Present Conditionals

Present Real Conditional

FORM

[If / When … Simple Present …, … Simple Present …]

[… Simple Present … if / when … Simple Present …]

USE

The Present Real Conditional is used to talk about what you normally do in real-life situations.

IMPORTANT If / When

Both “if” and “when” are used in the Present Real Conditional. Using “if” suggests that something happens less frequently. Using “when” suggests that something happens regularly.

Present Unreal Conditional

FORM

[If … Simple Past …, … would + verb …]

[… would + verb … if … Simple Past …]

USE

The Present Unreal Conditional is used to talk about what you would generally do in imaginary situations.

EXCEPTION If I were …

In the Present Unreal Conditional, the form “was” is not considered grammatically correct. In written English or in testing situations, you should always use “were.” However, in everyday conversation, “was” is often used.

IMPORTANT Only use “If”

Only the word “if” is used with the Present Unreal Conditional because you are discussing imaginary situations. “When” cannot be used.

EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs

There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English:

would + can = could

would + shall = should

would + may = might

The words “can,” “shall” and “may” cannot be used with “would.” Instead, they must be used in these special forms.

The words “could,” should,” “might” and “ought to” include conditional, so you cannot combine them with “would.”

Conditional Tutorial

There are two kinds of conditional sentences: real and unreal. Real Conditional describes real-life situations. Unreal Conditional describes unreal, imaginary situations. Although the various conditional forms might seem quite abstract at first, they are actually some of the most useful structures in English and are commonly included in daily conversations. If you prefer to use the conditional pages as a reference only and do not want to complete the tutorial, Click Here.

The tutorial should be completed as follows:

1. Read this introduction page.

2. Prepare for the exercises by reading the descriptions of the different conditional forms.

TOPICS COVERED

“If” vs. “When”

Present Unreal Conditional


Present Real Conditional and Present Unreal Conditional


Past Unreal Conditional


Past Real Conditional and Past Unreal Conditional


Present Unreal Conditional and Past Unreal Conditional


Future Real Conditional


Future Real Conditional and Future Unreal Conditional


Continuous Conditional Forms


Mixed Conditionals

“Were to” in Past, Present and Future

All Conditional Forms

Conditional Overview with Examples

Present Real Conditional	Present Unreal Conditional
If I have time, I study English. Sometimes I have time.	If I had time, I would study English. I don’t have time.
Past Real Conditional	Past Unreal Conditional
If I had time, I studied English. Sometimes I had time.	If I had had time, I would have studied English. I didn’t have time.
Future Real Conditional	Future Unreal Conditional
If I have time, I will study English. If I have time, I am going to study English. I don’t know if I will have time or not.  Other forms possible.	If I had time, I would study English. I won’t have time.  Other forms possible.

 

Future in the Past

Like Simple Future, Future in the Past has two different forms in English: “would” and “was going to.” Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two different meanings.

FORM Would

[would + VERB]

FORM Was/Were Going To

[was/were + going to + VERB]

USE 1 Future in Past

 

Future in the Past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the future. It does not matter if you are correct or not. Future in the Past follows the same basic rules as the Simple Future. “Would” is used to volunteer or promise, and “was going to” is used to plan. Moreover, both forms can be used to make predictions about the future.

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, Future in the Past cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of using Future in the Past, you must use Simple Past.

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

More About Active / Passive Forms