Mastering Conditional Tenses

Second Conditional Use

• Real past situations

• Unreal present situations

• Future possibilities

• General truths

First Conditional Example

• If it rains, I will stay home.

• If it rained, I would stay home.

• If it rains, I stay home.

• If it will rain, I will stay home.

Zero Conditional

• If + past simple, past simple

• If + present simple, present simple

• If + future simple, future simple

• If + present continuous, present continuous

Zero Conditional Example

• If it rains, the ground gets wet.

• If it rains, the ground gets dry.

• If it rains, the flowers wilt.

• If it rains, the sun shines.

Zero Conditional Use

• General truths

• Hypothetical situations

• Future predictions

• Past events

First Conditional

• If + past simple, would + base verb

• If + present simple, will + base verb

• If + present continuous, will + base verb

• If + past perfect, would have + base verb

Third Conditional Example

• If I had known, I would have left.

• If I know, I will leave.

• If I had known, I would leave.

• If I know, I would have left.

Second Conditional

• If + present simple, will + base verb

• If + past simple, would + base verb

• If + past perfect, would have + past participle

• If + future simple, might + base verb

First Conditional Use

• Real future possibilities

• Hypothetical past situations

• Uncertain future events

• General truths

Third Conditional Structure

• If + present simple, will + base form

• If + past perfect, would have + past participle

• If + past simple, would + base form

• If + future perfect, will have + past participle