Lesson 0045

Conditional ( ‘If ’ Clauses )

Part 2

They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn’t (in the past). They are made using different English verb tenses.

There are four main kinds of conditionals:

(The Zero Conditional and The First Conditional Part 1- Lesson 0044)

The Second Conditional:

• is used to imagine present or future situations that are impossible or unlikely in reality.

Grammar Pattern: (if + past simple, … would + infinitive)

Examples:

I wouldn’t worry if I were you. ( If I were you, I wouldn’t worry )

If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.

 

The Third Conditional:

• is used to imagine a different past. We imagine a change in a past situation and the different result of that change.
• use to state things that didn’t happen in the past and their imaginary result.

Grammar pattern: (if + past perfect, … would + have + past participle)

Examples:

If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.

If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test.