I were one.)
Explanation:
The second conditional talks about things that are unreal or unlikely in the present or future. We use the past simple in the “if” part, and “would” plus the base verb in the result.
4. Third Conditional – Imagining the Past
The third conditional is used for talking about past situations that didn’t happen, but we wonder about what could have happened if they had been different. It’s a way to express regret or missed opportunities.
Structure:
If + Past Perfect, would have + Past Participle
Example:
- If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
- (I didn’t study hard enough in the past, so I didn’t pass the exam. But if I had studied more, I would have passed.)
- If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train.
- (We didn’t leave early, so we missed the train. But if we had left earlier, we would have caught it.)
Explanation:
The third conditional talks about past events that didn’t happen and imagines a different outcome. The “if” part uses the past perfect, and the result uses “would have” plus the past participle.
5. Mixed Conditionals – Combining Past and Present
Mixed conditionals combine the second and third conditionals to express situations where the past affects the present or the present affects the past. It’s like mixing two different possibilities in one sentence.
Structure 1: Past → Present
If + Past Perfect, would + Verb
Structure 2: Present → Past
If + Past Simple, would have + Past Participle
Examples:
- Past → Present:
- If I had studied harder, I would be a doctor now.
- (I didn’t study enough in the past, so I’m not a doctor now. But if I had studied more, I would be a doctor today.)
- Present → Past:
- If I were rich, I would have bought a big house last year.
- (I’m not rich now, and because of that, I didn’t buy a big house last year. But if I were rich, I would have bought one.)
Explanation:
Mixed conditionals are used to talk about how a past situation could influence the present or how a present situation might have influenced the past. They mix different time references to create a more complex meaning.
Summary:
Here’s a quick summary of when to use each type of conditional:
Conditional Type | Structure | Use | |
---|---|---|---|
Zero Conditional | If + Present Simple, Present Simple | Facts or general truths (always true) | |
First Conditional | If + Present Simple, will + Verb | Real possibility in the future (likely to happen) | |
Second Conditional | If + Past Simple, would + Verb | Hypothetical or unreal situations (unlikely, but imagined) | |
Third Conditional | If + Past Perfect, would have + Past Participle | Imagining the past differently (things that didn’t happen) | |
Mixed Conditional (Past → Present) | If + Past Perfect, would + Verb | Past affecting the present (something that didn’t happen in the past but influences now) | |
Present affecting the past (imagining a present situation that would have changed the past) |