TYPE USE IF CLAUSE (condition) MAIN CLAUSE (result)
Things that are always PRESENT (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS, PERFECT) PRESENT (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS, PERFECT)
0 true or that normally
happen If sth happens … ... the result is true.
PRESENT (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS, PERFECT) FUTURE, IMPERATIVE, MODAL
Probable event
1
happening in the future If sth happens … … the result will be true.
Present or future PAST (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS) WOULD, COULD, MIGHT + INFINITIVE
2 hypothetical or unreal
situations If sth happened … … the result would be true.
WOULD, COULD, MIGHT + PERFECT
PAST PERFECT (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS)
Past hypothetical or INFINITIVE
3
unreal situations If sth had happened …
… the result would have been true.
WOULD, COULD, MIGHT + PERFECT
Present hypothetical or PAST (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS)
INFINITIVE
2+3 unreal situation with a
past result If sth happened …
… the result would have been true.
MIXE
D
Past hypothetical or PAST PERFECT (SIMPLE, CONTINUOUS) WOULD, COULD, MIGHT + INFINITIVE
3+2 unreal situation with a
present result If sth had happened … … the result would be true.
CONDITIONALS describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition (If you study hard) and the main clause tells you
the result (you will pass your exams). The order of the clauses does not change the meaning.
INVERTED CONDITIONALS – conditional sentences with inversion are more formal than those that follow the usual word order.
EXAMPLES
TYPE USE
NORMAL INVERTED
SHOULD + 1ST If you need more information … Should you need more information …
CONDITIONA BARE INFINITIVE
L If you are not satisfied with the product … Should you not be satisfied with the product …
WERE + 2ND If I were you, I would … Were I you, I would …
CONDITIONA TO INFINITIVE
L If he were to find out that they … Were he to find out that they …
HAD + 3RD If I had known that sooner, I would … Had I known that sooner, I would …
PAST PARTICIPLE
CONDITIONA
(past perfect infinitive)
L If you had not been late, you … Had you not been late, you …
We can use IF + SHOULD to refer to events which might happen by chance or by accident.
- If you should bump into Carol, can you tell her I’m looking for her? (If by chance you bump into Carol.)
WILL and WOULD can be used in IF CLAUSE, either with the meaning of ‘being willing to do sth’, or to refer to later results.
- If Clare will meet us at the airport, it will save us a lot of time. (If Clare is willing to meet us.)
- If you would all stop shouting, I will try and explain the situation!
IF + WON’T = if sb refuse to.
- If she won’t come to Sardinia with us, there’s nothing we can do to make her. (If she refuses to come …)
In speaking, we can also use if + will, would, can or could to introduce a polite request.
