We often hear sentences like “If only I had known it was going to rain, I would have brought my raincoat” or “if you eat so many sweets, you will get sick.” These are known as conditional sentences. Have you often wondered which tense or whether to use a comma for these kinds of sentences? If you answered yes, then you are not alone. Even a native speaker can get confused as to the exact tense to use. In this post, I will help you understand the various types of conditional sentences and which tense or verb form to use.
Conditional sentence
A conditional sentence is one that contains a conditional clause (mostly an if clause and sometimes a when clause), and a consequence of the if clause, known as the main clause. There are different types of conditional clauses and we will explore each one of them in this blog post.
Zero conditional sentences
Sentences such as “if you don’t bathe, you stink” or “If people inhale polluted air, their health suffers” are known as zero conditional sentences. These kinds of statements are absolute truths or generic statements i.e., the if clause causes the main clause, without exception. The structure for these kinds of sentences is as follows: the if clause is in the simple present tense and the main clause is also in the simple present tense.
First conditional sentence
Sentences such as “If the weather becomes better, we will play outside” or “if you eat healthy food, you will become fit” are known as first conditional statements. Here, the if clause does not always lead to the main clause. There is a relatively high chance that the main clause will be a consequence of the if the clause; however, there is no guarantee. In such types of sentences, the if clause is in the simple present tense while the main clause is in the simple future tense.
Second conditional sentences
These are wishful statements. Sentences such as “If I owned a yacht, I would explore the length and breadth of Europe” or “If I lived in a penthouse, I would throw a party every day.” These are statements that have no basis in reality. The if clause is fictional and so is the main clause. In such sentences, the if clause is in the simple past tense and the main clause is in the simple future tense.
Third conditional sentences
These sentences state that the present would have turned out different if the past had been different. Let us understand the same with the help of a few examples: “If I had known Mark would turn out to be an abuser, I would not have married him” or “If Genelia had taken care of her health when she was young, she would have been heathier today.” These sentences have the following structure: the if clause is written or spoken in the past perfect tense while the main clause is written in the form “would/should/could” + have + “simple past participle”.
This post provides only summary of the various types of conditional sentences. If you want to know more about these kinds of sentences, and how to use them in your writing please contact me.