If Clause ZERO, FIRST AND SECOND types

ZERO, FIRST AND SECOND CODITIONALS

ZERO CONDITIONAL

IF + PRESENT SIMPLE + PRESENT SIMPLE

If you eat too much, you get fat.

We use if + Present Simple + Present Simple to talk about something that is true at any time:

If something is lighter than water, it floats.

I don’t cycle to work if it’s very cold.

FIRST CONDITIONAL

IF + PRESENT SIMPLE + will (or’ ll)

If I see Ann, I’ll invite her.

We use if + Present Simple + will to talk about things that are possible in the future:

We will go to the beach this Saturday if the weather is hot enough. (= It’s possible it will

be not)

Note that in this sentence there is a possibility and a result:

Future possibility + result

If it’s hot, we will go to the beach.

If the result is only possible, not certain, we use might (not will):

If it’s hot, we might go to the beach.

(= It is possible that we will go to the beach if it’s hot.)

We can use unless to mean ‘if... not’:

We will go to the mountains on Saturday unless it rains. (=... if it doesn’t rain)

Unless you pay for the broken window, I’ll phone the police. (=If you don’t pay, ...)

SECOND CONDITIONAL

IF + PAST SIMPLE + would (or’d)

If he worked less, he’d enjoy life more.

We use if + Past Simple + would to talk about the present, and to imagine something

different from the real situacion now:

If Shakespeare were alive today, what would he write about?(Shakespeare isn’t alive

today)

If animals could speak, we would be able to discover waht they think. (We aren’t able to

discover what animals think, because they can’t speak.)

If he didn’t live so close to his office, he wouldn’t be able to stay in bed so late in the

morning.

We can also use the second conditional to talk about an unlikely situacion in the future:

If all the ice in the world melted, many coast towns would disappear.

PRACTICE

1. Write what happens when you heat these things, as in the example:

A. The boiling point of water is 100 degrees centigrade.

So if you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils .

B. The melting point of gold is 1063 degrees centigrade.

So _________________________________________________.

C. The boiling point of alcohol is 78 degrees.

So _________________________________________________.

D. The melting point of silver is 960 degrees.

So _________________________________________________.

2. Complete each sentence using the verb in brackets in the Present Simple or with

will, as in the examples.

A. If she wins (win a prize, Mary will be (be) very happy.

B. If John ___________ (come ) this weekend, we ____________ (go) to the theatre.

C. If Ann _____________ (wirte) to me, I _____________ (tell) you what she says.

D. My father _______________ (forgive) Susan if she ___________ (pay) for the broken

window.

E. Jack ____________ (feel) a lot better if he ______________ (stop) smoking.

F. If Bob ______________ (need) some money, we ______________ (lend) him some.

G. If Mark ________________ (listen) to the instructions, he ____________ (know) what

to do.

C. Put will or might in the gaps:

1. If Mary comes, I will definitely tell her what happened.

2. I might change my car if I get a better job, but I’m not sure.

3. Alan hasn’t decided but he thinks that if his health doesn’t improve, he ___________

move to another town.

4. Rose has decided what to do; if Tom doesn’t want to go the museum, she ___________

go there alone.

5. We’re decided; we _____________ lend them our car if they pay for the petrol.

6. I’m not sure. If I win some money, I _____________ take a holiday, or I ____________

put the money in the bank.

D. Rewrite the underline words using the words in brackets.

1. They won’t let her in to the concert unless she has a ticket.

(if) They won’t let her in if she doesn’t have a ticket .

2. We won’t go and see that film if you don’t want to.

(unless) We won’t do and see that film ___unless you want to .

3. The doctor will not see you if you do not telephone first.

(unless) The doctor will not see you _____________________________________.

4. You can’t go and stay at the Johnsons’ unless they invite you.

(if) You can’t go and stay at the Johnsons’ ________________________________.

5. You can’t be a sailor unless you can swim.

(if) You can’t be a sailor ______________________________________________.

6. Our team will be in trouble if we don’t win on Saturday.

(unless) Our team will be in trouble _____________________________________.

E. Use each statement in brackets ( ) to complete each sentence. Use wouldn’t be able to.

1. (Cats have very good eyes; that’s why they can see in the dark.)

If cats didn’t have very good eyes, they _wouldn’t be able to see in the dark .

2. ( Bats have very good ears; that’s how they move about so easily in the dark.)

If bats didn’t have very good ears, they ___________________________________.

3. (Dogs are able to recognize people because they have a good sense of smell.)

Dogs ________________________________ if they didn’t have a good sense of

smell.

4. (We can train dogs; that’s why they are able to help blind people.)

If we couldn’t train dogs, they _______________________________________.

5. (Elephants remember evrything because they have good mamories.)

Elephants _____________________________ if they didn’t have good memories.

6. (Horses can pull heavy loads because they are very strong.)

______________________________________ if they weren’t very strong.