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Conditionals

Real

Zero conditional: present + present: a situation is always true

(e.g. scientific facts). If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens.

If / When I work late, I get tired.

If you come early, we can discuss the problem together.

1^st conditional: present + future: a situation is real; we think that the result is really possible / likely to happen

If you keep driving like that, you’ re going to have an accident.

If you see Mark, tell him I’ ll ring him tomorrow.

You won’t pass your test unless you do some serious revision.

Unreal

2^nd conditional: Past simple + would / could / might: hypothetical future or present situations, unreal or imaginary, with impossible / unlikely results

If I knew the answer, I would tell you.

If I was having a party, I wouldn’t invite him.

They would buy a new house if they had more money.

If I had the money, I could help you.

3^rd conditional: past perfect + would have: hypothetical past situations (to express a hypothetical / impossible past result to a past situation)

If I had known you were coming, I would have met you at the station.

Would you have stayed at home if it had rained yesterday?

past perfect + modals:

If you hadn’t reminded me, I might have forgotten.

Real or unreal?

Ex. 1 Complete the sentences using zero, 1^st or 2^nd conditional:

a) Scientists are planning a way of writing extremely small letters, using xenon (Xe) atoms. If you (use) ___ this system, you (be able) ___ to write ten copies of the Bible on the area of a postage stamp.

b) Humans are among the few animals to have colour vision. If you (be) ___ a horse, for example, you (see) ___ everything in black and white.

c) The brain works in two parts, the left side and the right side. Scientists can put one side of the brain to sleep, and see what happens. For example, if they (turn off) ___ the right side of the patient's brain, the patient (not be able) ___ to sing, because musical ability comes from the right side of the brain.

d) Beetles are one of the most numerous species on the planet. In fact, if other insects and animals (not eat) ___ beetles, in about a year and a half the beetle population (weigh) ___ as much as the whole Earth! 


e) Parts of the body send messages to other parts of the body when they have to do things. For example, if you (not have) ___ enough water in your body the brain (let) ___ you know that you need more, by making you feel thirsty.


f) If you (look) ___ inside your own eye at the images there, they (be) ___ upside down, and they (be) ___ moving.


g) If you (smoke) ___, chemical changes (take place) ___ in your cells, 
which do not receive enough oxygen and die. 


h) The world's oceans contain huge amounts of salt. In fact, if you (remove) ___ salt from the oceans, you (be able) ___ to use it to build a wall about 300km wide and 
a kilometre tall all around the Earth!