ELEVENTH / TWELFTH GRADE CONDITIONALS ELEVENTH / TWELFTH GRADE

We use zero conditional to talk about a condition and consequence that are always true. If you don’t eat, you die.

If we raise enough money, we’ll build a hospital. We use the first conditional to talk about a possible present situation and its possible future consequence. If we raise enough money, we’ll build a hospital.

We use the second conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation in the present and its future consequence, which may be very unlikely or impossible. If I were prime minister, I’d increase the money we spend on helping other countries.

If the food had got there quicker, we’d have saved thousands of lives. We use the third conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation and consequence in the past which is, therefore, impossible to change. If the food had got there quicker, we’d have saved thousands of lives.

MIXED CONDITIONALS Conditional sentences do not always follow the next four patterns described. For example, it is common to find mixtures of second and third conditional.

If we want to talk about a past action and its present consequence, then the if clause follows the pattern of a third conditional and the consequence clause follows the pattern of a second conditional.

If more people had signed the petition, the shopping centre wouldn’t be here (= Not many people signed the petition, so the shopping centre is here.)

If we want to talk about how a universal truth affected a past action, then the if clause follows the pattern of a second conditional and the consequence clause follows the pattern of a third conditional.

If the world was a fairer place those people wouldn’t have died If the world was a fairer place those people wouldn’t have died. (= The people died because the world is not a fair place.)

If I spoke Indonesian, I would have understood what he said If I spoke Indonesian, I would have understood what he said. (=I didn’t understand what he said because I don’t speak Indonesian)

Formulas: Zero Conditional: 2. First Conditional: 3. Second Conditional: 4. Third Conditional: IF+SUBJECT+PRESENT, SUBJECT+PRESENT IF+SUB+PRESENT, SUB+WILL(‘LL)OR WON’T+INFINITIVE IF+SUB+SIMPLE PAST, SUB+ WOULD OR WOULDN’T+INF. IF+SUB+PAST PERFECT, SUB+WOULD OR WOULDN’T HAVE +PAST PARTICIPLE

Past action and its present consequence: 6. How a universal truth affected a past action: IF+SUB+PAST PERFECT, SUB+WOULD OR WOULDN’T+INF IF+SUB+SIMPLE PAST,SUB+WOULD OR WOUDN’T HAVE+PAST PARTICIPLE