Conditional tenses

Conditionals

The zero conditional is used to describe things that are generally true, natural laws.

E.g. If you drop ice in water, it floats

2.If I see Jane – we can go skating If + Present Simple I will be very happy. will/can/must/may etc + bare infinitive 3.If I don’t pass your exams - you won’t (will not) enter the university." width="640"

The first conditional is used to talk about a future situation we think will very probably happen.

1.If it snows –

2.If I see Jane –

we can go skating

If + Present Simple

I will be very happy.

will/can/must/may etc + bare infinitive

3.If I don’t pass your exams -

you won’t (will not) enter the university.

You can use  unless  instead of  if … not  in the  if-clause :

1. You won’t get any dessert unless you put your toys away.

Future Simple (neg. form) unless+ bare infinitive

2. You won’t get into a good university unless you study.

Find the equivalents in Russian

• If you see a small spider, you will get a lot of money.
• If a girl catches the bride’s bouquet after a wedding, she will be the next to marry.
• If you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck.
• If a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck.

If I were you - I would tell you I would forgive her If +Past Simple If she had money - would/ could /might + bare infinitive If they spoke French - she would buy a new car they could go to France" width="640"

The second conditional is used to describe unlikely situations in the present or future

If I knew the answer -

If I were you -

I would tell you

I would forgive her

If +Past Simple

If she had money -

would/ could /might + bare infinitive

If they spoke French -

she would buy a new car

they could go to France

Complete the sentences

• If I lived in Spain…
• If I were the president…
• If I could go on a holiday to the moon…
• If I had a virtual pet…
• If I had a lot of money…

Read and translate the poem

If all the seas were one sea,

What a great sea that would be!

If all the trees were one tree,

What a great tree that would be!

If all the axes were one axe,

What a great ax that would be!

If all the men were one man,

What a great man that would be!

If the great man took the great axe,

And cut down the great tree,

And let it fall into the great sea,

What a splish-splash that would be!

If + Past Perfect he would have invited them If it hadn’t rained yesterday - Would/ should/ could / might + have+ III form we could have gone for a walk If I had told her the way - She wouldn’t have got lost" width="640"

The third conditional is used to describe situations that didn’t happen or they are a hypothetical past.

If he had seen them -

If + Past Perfect

he would have invited them

If it hadn’t rained yesterday -

Would/ should/ could / might + have+ III form

we could have gone for a walk

If I had told her the way -

She wouldn’t have got lost

What would have happened, if…

• If Columbus hadn’t discovered America, …
• If Einstein hadn’t discovered general relativity, …
• If Napoleon had won the battle, …
• If Mozart hadn’t died so young, …
• If Belt hadn’t invented the telephone, …