What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if clauses'.
They describe the result of something that:
- might happen (in the present or future) or
- might have happened but didn't (in the past).
They are made using different English verb tenses.
There are four kinds:
The Zero Conditional
(if + present simple, ... present simple)
If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
The First Conditional
(if + present simple, ... will + infinitive)
If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema.
The Second Conditional
(if + past simple, ... would + infinitive)
If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
The Third Conditional
(if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle)
If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.