Conditional Sentences / If-Clauses Type I, II und III

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.

Conditional Sentence Type 1

It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled. Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future

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

more on Conditional Sentences Type I

Conditional Sentence Type 2

It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled. Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

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

more on Conditional Sentences Type II

Conditional Sentence Type 3

It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past. Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)

Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.
more on Conditional Sentences Type III

Conditional sentence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the non-custodial punishment for a crime in Canada, see conditional sentence (Canada).

In grammar, conditional sentences are sentences discussing factual implications or hypothetical situations and their consequences. Languages use a variety of conditional constructions and verb forms (such as the conditional mood) to form such sentences. Full conditional sentences contain two clauses: the condition or protasis, and the consequence or apodosis. If it rains [condition], (then) the picnic will be cancelled [consequence]. Syntactically, the condition is the subordinate clause, and the consequence is the main clause. However, the properties of the entire sentence are primarily determined by the properties of the protasis (condition) (its tense and degree of factualness).

Contents
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1 Categories

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1.1 Factual 1.2 Counterfactual

2 Logic 3 Examples

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3.1 English 3.2 Latin 3.3 French 3.4 Italian

4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit]Categories
English conditional sentences can be divided into the two broad classes of factual/predictive and hypothetical (counterfactual), depending on the form of the verb in the condition (protasis). The terms "factual" and "counterfactual" broadly correspond to the linguistic modalities called realis and irrealis.

[edit]Factual
In these constructions, the condition clause expresses a condition the truth of which is unverified. The verb in the condition clause is in the past tense (with a past tense interpretation) or in the present tense (with a present or future tense interpretation). The result clause can be in the past, present, or future. Generally, conditional sentences of this group are in two groups, the "zero conditional" and the potential or indicative conditional, often called "first conditional"

or "conditional 1". This class includes universal statements (both clauses in the present, or both clauses in the past) and predictions. The "zero" conditional is formed with both clauses in the present tense. This construction is similar across many languages. It is used to express a certainty, a universal statement, a law of science, etc.: If you heat water to 100 degrees celsius, it boils. If you don't eat for a long time, you become hungry. If the sea is stormy, the waves are high. It is different from true conditionals because the introductory "if" can be replaced by "when" or "whenever" (e.g., "When you heat water..."), which cannot be done for true conditionals. The potential or indicative conditional, often referred to as the "first conditional" or "conditional 1", is used more generally to express a hypothetical condition that is potentially true, but not yet verified. The conditional clause is in the present or past tense and refers to a state or event in the past. The result can be in the past, present, or future. Some examples with the condition clause in the past tense: If she took that flight yesterday, she arrived at 10pm. If she took that flight yesterday, she is somewhere in town today. If she took that flight yesterday, we'll see her tomorrow. A condition clause (protasis) in the present tense refers to a future event, a current event which may be true or untrue, or an event which could be verified in the future. The result can be in the past, present, or future: If it's raining here now, then it was raining on the West Coast this morning. If it's raining now, then your laundry is getting wet. If it's raining now, there will be mushrooms to pick next week. If it rains this afternoon, then yesterday's weather forecast was wrong. If it rains this afternoon, your garden party is doomed. If it rains this afternoon, everybody will stay home. If I become President, I'll lower taxes. Certain modal auxiliary verbs (mainly will, may, might, and could) are not usually used in the condition clause (protasis) in English: *If it will rain this afternoon, *If it may have rained yesterday,

Se usa este tipo del condicional cuando la condicin y el resultado siempre es verdad, como por ejemplo los hechos cientficos.
IF If Condition Present simple Result Present simple

y y y y

Ejemplos: If you heat water to 100 C, it boils. / Water boils if you heat it to 100 C. (Si calientas agua a 100 C hierve.) If I don't practice the piano everyday I play poorly. / I play the piano poorly if I don't practice everyday. (Si no practico el piano cada da toco mal.) Does your mom get mad if you don't call her? / If you don't call your mom, does she get mad? (Si no la llamas a tu madre, se enoja?)

Nota: Podemos cambiar el orden de los frases sin cambiar el significado. Tambin, en general con este tipo de condicional, podemos sustituir "if" con "when" sin alterar el significado.
First Conditinal (Tipo 1)

Esto tipo del condicional se utiliza para el futuro y en los casos cuando es muy probable que la condicin pasar.
IF If Condition Present simple Result Future simple ("will")

y y y y

Ejemplos: If Bill studies, he will pass the exam. / Bill will pass the exam if he studies. (Si Bill estudia, aprobar el examen.) If it doesn't rain, we will go to the beach. / We will go to the beach if it doesn't rain. (Si no llueve, iremos a la playa.) Will you take the train if you miss the bus? / If you miss the bus, will you take the train? (Cogers el tren si pierdes el bus?)

Nota: Se pueden usar algunos verbos modales en vez de "will" para cambiar la probabilidad o expresar una opinin. Para ms informacin, ver la leccin sobre los verbos modales.
y y

Ejemplos: If it doesn't rain, we may go to the beach. (*Con el uso de "may", el significado de esta frase cambia. Ahora, el hablante reconoce que puede ir a la playa pero no esta tan seguro de si ir.)

y y

If it doesn't rain we should go to the beach. (*En este caso, el uso de "should" expresa la opinin del hablante.) If it doesn't rain we can go to the beach. ("Can" significa que es posible ir a la playa, pero no indica la probabilidad.)

Second Conditional (Tipo 2)

Se utiliza el tipo 2 para expresar una posibilidad irreal en el presente, como un deseo o un sueo, o para una accin en el futuro no tan probable.
IF If Condition Past simple Result "Would" + infinitivo

y y y

Ejemplos: If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world. / I would travel around the world if I won the lottery. (Si ganara la lotera, viajara alrededor del mundo.) If Rachel had more time, she would learn to play the guitar. / Rachel would learn to play the guitar if she had more time. (Si Rachel tuviera ms tiempo, aprendera a tocar la guitarra.) Would you be happy if you were to get married? / If you were to get married, would you be happy? (Estaras feliz si te casaras?)

Nota: Como en el tipo 1, se pueden usar otros verbos modales en vez de "would" para cambiar el significado y la posibilidad.
Third Conditional (Tipo 3)

A diferencia a los tipos 1 y 2, se utiliza el tercer tipo del condicional cuando hablamos de una condicion en el pasado que no ha sucedidio.
IF If Condition Past perfect Result "Would have" + past participle

y y

Ejemplos: If I had known then what I know now, I would have done things differently. / I would have done things differently if I had known then what I know now. (Si hubiera sabido en el pasado lo que s ahora, hubiera hecho las cosas de manera diferente.) Suzanne wouldn't have had the heart attack if she had gone on a diet as her doctor recommended. / If Suzanne had gone on a diet as her doctor recommended she wouldn't have had the heart attack. (Suzanne no hubiera tenido el infarto si hubiera hecho dieta como su mdico le recomend.)

Would you have liked to go to university if you had been able to afford it? / If you had been able to afford it, would you have liked to go to university? (Te gustara ir a la universidad si te lo hubieras permitido pagar?)

Nota: Como los tipos 1 y 2, se puede usar otros verbos modales en vez de "would" para cambiar el significado y la probabilidad.