- Level
- Intermediate to advanced
- Used in
- Discussion, Interview, Email
The four conditionals
| Type | Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | if + present, present | Facts and rules | If you heat ice, it melts. |
| First | if + present, will + verb | Real future possibilities | If it rains, the event will move indoors. |
| Second | if + past, would + verb | Imagined or unlikely situations | If I had more time, I would learn Spanish. |
| Third | if + had + past participle, would have + past participle | Imagined past | If I had studied, I would have passed. |
Use conditionals to support an opinion
A second conditional turns a general claim into a concrete result. Claim, then "If…, … would…" as the reason is a strong pattern for the Academic Discussion.
Should universities make attendance optional?
Answer
I think attendance should stay required. If lectures were optional, many first-year students would fall behind before they realized it.
The opinion comes first, and the conditional gives a specific consequence, which reads as reasoning rather than a bare claim.
Other words that work like "if"
- Unless = if not: "You cannot enter unless you have a ticket."
- As long as / provided that = only if: "You can borrow it as long as you return it Friday."
- In case = as a precaution: "Bring an umbrella in case it rains."
Common mistakes
Not quite
Better
- If it will rain, we will stay home.If it rains, we will stay home.
- If I would have money, I would travel.If I had money, I would travel.
- If I had known, I would told you.If I had known, I would have told you.
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