0As we all know business English is very much important for all of us to succeed in our respective jobs. So today I will try to explain the conditionals.
Conditional sentences are the "if" sentences.
There are 4 main types of "if" sentences in English, often called conditional sentences.
These sentences are in two halves (clauses):
- the "if" part (if clause)
- the other part where you can use words such as can, will, may, might, could and would (main clause)
| if clause | main clause |
| If + Present Simple | Present Simple |
| If you heat the water to 100 degrees, | it boils. |
1st CONDITIONAL is a structure used for talking about possibilities in the present or in the
future. The first conditional is used to talk about things which are possible in the present or the future --
things which may happen.
| if clause | main clause |
| If + Present Simple | Future Simple, can, may |
| If you study hard, | you will pass the test. |
2nd CONDITIONAL is a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the present or in
the future. The second conditional is used to talk about things which are unreal (not true or not
possible) in the present or the future -- things which don't or won't happen.
| if clause | main clause |
| If + Past Simple | would, could, might |
| If I had a million dollars, | I would buy a big house. |
3rd CONDITIONAL is a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the past. The
third conditional is used to talk about things which DID NOT HAPPEN in the past. If your native
language does not have a similar construction, you may find this a little strange, but it can be very
useful. It is often used to express criticism or regret.
| if clause | main clause |
| If + Past Perfect | would/could/might have + Past Participle |
| If I had studied harder, | I would have passed the exam. |
Hope the explanations and examples will help you understand the concept of conditionals clearly.
