CONDITIONAL CLAUSE

 CONDITIONAL CLAUSE

A conditional sentence has got two parts- a main clause and an if clause

If you go now, you will get the train. (if clause + main clause)

Types of Conditions:

1) Zero Condition - General truth

Sentence Structure: present simple + present simple

Example: 

 1. If people smoke, their health suffers.

 

2) Type 1 Condition - Likely to happen

Sentence Structure: present simple + will/can/may/might + base form

Example: 

1. If you book early, you will get a seat.

2. If you save all your money, you can buy a home.

3. She may help you, if you ask her.

 

 3) Type 2 Condition - Probably not happen

Sentence Structure: past simple + would/could/might + base form

Example:

1. If you booked early, you would get a seat.

2. If you saved all your money, you could buy a house. 

3. If you asked her, she might help you

 

  4) Type 3 Condition - Impossible to happen

Sentence Structure: past perfect + would/could/might + have + past participle

Example:

1. If you had booked early, you would have got a seat. 

2. If you had saved all your money, you could have bought a house. 

3. If you had asked her, she might have helped you.

AUTHOR

Dr L Suresh

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore - 641020

Contact: 9944138137

e-mail ID: sureshenglit@rmv.ac.in