Today is our topic of discussion – Conditional Sentences

Conditional Sentences

 

 

Definition of conditional sentence

A conditional sentence is a type of sentence that tells a condition and the outcome of that condition taking place. A dependent clause and an independent clause join together to make a Conditional sentence.

Conditional sentences are declarations which discuss known factors or hypothetical situations and their consequences. Complete conditional sentences contain a conditional clause or dependent clause (if-clause) and an independent clause or the consequence. As –

If it rains today, I won’t go tomorrow. I would help the poor if I were a king.

Water boils when it reaches 100 degrees.

In the above stated sentences if and when create hypothetical situations and their consequences. In the first sentences, if makes a situation where going to class depends on raining. The second sentences create a hypothetical situation where the speaker has to be king to help the poor and there might not be any chance to become a king. In the third sentence a consequence (water boils) has been told after a certain incident (when it reaches 100 degrees).

Classification of conditional sentence

There are four different types of conditional sentences in English. Each of them expresses a different degrees of chance or possibility that a situation will occur or would have occurred under certain conditions. They are –

i. Zero conditional sentences

ii. First conditional sentences

iiiSecond conditional sentences

iv. Third conditional sentences

Zero conditional sentences

Zero conditional sentences depict general truths or situations in which one thing always depends on or causes another one. When a zero conditional is used, it indicates a general truth rather than a specific case. As-
When people smoke cigarettes, their health suffers. If you heat ice, it melts.

Note:

• Zero conditionals always take present indefinite tense rather than future indefinite tense in both clauses. As-

“When people smoke cigarettes, their health will suffer.” – This will be an incorrect sentence.

• If and when can be used interchangeably in zero conditional sentences as the outcome will always be the same. As –
  If people smoke cigarettes, their health suffers.

First conditional sentences

First conditional sentences indicate situations in which the outcome is expected (but not certain) to occur in the future. As –

If you don’t study hard, you get a poor grade.

Note:

If you come, I’ll go.

• Present indefinite tense is used in the subordinate clause (if clause) and future indefinite tense in the principal clause (the clause that indicate the expected or probable outcome). This is how it is expressed that under a certain condition (as expressed in the subordinate or if clause), a certain result will probably happen in the future. As-

If rain stops, I’ll go for a walk.

Here, the first half of the sentence (If rain stops) is in present indefinite tense and the later half (I’ll go for a walk) is in future indefinite tense.

• Use the zero conditional sentence structure rule (present indefinite + present indefinite) only when a particular outcome is guaranteed. If the result is probable, use the first conditional sentence structure rule (present indefinite + future indefinite).

Incorrect: If you will come, I’ll go.
Correct: If you come, I’ll go.

 

 

 

Second conditional sentences

Second conditional sentences are used to express results which are completely impractical or
will not probably happen in the future. As- If I were a king, I would help the poor.
If I had a million taka, I would build a white palace.

Note:

• Second conditional sentences need past indefinite tense in the subordinate clause (if clause) and an auxiliary modal verb (would, could, should, might) in the principal clause (which indicates the impractical or improbable result).

If I were a bird, I would fly in the sky.

Here, the first half of the sentence (If I were a bird) is in past indefinite tense and the later half which is a principal clause (I would fly in the sky) has a ‘would’ in it.

• While making a second conditional sentence, use past indefinite tense in the subordinate clause.

Incorrect: If I have a million taka, I would build a white palace.
Correct: If I had a million taka, I would build a white palace.

• Use a modal auxiliary verb (would, could, should, might) in the principal clause when using the second conditional sentence structure to express the improbability that the outcome will actually happen.

Incorrect: If I were a king, I will help the poor.
Correct: If I were a king, I would help the poor.

Third conditional sentences

Third conditional sentences refer to explain that present circumstances would be different if something different had happened in the past. In other words, third conditional sentences indicate situations which did not occur in the past, so the outcome did not happen either. As –

If you had come earlier, you could have met the Chairman.

If you hadn’t left the job, you would have a car by now.

These sentences indicate a condition that had probability to happen, but did not actually happen in the past. In the first sentence, somebody had the probability to meet the Chairman if s/he could come earlier. However, the person could not manage to come earlier and thus the other outcome did not happen either.

Note:

• Third conditional sentences need the past perfect structure (had + past participle) in the subordinate clause (if-clause). The modal auxiliary (would, could, should etc.) + have + past participle in the principal or main clause expresses the hypothetical situation that could have happened. As – If you had worked hard, you could get the reward.
• In the third conditional sentences, a modal auxiliary verb does not take place in the subordinate clause (if-clause).

Incorrect: If you would have come earlier, you could have met the Chairman.
Correct: If you had come earlier, you could have met the Chairman.

• The third conditional sentence indicates a circumstance that could have only happened in the past if a certain condition had been completed. That’s why these sentences take the modal auxiliary verb + have + the past participle.

Incorrect: If I had completed my assignment, I could go outside to play.
Correct: If I had completed my assignment, I could’ve gone outside to play.

Exceptions and special cases when using conditional sentences

Use of the future indefinite tense in the subordinate clause (if-clause)

Usually the future indefinite tense should be used only in the principal clause. One exception is when the action in the subordinate clause (if-clause) will take place after the action in the main clause. As –

If aspirin will ease my headache, I will take a couple tonight.

The action in the if-clause is the aspirin easing the headache, which will take place only after the speaker takes them later that night.

“Were to” in the if-clause

The verb phrase “were to” is sometimes used in conditional sentences when the probable or improbable result is particularly absurd or unimaginable. In this case, “were to” is used to place emphasis on this probable outcome. As-

If I were to be sick, I would miss another day of work.

If she were to be late again, she would have to have a conference with the manager.

If the rent were to have been a penny more, they would not have been able to pay it.

Note:

The emphatic “were to” can be used to describe hypothetical situations in the present, future, and past.

 

 

Punctuating conditional sentences

Use a comma after the subordinate clause (if-clause) when the subordinate clause (if-clause) precedes the principal clause. As – If I were a bird, I would fly in the sky. If the principal clause precedes the subordinate clause (if-clause), no punctuation is necessary. As-

I would fly in the sky if I were a bird