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.

Type 1 (Real/Possible Condition)
It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Present, will + V1

Example: If I find her address, I will send her an invitation.

Type 2 (Unreal/Imaginary Condition)
It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Past, would + V1

Example 1: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation

Example 2: If I were a bird, I would fly high

Type 3 (Impossible Condition)
It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.

Form: if + Past Perfect, would + have + Past participle

Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.

Exercise: Complete the following conditional sentences

Conditional Sentences Type I

If you (go) ___________out with your friends tonight, I (watch) ___________the football match on TV.

I (earn) _____________ a lot of money if I (get) ____________ that job.

If she (hurry / not)______________, we (miss) ________________the bus.

Conditional Sentences Type II

If he (try) _____________harder, he (reach) ________________ his goals.

I (buy) _______________ these shoes if they (fit) _______________.

It (surprise / not) ________________me if he (know / not) _______________the answer.

Conditional Sentences Type III

If we (listen) __________________ to the radio, we (hear) ____________________the news.

If you (switch) __________________ on the lights, you (fall / not) __________________over the chair.

She (come) _______________ __-to our party if she (be / not) ____________________ on holiday.