Here are the four main conditionals in English, with a two-sentence definition before each set of examples:
- Zero conditional: This type of conditional is used to describe a factual relationship between two events, where the result is always true if the condition is met.
- If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it will boil.
- If you don’t water plants, they will die.
- First conditional: This type of conditional is used to describe a possible future event or situation, based on a present or future condition.
- If it rains tomorrow, I will stay home.
- If you finish your homework early, you can watch TV.
- Second conditional: This type of conditional is used to describe a hypothetical situation or event that is unlikely to happen.
- If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
- If you studied harder, you would get better grades.
- Third conditional: This type of conditional is used to describe a past event or situation that did not happen, and the resulting consequences that would have occurred if it had happened.
- If I had studied harder, I would have gotten better grades.
- If you had taken the earlier train, you would have arrived on time.
