Conditional Sentences

Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional Clauses or If Clauses. They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional Sentences. Conditional Sentence Type 1 → It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled. Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future Conditional Sentences Type I refer to the future. An action in the future will only happen if a certain condition is fulfilled by that time. We don’t know for sure whether the condition actually will be fulfilled or not, but the conditions seems rather realistic – so we think it is likely to happen. Conditional Sentence Type 2 → It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled. Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive) Conditional Sentences Type II refer to situations in the present. An action could happen if the present situation were different. I don’t really expect the situation to change, however. I just imagine „what would happen if …“ Conditional Sentence Type 3 → It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past. Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle) Conditional Sentences Type III refer to situations in the past. An action could have happened in the past if a certain condition had been fulfilled. Things were different then, however. We just imagine, what would have happened if the situation had been fulfilled. (http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditional-sentences) Example: If I find her address, I will send her an invitation.(type I) If I don’t see him this afternoon, I will phone him in the evening.(type I) If John has the money, he will buy a Ferrari.(type I) If you leave now, you can still catch your train.(type I) If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t stay here.(type II) If I were you, I would not do this.(type II) If she were at work today, she would know how to deal with this client.(type II) If I hadn’t studied, I wouldn’t have passed my exams.(type III) If I had missed the bus, I would have been late for school.(type III) If you had done your job properly, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.(type III)