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Understanding Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences are special types of sentences that describe a situation and its possible outcome. They often use the word 'if' to show that one thing depends on another.
Types of Conditional Sentences
Important Points
Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional
Mixed Conditional
Zero Conditional
Zero conditional sentences are used to talk about things that are always true, like scientific facts. They use the present simple tense.
Examples
If you heat water, it boils.
If it rains, the ground gets wet.
If you drop an egg, it breaks.
First Conditional
First conditional sentences are used to talk about real and possible situations in the future. They use the present simple tense in the 'if' clause and the future simple tense in the main clause.
Examples
If it rains tomorrow, we will stay inside.
If you study hard, you will pass the test.
If she calls, I will answer the phone.
Second Conditional
Second conditional sentences talk about unreal or unlikely situations in the present or future. They use the past simple tense in the 'if' clause and 'would' in the main clause.
Examples
If I had a million dollars, I would buy a big house.
If he were taller, he would play basketball.
If we knew her phone number, we would call her.
Third Conditional
Third conditional sentences talk about things that did not happen in the past and their imagined results. They use the past perfect tense in the 'if' clause and 'would have' in the main clause.
Examples
If I had seen her, I would have said hello.
If they had left earlier, they would have caught the train.
If we had known about the party, we would have gone.
Mixed Conditional
Mixed conditional sentences are used when the time in the 'if' clause is different from the time in the main clause. They often mix the second and third conditionals.
Examples
If I had studied harder, I would be a doctor now.
If she were more confident, she would have spoken at the meeting.
If they hadn't missed the bus, they would be here now.
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