What Are the Types of Conditional Sentences & How to Use Them?

Conditional sentences are important in English grammar. There are five types of conditional sentences, each with its own purpose, and it’s important to use each correctly. If you want to learn the different conditional sentences and how to use them, you are at the right place. We are going to explore all types of conditional sentences to give you an in-depth understanding of how to use each.

What Is a Conditional Sentence?

A conditional sentence is a grammar construction that allows you to talk about possible situations and outcomes. It also expresses a proposition or an assumption along with its consequences.

In other words, the main clause of a conditional sentence expresses what would happen if a certain condition were met.

For example: “If it rains tomorrow, I will carry my umbrella.”

In this sentence, the condition (it rains tomorrow) affects whether or not the speaker will carry her umbrella. If the condition is not met (i.e., if it doesn’t rain), she won’t take her umbrella.

Here are other examples of conditional sentences:

• If I study hard, I will get good grades.
• Unless you hurry up, we’ll be late for the movie.
• We would have gone to the park if it hadn’t been raining.
• I wouldn’t have eaten so much cake if I had known it was your birthday.
• I would have invited you to my party if I had known you were in town.

As you can see, each conditional sentence has two clauses – the main clause and the subordinate clause. The subordinate clause usually contains the word “if” or “unless.”

In some cases, the subordinate clause can come before the main clause. The word “unless” can be used instead of ‘if’ to express the same meaning.

For example, the sentence “Unless it rains tomorrow, I will carry my umbrella” means the same thing as “If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, I will carry my umbrella.”

What Are the Different Types of Conditional Sentences?

The different types of conditional sentences are type zero, type 1, type 2, type 3, and mixed conditionals. The different conditional sentences are classified according to the time frame in which the condition is or was met.

Below is more information about the different conditional sentences.

Zero Conditional Sentence

Zero conditional structure: If / When + present tense, present tense

This is the simplest form of a conditional sentence. You should use the zero conditional to express a general truth or scientific fact.

This type of conditional sentence has two clauses; an if-clause, and the main clause, both of which are in the present tense.

The word “if” is not always necessary in the if clause as long as it is clear that the condition is understood.

The zero conditional can be used to describe cause and effect relationships as well. For example:

“Unless you add yeast to bread dough, it won’t rise.”

You can also use it to give instructions or warnings. For example:

“If you touch a hot stove, you will get burned.”

Here are more examples of zero conditional sentences:

• If you don’t turn off the light, you will have to pay a fine.
• If you heat ice, it melts.
• If you plant a seed, it will grow.
• If you add two plus two, you get four.
• If you want to lose weight, you should exercise more.

Type 1 Conditional Sentence

First conditional structure: If + present simple tense, will/can/may + infinitive

Type 1 conditional sentence talks about a possible situation and its result. Its if-clause uses the present tense, and the main clause uses the future tense.

Here are some more examples of first conditional sentences:

• If I have time, I will visit you next week.
• If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
• If they arrive late, we will start the meeting without them.
• If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.
• If you need my help, just let me know.

Type 2 Conditional Sentence

Second conditional structure: If + past simple tense, would/could + infinitive

The second conditional talks about a hypothetical situation and its result. Similar to Type 1, you’re going to use an if-clause and a main clause.

This time, Type 2’s if-clause uses the past tense and the main clause uses the present tense.

Here are some examples of second conditional sentences

• If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
• If he studied harder, he would get better grades.
• If she arrived early, she could get a good seat.
• If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.
• If you needed my help, I would be there for you.

Type 3 Conditional Sentence

Third conditional structure: If + past perfect, would/could + have + past participle

The third conditional talks about an impossible past situation and its result. Unlike Type 2, the conditional sentence type 3 consists of an if-clause in the past perfect tense, while the main clause uses a perfect infinitive.

Here are some examples of third conditional sentences: 

• If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
• If she had arrived early, she could have gotten a good seat.
• If they had left on time, they wouldn’t have missed their flight.
• If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.
• If you had needed my help, I would have been there for you.

Mixed Conditional Sentence

Mixed conditional structure: If + past perfect, would/could/might + infinitive

The mixed conditional talks about a past situation and its present result.

Just like the other types of conditional sentences, it includes an if-clause and the main clause. The difference is its if-clause uses the past perfect tense, and the main conditional clause uses the present tense.

Here are some examples:

• If I had known you were coming, I would visit you next week.
• If he had studied harder, he would get better grades.
• If she had arrived early, she could get a good seat.
• If I had found her address, I would send her an invitation.
• If you had needed my help, I would be there for you.

Different Types of Conditionals in Brief

There are five different types of conditional sentences. They are open condition, Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and mixed conditional. Each of these conditional tenses focuses on specific situations. Some have simple paste tense, while others have a past perfect verb.