Review of conditionals
Join Callum and Finn for this programme as they review four different types of conditionals. Has Finn prepared? What would have made him stay in bed? How bossy is Callum? Find out the answers to these questions and much more in 6 Minute Grammar!
Callum
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Grammar with me, Callum
Finn
And me, Finn
Callum
So Finn, what is our topic today?
Finn
I don’t know.
Callum
Haven’t you read the script?
Finn
No, when I come to the studio, I read the script, not before.
Callum
If you had read the script, you would know what it’s about.
Finn
Well if you give me a few minutes, I’ll just give it a quick read.
Callum
I’d love to give you a few minutes if we had the time. But this is 6 Minute Grammar, not 16 Minute Grammar.
Finn
If I’d known you were going to be so bossy, I’d’ve stayed in bed.
Callum
Mmm. So what is today’s topic? If you’ve been paying attention, you might have worked it out.
Finn
We’ve had a lot of ‘ifs’, that is a bit of a clue.
Callum
It is indeed. Today we’re reviewing conditionals.
Finn
Conditional sentences connect two things. One thing follows on from something else.
Callum
Conditional sentences generally have two parts, the conditional clause, which is sometimes called the if clause, and a main clause. The if clause states a condition and the main clause has what happens because of that condition.
Finn
And there are different kinds of conditional structures depending on whether we’re dealing with something in the present or past and if we’re talking about something real or imagined.
Callum
We normally talk about four different conditional structures. The first one is called the zero conditional. Here’s an example from earlier. Let’s wind back a bit.
[sfx: tape rewinding]
Finn
When I come to the studio, I read the script.
Callum
Now Finn, what time does that refer to?
Finn
It’s not really past, present or future, is it? It’s timeless. It’s always.
Callum
And this is what the zero conditional is for. Things that are always true, things that always happen. One thing happens, something else follows.
Finn
It’s also commonly used for general truths and facts. Like in these examples.
Feifei
When you heat water enough, it boils.
If you leave milk out long enough, it goes bad.
Callum
And in zero conditionals, when and if have the same meaning. Let’s move on now to the first conditional.
[sfx: tape rewinding]
Finn
Well if you give me a few minutes, I’ll just give it a quick read.
Callum
Finn, what time does this refer to?
Finn
This one is about something that might happen in the future. I’ll read the script.
Callum
Will that definitely happen?
Finn
No, it’ll only happen after a particular condition is met, and that condition is that you give me enough time.
Callum
With the first conditional, you can use when as well as if but unlike the zero conditional, they do have different meanings. Listen to these examples.
Feifei
If I go to the shops, I’ll get some bread.
When I go to the shops, I’ll get some bread.
Callum
So Finn: “If I go to the shops”. Am I definitely going to the shops?
Finn
No, not this time. It’s a possibility, but not definite.
Callum
And what about: “When I go to the shops”?
Finn
In this one, using when, there is a definite plan to go to the shops.
Callum
So the first conditional expresses a likely result of a possible or definite future condition.
IDENT
You’re listening to BBC Learning English.
Callum
Today we’re reviewing different conditional forms.
Finn
We’ve looked at zero and first conditionals, and it was Callum who gave us an example of the second conditional.
[sfx: tape rewinding]
Callum
I’d love to give you a few minutes if we had the time.
Finn
What time does this refer to, Callum?
Callum
It’s an imaginary present time – do we have the time now? No we don’t. It’s making a prediction about something that could be possible if something in the present were different. We’re imagining a different present reality.
Finn
Wow. That’s very sci-fi, Callum!
Callum
And now the third conditional. Let’s go back again and here the example.
[sfx: tape rewinding]
Finn
If I’d known you were going to be so bossy, I’d’ve stayed in bed.
Callum
Finn, what time are we talking about here?
Finn
We’re talking about the past, but something that didn’t happen in the past.
Callum
Yes, you didn’t know when you got up this morning that I was going to be so bossy.
Finn
No, my past action would have been different, if I had known. I would have stayed in bed!
Callum
So with the third conditional were imagining a different past reality.
Finn
Very good. That’s right. Very sci-fi again Callum.
Callum
Now, just time for a quick quiz. You’re going to hear a sentence and you need to work out whether it’s a zero, first, second or third conditional. Here’s the first one:
Finn
If you drop the price, you’ll sell more.
Callum
That’s first conditional. Here’s the next one:
Finn
If I were you, I’d take the job.
Callum
And that one is second conditional. What about this one?
Finn
When I’ve had a busy day, I want some peace and quiet when I get home.
Callum
Did you get it? That was the zero conditional.
Finn
Well done if you got all of those right.
Callum
If we had more time we could tell you a lot more about conditionals.
Finn
But we don’t, so we’re going to say goodbye for now, and remind you that there’s more about this topic on our website www.bbc-story.com. Do join us again soon for more 6 Minute Grammar.
Both
Bye.
Grammar Reference
Conditionals review
Meaning and use
Conditional sentences express a connection between two actions or states. One thing happens because of another. These connections can be general, specific, likely, unlikely, real or imagined.
Although there are quite a few different ways of forming conditional sentences there are common patterns known as zero, first, second and third conditionals.
Zero conditionals
Used to refer to general truths, scientific facts and the predictable results of particular actions. One thing happens and because of this something else happens. In zero conditionals if and when have the same meaning.
If you heat water enough, it boils.
When he scores, he celebrates by making a heart shape with his hands.
When it’s raining, he stays indoors.
First conditionals
Used when we want to talk about something that is likely to happen in the future after a specific set of circumstances, the condition. If is used is when the condition is possible and when is used when the condition is certain to happen.
If I go to the shops, I’ll get some bread. (I might not go to the shops)
When I go to the shops, I’ll get some bread. (I’m definitely going to the shops)
If you’ve finished your homework by six, you can go out and play.
When you’re having your party, please keep the noise down!
Second conditionals
Refer to an imagined present result of an unlikely or impossible present condition.
If I had the money, I’d travel around the world. (I don’t have the money)
If I were you, I’d think about leaving him. (I’m not you)
Third conditionals
Refer to an imagined past result of something that didn’t happen in the past.
If I had known you were coming, I wouldn’t have prepared the cheese dish.
(I didn’t know you were coming. I prepared a cheese dish.)
If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time at university.
(I didn’t know then what I know now. I did waste a lot of time at university.)
Form
Conditional sentences usually have two parts. There is the if clause (sometimes called the conditional clause) and the result clause (sometimes called the main clause). The clauses can come in any order.
If the if clause is first, the two clauses are separated by a comma.
There is no comma if the result clause is first.
Zero conditional
If clause:
if/when + present simple
Result clause:
present simple
When I turn it on, it makes a funny noise.
If you multiply ten by twelve, what do you get?
Milk goes bad if you leave it out too long.
First conditional
If clause:
if/when + present simple
Result clause:
will / ‘ll + infinitive without to / imperative
If it rains, you’ll get wet.
If it rains, put your coat on.
If you’re leading at half time, I’ll let your dad know.
If you’ve won, give me a call as soon as possible.
Second conditional
If clause:
if + past simple (exception: verb ‘to be’ takes ‘were’ in 1st and 2nd person)
Result clause:
would / ‘d + infinitive without to
If I knew what was wrong, I’d fix it myself.
I’d be out on my bike if it weren’t raining so hard.
Third conditional
If clause:
if + past perfect
Main clause:
would / ‘d + have / ‘ve + past participle
If I’d known it’d break, I wouldn’t have tried to pick it up.
If you hadn’t insisted on changing your shirt we wouldn’t’ve missed the bus.
Take note: modals
Most first, second and third conditional clauses commonly use will or would but it is possible to use other modal auxiliaries instead. For example:
First conditional
If you go to the shops, can you get some bread, please?
If you go to the shops, could you get some bread, please?
If I go to the beach at the weekend, I might try out my new wet suit.
If I get a phone call this afternoon, it may be good news.
When we go on holiday this year, we should book a nicer hotel.
Second conditional
If I had enough money, I could travel around the world.
If I were elected, I might be able to do some good.
Third conditional
If you’d told me earlier, I could’ve done something about it.
If we had caught the right bus, we might’ve been on time.
Take note: mixed conditionals
Mixed conditionals combine the structure of type 2 and type 3 conditionals when the time (past, present and future) referred to in the if and result clauses are not the same.
Mixed conditionals can refer to:
something that didn’t happen in the past and the result of that condition in the present
If you hadn’t left the map at home, we wouldn’t be lost.
(You left the map at home in the past. We are lost now.)
something that won’t happen in the future and the result of that condition on the past
If I weren’t going on holiday next week, I could have accepted that offer of work.
(I am going on holiday in the future which is why I didn’t accept the offer of work in the past.)