[Update] 5 Types of Conditional Sentences in English (+ Graph | mixed conditional sentences – NATAVIGUIDES

Conditional sentences are one of the trickier parts of English grammar: there are 5 types of conditional sentences, and you need to be able to use and identify all of them.As a rule, conditional sentences in English consist of two parts – the main part and the part (or the conditional part).

These types of sentences are used to express possible or imaginary situations.

The order of these two parts of the sentence isn’t important.

When written, if the part of the sentence comes first, a comma should be used to separate it from the second part.

5 Types of Conditional Sentences

 Before we get started, here’s a brief chart summarizing the 5 types of conditional sentences and how they’re used:

Conditional sentence type
When to use
Main clause
If-clause

Type Zero

Describing known facts

Simple present

Simple present

Type 1

A possible situation and the result

Will + infinitive

Simple present

Type 2

A hypothetical condition and its possible result

Would + infinitive

Simple past

Type 3

An impossible past situation and its result in the past

Would + perfect infinitive

Past perfect

Mixed Conditionals

An impossible past situation and its result in the present

Past perfect

Present conditional

Type Zero Conditional Sentences (zero condition)

This type of conditional sentence is used to describe scientific facts, generally known truths, events and other things that are always true.

I think it’s the simplest type of conditional sentence in English.

The structure of Type Zero conditional sentences:

Main part: Present Simple; part: Present Simple

Examples:

•         

  Water

  boils if

  you

  heat

  it to 100 degrees Celsius.

•         

  A red light

  comes

  on

  if

  you

  press

  the main button.

In Type Zero sentences, can be replaced by .

Examples:

•         

  When

  you heat ice, it

  melts

  .

•         

  It

  gets

  dark

  when

  the sun

  goes

  down.

Type One Conditional Sentences (open condition)

This type of sentence expresses real and possible situations in the future; it is possible for the condition to be met.

The structure of Type One conditional sentences:

Main part: will + infinitive; part: Present Simple

Examples:

•         

  We

  will stay

  at home

  if

  it snows.

•         

  She

  will get

  angry

  if

  I‘m late for the party.

•         

  If

  we

  get

  the money for this job, we

  will

  buy a new car.

•         

  Will

  you

  help

  Amanda

  if

  she asks you?

Type Two Conditional Sentences (half-open condition)

This type of conditional sentence describes an unreal situation with regard to the present or future; a hypothetical condition that can only be fulfilled in theory.

The structure of Type Two conditional sentences:

Main part: would + infinitive; part: Past Simple

In conditional sentences, the past tense form of the verb is for all persons; is also used, although only in spoken or conversational English.

Examples:

•         

  We

  would stay

  at home

  if

  it

  snowed

  .

•         

  I

  would buy

  a new board

  if

  I

  had

  more money.

•         

  If he

  were

  rich, he‘

  d buy

  an island.

•         

  If you

  left

  now, you‘

  d catch

  the last bus.

Type two conditional sentences are also used when making polite requests.

Examples:

•         

  I

  would be

  grateful

  if

  you

  helped

  me.

•         

  He

  would be

  so pleased

  if

  you

  came

  to the birthday party.

The phrases or are usually used to give advice.

Examples:

•         

  If I were you

  I would accept the offer.

•         

  If he were in your place

  he would do it.

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Type Three Conditional Sentences (closed condition)

Type three conditional sentences are used to express situations that cannot exist, such as actions or events that happened in the past. They are often used to indicate a missed opportunity.

The structure of Type Three conditional sentences:

Main part: would + perfect infinite; part: Past Perfect

Examples:

•         

  If you

  hadn’t been late

  for work, the boss

  wouldn’t have gotten

  furious.

•         

  They

  would have finished

  earlier if the meeting

  hadn’t been held

  so late.

•         

  If I

  had won

  the lottery, I

  would have bought

  a house by the sea.

•         

  Would

  you have

  helped

  me

  if I had asked

  you?

Mixed Conditionals

This type of conditional sentence uses (mixes) different parts of the above-mentioned conditional sentence types.

There are a few combinations: the condition emphasizes the result of the action in the present in the past tense, or the present-day condition emphasizes the result of the action in the past.

Examples:

•         

  If you

  had taught

  me how to make waffles (in the past), I

  wouldn’t have to buy

  them in a shop (now).

•         

  I

  would buy

  a house by the sea (now or in the future)

  if I had won

  the lottery last week.

•         

  Their team

  would have scored

  more in the match yesterday

  if

  they

  were

  good players.

Important Grammatical Notes

If the modal verbs can/could, may/might or should are used in the main part of the sentence, they take the place of will:

•         

  We

  can go

  to the seaside

  if

  you

  have

  time tomorrow.

•         

  If

  you

  leave

  now, you

  may catch

  the last bus.

•         

  If

  you

  want to pass

  the exam, you

  should

  study much harder.

The words will and would are not usually used in the part, except when they express willingness, for example, in requests (that is, when they carry a modal meaning):

•         

  If you will phone the manager now, he will surely make an appointment with you. (willingness)

•         

  I would be very thankful if you would help me with my homework. (very polite request)

The word should in the part can mean “if perhaps” or “by any chance.”

•         

  I would be very happy if he should turn up at the party. (He’s not at all likely to come, but perhaps…)

In negative sentences, if…not can be substituted with unless.

•         

  You won’t pass the exam

  unless

  you study very hard. (= if you don’t study very hard)

If can be omitted from the sentence if the word order is changed. This is sometimes done in Type Three conditional sentences if the, if part is at the beginning of the sentence, or in Type Two sentences if the verb were, is used:

•         

  Were I rich, I would buy a house by the sea. (= if I were rich)

•         

  Had your cousin come earlier, I would have shown her around the house. (= if she had come earlier)

I hope that my explanation of conditional sentences in English was clear and understandable.

If not, let me know!

It’s a great feeling.

After many difficulties, you’ve mastered those English conditionals — you know, the “if” sentences.

You can use them effortlessly in context. Without thinking. Because you rock at English!

Then you’re having a chat with someone, and he says this:

“Should Shelley arrive on Thursday, I’ll meet her at the airport.”

Wha….? What did he just say?

Wasn’t that a question? Was he asking if Shelly should arrive on Thursday or not?

But you don’t know who Shelly is, so how would you know when she should arrive? Also, this didn’t sound like a question.

OK. So, welcome to the weird world of advanced conditional sentences!

When we learn about conditional sentences in English, we usually learn the four basic types:

Type 0 — “If it rains, the ground gets wet.”
Type 1 — “If he hugs me, I’ll hug him back.”
Type 2 — “If I was taller, I’d be much better at this sport.”
Type 3 — “If I’d been more careful, I wouldn’t have got into trouble with Shady Nick.”

But there’s more!

There are three ways that we can play with conditionals that expert English speakers use effortlessly.

So this is your chance to sound super smart.

We’re going to look at these three tricks over the next three lessons.

You’ll learn:

1. How to use mixed conditionals properly (today’s post)
2. How to invert conditional sentences and sound like an academic: click here
3. One more neat trick with English conditionals that will make you sound like a pro: click here

 

Today, we’re going to deal with mixed conditionals.

This topic was actually requested by one of our readers. So if you’re reading, Irina, great idea and thanks for suggesting it.

But before we mix the conditionals, let’s revise how they work.

How Conditional Sentences Work

Let’s start with a simple example:

If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay in and watch giraffe documentaries.

We have the “if” part, which sets up the situation, and the other part, which describes the result.

This is an example of the first conditional. We use it to talk about likely situations in the future.

Because we don’t use the first conditional in mixed conditionals, today’s post is going to be focused on the second and third conditionals. These are the conditionals used for hypothetical (unreal) situations.

Let’s look at how they work.

How “Unreal” Conditionals Work

We can use the second conditional for general, unreal situations:

If I had more money, I’d totally buy that giraffe.

(But in reality I don’t have more money, so the giraffe stays in the shop. Or the zoo. Or the sanctuary. Wherever you buy giraffes from.)

We can also use the second conditional when we want to talk about an unlikely future:

If I won the lottery, I’d go to Pisa. Because it’s awesome!

We use the third conditional to imagine hypothetical situations in the past:

If I had listened to my mother when I was a kid, I would’ve become a cosmonaut.

(If you want more examples of conditionals sentences (with a killer rabbit), check out my post on conditional sentences in English.)

OK. So those are the unreal conditionals in English.

No problem, right? We create an unreal situation and describe what effects it produces.

As you can see, with the second conditional, we create an unreal general situation and describe an unreal general (or future) effect.

And with the third conditional, we create an unreal past situation and describe an unreal past effect.

But what if you want to create an unreal past situation and describe an unreal general (or future) effect?

Or what if you want to create an unreal general situation and describe an unreal past effect?

Easy! Just mix them!

 

How Mixed Conditionals Work

 

If we had the key, we would’ve gone in.

If we’d picked up the key, we’d go in.

Let’s look at some more examples:

If I had listened to my mother when I was a kid, I would be on the moon now.

— an unreal past situation with a general effect

And another example:

If it wasn’t winter, I would’ve walked home.

— an unreal general situation with a past effect

OK. So now you can master the unreal!

These mixed conditionals are often about regret — about something that you wanted to happen that would make life better now.

But they can also be used positively!

So, let’s finish on a positive note.

Think about your life now. Choose something positive about it. How did it happen? What was the past event that caused it?

Tell me, in one mixed conditional sentence, how your life would be different now without this past event.

Leave your answer in the comments, but I’ll get things started with my answer:

“If I hadn’t decided to become a teacher way back in 2004, I wouldn’t be sitting here typing this sentence.”

Did you find this useful? Do you know any people (or giraffes) that might also benefit from this? Then BE AWESOME AND SHARE! Please spread the knowledge!

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