CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

There are three types of conditional sentences.

type condition

I condition possible to fulfill

II condition in theory possible to fulfill

III condition not possible to fulfill (too late)

1. Form

type if-clause main clause

I Simple Present will-future or (Modal + infinitive)

II Simple Past would + infinitive *

III Past Perfect would + have + past participle *

2. Examples (if-clause at the beginning)

type if clause main clause

I If I study, I will pass the exam.

II If I studied, I would pass the exam.

III If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.

3. Examples (if-clause at the end)

type main clause if-clause

I I will pass the exam if I study.

II I would pass the exam if I studied.

III I would have passed the exam if I had studied.

4. Examples (affirmative and negative sentences)

type Examples

long forms short/contracted forms

+ If I study, I will pass the exam. If I study, I'll pass the exam.

I If I study, I will not fail the

If I study, I won't fail the exam.
exam.
- If I don't study, I'll fail the
If I do not study, I will fail the
exam.
exam.

If I studied, I would pass the

+ If I studied, I'd pass the exam.
exam.

II
If I studied, I would not If I studied, I wouldn't fail the
fail the exam. exam.
-
If I did not study, I would If I didn't study, I'd fail the
fail the exam. exam.

If I had studied, I would have If I'd studied, I'd have

+
passed the exam. passed the exam.

III
If I had studied, I would not
have failed the exam.
-
If I had not studied, I would
have failed the exam.
If I'd studied, I wouldn't have
failed the exam.
If I hadn't studied, I'd have
failed the exam.

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES WITH UNLESS

HOW TO USE "UNLESS"
Unless means the same as if...not. Like if, unless is followed by a present tense, a past tense,
or a past perfect tense (never by a conditional). Unless is used instead of if...not in conditional
sentences of all types. The order of the clauses doesn't matter with sentences using unless.

TYPE 1 CONDITIONAL: UNLESS + PRESENT TENSE

With If Equivalent with Unless

You will be sick if you don't stop eating. You'll be sick unless you stop eating.

I won't pay if you don't provide the goods immediately. I won't pay unless you provide the go

If you don't study dilligently, you'll never understand trigonometry. Unless you study dilligently, you'll nev

TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL: UNLESS + PAST TENSE

With If Equivalent with Unless

If he wasn't very ill, he would be at work. Unless he was very ill, he would be at w

I wouldn't eat that food if I wasn't really hungry. I wouldn't eat that food unless I was re

She would be here by now if she wasn't stuck in traffic. She would be here by now unless she w

TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL: UNLESS + PAST PERFECT

With If Equivalent with Unless

Our director would not have signed the contract if she hadn't had a Our director would not have signed the
lawyer present. lawyer present.

I wouldn't have phoned him if you hadn't suggested it.

With If Equivalent with Unless

They would have shot her if she hadn't given them the money. They would have shot her unless she'd