Conditional sentences tenses
- Conditional phrases can be used in past, present, and future; however, they more importantly break down into two categories: real and unreal. As the names suggest, the real conditional describes real situations, while the unreal conditional describes imaginary situations.
- Conditional sentences are always composed of two clauses. The conditional clause (that begins with "if") shouldn’t contain "would" or "will."
| If + conditional clause tense, | + main clause |
- This chart maps out the different conditional phrases possible, including their purpose, structure, and examples.
| Past real conditional | Past unreal conditional |
|
This expresses past real-life situations. It implies a change in habits.
[If +simple past, +simple past] If I had time, I ran. |
This describes an unreal past condition and the probable past consequence.
[If + past perfect, +perfect conditional] If I had had time, I would have run. |
| Present real conditional | Present unreal conditional |
|
This is also called the zero conditional. It is used to describe general knowledge.
[If + simple present, + simple present] If I have time, I run. |
This is used to describe what you would generally do in an imaginary situation.
[If + simple past, + would + infinitive] If I had time, I would run. |
| Future real conditional | Future unreal conditional |
|
This type refers to a real present or future situation.
[If + simple present, + simple future] If I have time, I will run. |
This refers to an imaginary future situation.
[If + simple past, + would + infinitive] If I had time, I would run. |