Overview of Conditionals

We use conditionals to tell or guess about the result of something.

Conditionals have two parts:

1. The "if-clause" – This tells the condition.


2. The possible result – The result will be true if the "if-clause" is true.

Note: Sometimes the word "unless" is used instead of "if" to express a negative condition and sometimes the word "when" is used to give a condition.

Look at this example.

• If you work, you get money.
  (But if you do not work, then you do not get money.)

The result of getting money depends on the condition of working. You must work to get money.We can put the "if-clause" at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle.

• If you come, I will be happy.
  (=I will be happy if you come.)


• If it rains, we won't play.
  (=We won't play if it rains.)

We can put the word "then" before the result when the result is the second part. However, we do not need to put "then", it can also be left out.

• If it rains, then I will not go. = If it rains, I will not go.

Note: If you put the condition first, then separate it from the other part with a comma (,). The sentence you just read is an example.

Do not use "then" if the result is the first part.

• Then I will not go if it rains.

The idea of conditionals is simple, but the hard thing about conditionals is that there are many different forms and tenses used. Depending on the situation and time, we need to change conditional sentences.

In this lesson, we will briefly cover all of the different kinds of conditionals. In the following lessons, we will go into more detail about each kind of conditional.

1. Present Real Conditionals (Zero Conditionals)

We use present real conditionals to tell general truths and habits. We use present tense verbs in these sentences.

• If you do not eat, then you die.
• If you study hard, you can learn English.
• You get four if you add two plus two.
• When it rains, the ground is wet.

2. Future Real Conditionals (First Conditionals)

These are used to tell what will probably happen if a condition is true. Use present tense for the condition and use any future tense grammar for the result. This is the most common conditional.

• If it snows, I will stay home.
• If you study, then you will pass the test.
• You will like it if you try it.
• If I have time, I am going to exercise.
• I might go if it is free.

3. Past Real Conditionals

These conditionals are used to talk about general truths or habits in the past. Use the past tense for both the condition and the result.

• I took a taxi if it rained when I lived in New York. But now, I live in Ohio and I have my own car so I drive everywhere.
• If my teacher yelled at me, then I cried when I was young.
• When he came to parties, he used to bring alcohol, but now he doesn't drink.

4. Present Unreal Conditionals (Second Conditionals)

These conditionals are talking about a condition that is not true or a condition that has a very small probability of being true. We call these hypotheticals. We are just imagining or thinking.

Express the condition in the past tense and express the result with "would/could/might + verb".

• If I won the lottery, I would buy a new house.
• If this shirt were on sale, I would buy it, but it is not on sale, so I will not buy it.
• I would live in a penthouse apartment in New York City if I had enough money. Unfortunately, I do not have enough money so I can't do that.
• You could learn anything if you had enough time.

5. Past Unreal Conditionals (Third Conditionals)

These are very important if you want to speak English fluently. We use these conditionals to talk about situations in the past. We are not talking about what really happened. We are just imagining how the past would have or could have been different if something in the past changed.

Take a look at this example.

I didn't study very hard and I failed a test. This really happened. But if I had studied harder, then I would have passed the test. I didn't actually pass the test. I am just imagining what would have happened if I had studied harder.

Express the condition with the past perfect tense and express the result with "would/could/might have + past participle".

• If it hadn't rained, I would have gone to the game. But it rained, so I didn't go.
• If I had won the lottery, I would have bought you a car. But really, I didn't win, so don't get too excited.
• She could have gotten the promotion if she had treated her coworkers nicer.

6. Future Unreal Conditionals

Future real conditionals are the same as present unreal conditionals.

Express the condition in the past tense and express the result with "would/could/might + verb".

• If I had money, I would buy a new car.
• I would do that if it were possible.

We can also express the condition with "were + verb-ing" or "were + going to + verb" and express the result with "would/could/might + be + verb-ing".

• If I were going to Europe next week, I would be taking my camera.
• We would be bringing a dessert if we were going, but we are not going.

Note: We use "were" with every subject. Do not use "was" with unreal conditionals.

7. Continuous Forms

We can express the condition for any tense using the continuous forms.

• If the sun is shining, then I will go out.
• If he had been paying attention, he wouldn't have gotten in the accident.
• She would tell us if she were leaving the company.

8. Mixed Conditionals

We can mix the verb tenses of conditionals. For example, the condition could be in the past, but the result could be in the present.

• If I had won the lottery, I would have a lot of money now.
  (Winning the lottery condition is in the past, but having lots of money is a current state.)


• If he had studied harder when he was young, he would be attending a better university next year.
  (Studying is in the past and attending university is in the future.)

9. Were to

We use this to emphasize a condition that is highly unlikely. There is almost a 0% chance that the condition will happen.

We only use this with the condition (if-clause). These conditionals have the same meaning as the unreal conditionals, but they emphasize how unlikely it is that the conditional will actually happen.

For a present and future, then use "were to + verb".

• If I were to win the lottery, I would buy a house.
  (=If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.)


• If I were to lose my job, then I would need to find a new one quickly.
  (=If I lost my job, then I would need to find a new one quickly.)

For the past, use "were to have + past participle".

• If I were to have quit my job, then I wouldn't have met you.
  (=If I had quit my job, then I wouldn't have met you.)

Conditionals are a key part of English. You should take the time to learn all of these conditionals well. The upcoming lessons will cover all the English conditionals in more detail.

Do not pay too much attention to the grammar words like "zero conditional". These are not important. Pay attention to the example sentences and the word order.

There are many other free English grammar lessons that cover conditionals in detail. There are also many free English lessons to help you learn other English grammar, speak fluent English, and learn everything else you want to about the English language. 

Real Conditionals

Conditional sentences have two parts – a condition and a result.

If the condition is true, then the result is true or will happen. (This sentence is a conditional!)

We usually express the condition with "if...". But sometimes we express a condition with "when..." or "unless...".

We will cover the word "unless" more in a future lesson.

We can express real conditionals in the present tense, past tense, future tense, or with continuous verb tenses.

Let's look at each tense separately and see how and when each one is used.

Present Real Conditionals

These conditionals are used to talk about general truths or things that you normally do in real life.

If/When + condition + (then) result
Result + if/when + condition

Both the result and the condition are in the present tense.

• If you don't give water to plants, then they die.
• If you eat vegetables, you can be healthy.
• When it rains, I usually stay home.
• I cook at home if I have time.
• She spends time with her family when she does not work on Saturday.
• She yells when she is mad.

We can also use the present continuous form for the condition.

• If it is not raining, then I am happy.
• We stay home when it is snowing.
• If she is working, don't call her.
• I usually like parties if people are dancing.
• He doesn't listen when I am talking.

Future Real Conditionals

These conditionals are used to guess what will happen or what might happen in the future. The conditions in these sentences are likely to happen or be true.

If/When + condition + (then) result
Result + if/when + condition

The condition is in the present tense. The result can be in any future form.

• If I go to the party, I will bring some food.
• If I have time tomorrow, then I am going to read a book.
• If I have time next weekend, I might meet my friend.
• When she gets off work, she is meeting her boyfriend.
• They will call if they need help.
• She will help me when I go there.
• We are going if the weather is nice.
• I might buy a new car if I get a bonus this year.

Note: For future real conditionals, using "if" means we do not know if something will happen or if it will not happen. Using "when" means we know it will happen, we are just waiting for it to occur.

Past Real Conditionals

Past real conditionals are not used a lot, but we use them when we want to talk about something that happened often in the past.

If/When + condition + (then) result
Result + if/when + condition

The condition is in the past tense. The result is also in the past tense.

• If I had time when I was young, I used to play basketball.
• She always brought a book with her when she went anywhere when she was young.
• If the weather was nice, I always spent my time outside. But now I have a job and I can't spend a lot of time outside.

Note: Sometimes with the past real conditionals, "when" is not used to tell the condition. Sometimes, "when" is just used to tell the period of time like "when I was young...".

We need to use these kinds of sentences a lot, so you should spend some time studying and practicing.

Practice speaking English and improve your English grammar by finishing the sentences below and then practice making your own sentences. It is the best way to learn English and improve your English fluency fast! 

Unreal Conditionals

Conditional sentences have two parts – a condition and a result.

Unreal conditionals are similar to real conditionals, but with unreal conditionals, the condition is not true and not real. Or it is very unlikely to happen or be true.

We are just imagining what we would do in a situation that is not real or very unlikely to be real.

• If this shirt were on sale, I would buy it.
  (Really, the shirt is not on sale and I will not buy it.)


• If I were an animal, I would be a lion.
  (Really, I am not an animal.)

Here are some examples of when we might use an unreal conditional for a highly unlikely thing.

• If I won the lottery, I would buy a house and a car.
  (The probability of winning the lottery is so low that we use the unreal conditional.)


• If I met the President, I would want to tell him to lower taxes.
  (The chances of me meeting the President are very low.)

We can use unreal conditionals in the present, past, and future tense.

Let's go over unreal conditionals for each tense. Remember that we can also mix tenses, but we will study this more in a different lesson.

Present and Future Unreal Conditionals

These conditionals talk about what we would do in an unreal situation. We are just imagining or thinking about it. It is not real or it is very unlikely to be real.

If/When + condition + (then) result
Result + if/when + condition

The condition is in the past tense. Use "would/could/might/may + verb" for the result in the future or present tense.

• If I didn't have to work, I would go hiking every day.
• If she had more time, she would learn English.
• They would come if it were possible. But sadly, it is impossible for them to come.
• I wish this car were cheaper. If it were cheaper, I would buy it in a second.
• If there were another way, I would not quit my job, but I don't think there is another way.
• I could move to Canada if I spoke English better.
• She might like me if I were more handsome.

Note: Only use "if" to give the condition for present and future unreal conditionals. Do not use "when". We can only use "when" with real conditionals.

We do not use "was" with unreal conditionals. Use "were" with every subject.

• If I were a millionaire, I would live in London.
• If she were nicer, then I would invite her to my party, but she is not nice and I do not want her at my party.

We can also use continuous forms with these conditionals.

• If I were working there, I would quit.
• If I were in Europe, I would be drinking an espresso in a café right now.
• She would be going to the beach this weekend if she weren't working.

Future Unreal Conditionals – 2 other ways

Future unreal conditionals can look the same as present unreal conditionals. But there are two different ways to make future unreal conditionals. This is just like when we use the present continuous or "going to + verb" to talk about the future.

If/When + condition + (then) result
Result + if/when + condition

The condition uses the continuous forms (were + present participle / were going to + verb). The result also uses the continuous form (would be + present participle).

A present participle is formed by adding "-ing" to the end of a verb.

• If I were going on the trip next week, I would be taking time off work.

Past Unreal Conditionals

Past unreal conditionals are very important, but they can be difficult for English learners.

They are a little different than other conditionals. We use past unreal conditionals to talk about things that have already finished. The event or thing is finished, but we are imagining what we would or could do differently if we did it again or if it happened again.

It is like we are getting in a time machine and going back in time and doing something again, but changing one thing.

If/When + condition + (then) result
Result + if/when + condition

The condition is in the past perfect tense. For the result, use "would have + past participle", "could have + past participle", or "might/may have + past participle".

• If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test. Unfortunately, I did not study hard.
• We would have had a good time if you had come to the party.
• If she had studied harder when she was in university, she could have become a doctor or lawyer.
• They could have finished on time if you had helped them. Why didn't you help them?
• She might have got the promotion if she hadn't gotten in that big fight with the manager.

We can also use the continuous verb forms in these conditionals.

• They could have finished yesterday if they hadn't been arguing all day.
• If she had been working hard, then she could have finished a long time ago.
• If you had been paying attention, then you wouldn't have gotten in the accident.

Note: Only use "if" to give the condition for unreal conditionals. Do not use "when". We can only use "when" with real conditionals.

Unreal conditionals and real conditionals are extremely important, but there are many small differences that we need to remember. It is important that you spend enough time studying and practicing these sentences.

Remember that we can also mix tenses, but we will study this more in a different lesson.

Improve your English grammar and learn to speak fluently with this simple practice. Finish the sentences below and then practice making your own sentences. It is the best way to learn English quickly and properly!

If I won the lottery, I would _______________.
If I had more time today, then I would _______________.
She would _______________ if she _______________.
She would _______________ if her family _______________.
She would _______________ if her boyfriend _______________.
I would visit _______________ if I could travel anywhere in the world.
If I could speak English fluently, then I would _______________.
I wouldn't be studying English now if _______________.
I wouldn't have _______________ if _______________.
They could have _______________ if _______________.
He wouldn't have _______________ if _______________.

Real Conditionals vs. Unreal Conditionals

Both real and unreal conditionals have 2 parts – a condition and a result.

We use real conditionals for things that are true or could be true or could happen.

• If it rains, then I will stay home.
• If you are nice to him, he will be nice to you.
• You can get a promotion if you work hard.

We use unreal conditionals for things that are not true or real

• If I were a dog, I would sleep all day.
• If she had more money, she would probably buy a new car.

We also use unreal conditionals for things that are very unlikely to be true or things that will almost definitely not happen.

• They would move to Canada if they won the lottery.
• If I met Brad Pitt, I would ask him for an autograph.

Sometimes, we can use either real or unreal conditionals. This is possible when we are not sure if a condition is likely or unlikely. The two sentences below basically have the same meaning.

• If my computer breaks, then I will buy a new one.
• If my computer broke, then I would buy a new one.

Compare a real conditional to an unreal conditional.

Real Conditional: If the car is cheap, then I will buy it.

I don't know if the car is cheap, but if it is, then I will buy it. It is possible that it is cheap.

Unreal Conditional: If the car were cheap, then I would buy it.

Really, the car is not cheap. I know that the car is not cheap. I am just imagining what I would do if it were cheap.

Take a look at how the feeling of a sentence can change between real and unreal conditionals and the word we use to give the condition.

Real Conditional: If I get a promotion, I will be happy.

This sentence gives the feeling that I am not sure if I will get a promotion, but it is possible.

Real Conditional: When I get a promotion, I will be happy.

This sentence gives the feeling that I am sure that I will get a promotion and I am just waiting for it to happy. "When" gives the feeling that there is a 100% chance that something will happen. It is just a matter of when it will happen.

Real Conditional: If I got a promotion, I would be happy.

This sentence gives the feeling that the chance of getting a promotion is very low. I think I will not get a promotion. A sentence like this is kind of like a wish or hope.

Learn to speak better English and improve your English grammar by simply doing this basic practice exercise. First, complete the sentences with your own answers, and then practice making your own sentences. Finally, try using this grammar in real life.

If it rains tomorrow, I will _______________.
If I met the leader of my country, I would _______________.
If I won the lottery, I would _______________.
I would _______________ if I have time tomorrow.
If I had more time today, I would _______________.
If the weather is nice this weekend, I will _______________.
If I were an animal, I would be _______________.
If I could fly, I would _______________.
If she were a student again, she would _______________.
If I could go back in time 10 years, I would _______________.
When my English improves, I will _______________.
When I have time, I will _______________.
When I have some time off of work, I will _______________.

Mixed Conditionals

In the previous lessons, we studied real and unreal conditionals. We know that conditionals have two parts:

1. A condition
2. A result or action

So far, we have studied real and unreal conditionals in the present, past, and future tenses.

But it is also possible to mix the tenses with unreal conditionals. We cannot mix tenses with real conditionals. We can only do it with unreal conditionals.

For example, the condition could be in the past tense, but the result could be in the present tense.

To make it easy to understand:

All Verbs in the Present Unreal Conditional will be red.
All Verbs in the Past Unreal Conditional will be purple.
All Verbs in the Future Unreal Conditional will be green.

It is always possible to switch the order of these sentences. The if-statement can go at the beginning or the middle of the sentence.

Past

Present

• If I had won the lottery last week, I would be happy right now.
  (=I would be happy right now if I had won the lottery last week.)


• If she had finished her work, she would be here now.
  (=She would be here now if she had finished her work.)

Past

Present

• If I had won the lottery last week, I would buy a house.
  (=I would buy a house if I had won the lottery last week.)


• If she had gotten the job, then she would be moving to New York next week.
  (=She would be moving to New York next week if she had gotten the job.)

Present

Past

• If I had more time today, I would have slept more this morning.
  (=I would have slept more this morning if I had more time today.)


• If I were taller, I would have become a basketball player.
  (=I would have become a basketball player if I were taller.)

Present

Future

• If I had time, I would go to your party tonight, but I don't.
  (=I would go to your party tonight if I had time, but I don't.)


• If she were nicer, she wouldn't be going to the party alone.
  (=She wouldn't be going to the party alone if she were nicer.)

Future

Past

• If I weren't leaving this company next week, I would have agreed to help you.
  (=I would have agreed to help you if I weren't leaving this company next week.)


• If I were going to meet my family next week, I wouldn't have invited you to come.
  (=I wouldn't have invited you to come if I were going to meet my family next week.)

Future

Present

• If I were leaving this company, I would tell you now.
  (=I would tell you now if I were leaving this company.)


• If they weren't coming to the party tonight, I would be sad.
  (=I would be sad if they weren't coming to the party.)

Improve your English grammar and learn to speak fluently with this simple practice. Finish the sentences below and then practice making your own sentences. It is a great way to learn English fast!

If I had won the lottery last week, I would _______________ now.
If I had won the lottery last week, I would have bought _______________.
If I were quitting my job next week, I would _______________ now.
If I were quitting my job next week, I would have already _______________.
If I weren't working tomorrow, I would _______________ now.
If I were smarter, I would have _______________ before.
If I were smarter, I would _______________ now.

Were To with Conditionals

We can use the phrase "were to + verb" with unreal conditionals to emphasize that the condition is very unlikely.

This does not change the true meaning of the sentence, it just emphasizes that the speaker thinks the condition is very unlikely to happen.

Here is how we make and use "were to" with present and future unreal conditionals.

Express the condition with "were to + verb".

• If I were to help him, he wouldn't say thank you.
• If she were to call me, I would hang up.
• They would kill me if I were to tell them the truth.

Here is how we make and use "were to" with past unreal conditionals.

Express the condition with "were to have + past participle".

• If I were to have done that, my boss would have fired me.
• She would have liked it if you were to have come.
• If they were to have failed the test, their mother would have been angry.

Practice by finishing the sentences below and then practice making your own sentences. It is the best way to learn English fast! If you practice in this simple way, your English skills will improve steadily and you will become a more fluent and natural English speaker.

If I were to see my high school teachers again, I would say _______________.
If I were to quit my job, I would _______________.
If my family were to _______________, then I would be happy.
If my friend were to _______________, I would be completely surprised.
If I were to win free plane tickets to anywhere in the world, I would go _______________.