The 4 Conditionals (Stop Confusing Them)

Summary

In this video, Teacher Mike explains the four main types of conditional sentences in English: zero, first, second, and third conditionals. The zero conditional is used for general truths, while the first conditional talks about real possibilities in the future. The second conditional discusses unlikely or imaginary situations, and the third conditional refers to hypothetical past scenarios. Mike provides clear examples for each type and emphasizes how conditional sentences help describe different time periods and situations, offering additional tips on using modal verbs and mixed conditionals.

Takeaways

• 🔵 The first conditional is used for things that might realistically happen in the future. It follows the structure: 'If + present simple, will + verb.'
• 🟢 The second conditional is for unreal or unlikely situations, using 'If + past simple, would + verb.' It's used for imaginary scenarios.
• 🔴 The third conditional deals with imaginary situations in the past that didn’t happen, using 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle.'
• 🔵 The zero conditional expresses general truths or facts, following 'If + present simple, present simple.'
• 🟢 Conditionals can start with the 'If' clause or have the 'If' clause in the middle of the sentence, like 'If you mix red and yellow, you get orange,' or 'You get orange if you mix red and yellow.'
• 🔴 The past form 'were' is preferred over 'was' in the second conditional for formal grammar, like 'If I were you, I wouldn't do that.'
• 🔵 The first conditional often uses 'will,' but can also use other modal verbs like 'can,' 'could,' or 'should' depending on context.
• 🟢 Mixed conditionals describe how situations in different time periods influence each other, e.g., how something in the future affects the past.
• 🔴 The second conditional does not use 'will' because it’s meant for unreal situations. Instead, use 'would,' 'could,' or 'might.'
• 🔵 Verbs in conditionals can also use 'to be' with a noun, preposition, or adjective, e.g., 'If I call my mother, she will be happy.'

Q & A

What is the zero conditional used for?

The zero conditional is used to talk about things that are always true or generally true, such as rules or facts.

How is the first conditional structured?

The first conditional is structured as 'If + present simple, will + verb,' and is used to talk about things that might happen in the future.

Can other modal verbs be used in place of 'will' in the first conditional?

Yes, other modal verbs like 'going to,' 'can,' 'could,' or 'should' can be used in the first conditional, depending on the context.

What is the main difference between the zero and first conditional?

The zero conditional describes things that are always true, while the first conditional describes things that might happen in the future.

What is the second conditional used for?

The second conditional is used to talk about unreal or very unlikely situations, often hypothetical or imaginary.

How do you structure a second conditional sentence?

The second conditional is structured as 'If + past simple, would + verb,' and is used for unreal or unlikely situations.

Why shouldn't you use 'will' in the second conditional?

'Will' is not used in the second conditional because it is for real situations, while the second conditional is for unreal or hypothetical scenarios.

What is an example of the third conditional?

An example of the third conditional is, 'If you had invited me, I would have come,' meaning the invitation didn't happen, so the action didn't occur.

How do you structure a third conditional sentence?

The third conditional is structured as 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle,' and is used for hypothetical situations in the past.

What are mixed conditionals used for?

Mixed conditionals are used to talk about situations where one time period affects another, such as how something in the future impacts the past or vice versa.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding Conditional Sentences in English

This paragraph introduces different types of conditional sentences used in English: the zero, first, second, and third conditionals. It explains that the first conditional talks about possible future events (e.g., 'If I see him, I'll tell him to call you'). The second conditional is used for unlikely or imaginary situations (e.g., 'If I won the lottery, I would buy a car'). The speaker, Teacher Mike, also highlights that the focus of the lesson is to explain the four main conditionals, providing examples and rules to show how they function in various contexts.

05:01

📝 Zero and First Conditionals Explained

The zero conditional is used to describe things that are always or generally true. The structure follows 'If + present simple, present simple' (e.g., 'If you mix red and yellow, you get orange'). This tense is used for universal truths and general rules. The first conditional discusses events that could realistically happen in the future, using the format 'If + present simple, future simple' (e.g., 'If it's sunny tomorrow, I'll go to the beach'). Modal verbs like 'can,' 'could,' or 'should' may replace 'will' depending on context. The paragraph also compares the zero and first conditionals to clarify the distinction between general truths and specific future possibilities.

Keywords

💡Zero Conditional

The zero conditional is used to describe things that are always true or generally true. It follows the structure 'if + present simple, present simple.' An example from the video is 'If you mix red and yellow, you get orange,' which highlights a general rule about color mixing. This conditional deals with facts or universal truths.

💡First Conditional

The first conditional is used to talk about things that are likely to happen in the future. Its structure is 'if + present simple, future simple.' For example, 'If it's sunny tomorrow, I'll go to the beach' indicates a real possibility. This conditional focuses on future events that are probable.

💡Second Conditional

The second conditional expresses hypothetical or unreal situations that are unlikely to happen. It follows the structure 'if + past simple, would + verb.' For example, 'If I won the lottery, I would buy a car' describes an imagined scenario where winning the lottery is unlikely. This conditional reflects dreams or unlikely events.

💡Third Conditional

The third conditional deals with imaginary situations in the past that did not happen. Its structure is 'if + past perfect, would have + past participle.' An example is 'If you had invited me, I would have come,' which refers to a missed past opportunity. This conditional is often used for regrets or hypothetical changes to past outcomes.

💡Modal Verbs

Modal verbs like 'will,' 'would,' 'could,' 'can,' and 'might' are used in different conditional structures to express varying degrees of certainty, possibility, or permission. For example, 'If the rain stops, we can go for a walk' uses 'can' to indicate possibility. The choice of modal verb affects the meaning of the conditional.

💡Past Simple

The past simple tense is used in the second conditional to describe unreal situations in the present or future. For instance, 'If I had a horse, I would ride it every day' uses the past simple 'had' to imagine a situation that is not true in reality. This tense is crucial for forming hypothetical scenarios in conditionals.

💡Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is used in the third conditional to discuss hypothetical situations in the past. For example, 'If I had had more time, I would have studied more' reflects a past event that did not occur. The past perfect tense helps frame regrets or missed opportunities in the third conditional.

💡Imaginary Situations

Imaginary situations are hypothetical scenarios that are either unlikely (second conditional) or impossible because they relate to the past (third conditional). For example, 'If I had a private jet, I could fly anywhere' imagines an unreal present situation. These situations form the basis of second and third conditionals.

💡Unreal Conditional

The second conditional is often referred to as the 'unreal conditional' because it describes situations that are not expected to happen, like 'If I won the lottery.' This conditional is based on imaginary or unlikely events. It contrasts with the real conditionals (zero and first) that deal with actual possibilities.

💡Mixed Conditionals

Mixed conditionals combine two different time periods within a conditional sentence, such as how a past event affects the present. For example, 'If you had studied harder, you could be a doctor' mixes the third and second conditionals to show a past event's impact on the present. They offer complex, nuanced expressions of cause and effect across time.

Highlights

Introduction of the four main conditionals in English: zero, first, second, and third conditionals.

Explanation of the zero conditional: used to talk about things that are always true or generally true (e.g., 'If you mix red and yellow, you get orange').

Zero conditional structure: 'If' + present simple, present simple.

First conditional: used for things that might really happen in the future (e.g., 'If it's sunny tomorrow, I'll go to the beach').

First conditional structure: 'If' + present simple, future simple.

Comparison between zero and first conditionals: the zero conditional describes general truths, while the first conditional is about specific future situations.

Modal verbs like 'can,' 'could,' or 'should' can be used in the first conditional for varied meanings (e.g., 'If the rain stops, we can go for a walk').

Second conditional: used for unreal or unlikely situations (e.g., 'If I won the lottery, I would buy a car').

Second conditional structure: 'If' + past simple, subject + would + verb.

Traditional grammar rule for second conditional: use 'If I were,' not 'If I was,' although this is often ignored in casual speech.

Third conditional: used for imaginary situations in the past (e.g., 'If you had invited me, I would have come').

Third conditional structure: 'If' + past perfect, subject + would have + past participle.

Explanation of mixed conditionals: used when actions in one time period affect outcomes in another (e.g., 'If you had studied harder, you could have been a doctor').

In conditionals, 'verb to be' can be used with a noun, preposition, or adjective instead of a verb (e.g., 'If I call my mother, she will be happy').

Conclusion: encouraging learners to practice using conditionals and an invitation to watch the next video for more on mixed conditionals.

Transcripts

if I see him I'll tell him to call you

this is an example of the first

conditional which is a type of sentence

that we use to talk about things that we

think really might happen in the future

if I won the lottery I would buy a car

this is an example of the second

conditional which we use to talk about

things that we think are probably not

going to happen I'm teacher Mike and

today we are learning how to make the

four main conditional sentences that we

use in English these are the zero

conditional the first conditional the

second conditional and the third

conditional so the zero conditional

looks like this if present simple

present simple we use the zero

conditional to talk about things that

are either always true or generally true

for example if you mix red and yellow

you get orange or if you consume more

calories than you burn you gain weight

and it's important to remember that this

is not about one time right now or one

time in the future again it's about

something that is either always true or

generally true it's kind of like a rule

also with every conditional that we're

going to learn about today you can

either start with the If part or put the

If part in the middle so you can say if

you mix red and yellow you get orange or

you can say you get orange if you mix

red and yellow next we have the first

conditional which again is used to talk

about things that we think really might

happen in the future the first

conditional looks like this if present

simple future simple for example if it's

sunny tomorrow I'll go to the beach if

we fly we'll get there faster or if you

practice every day you will

improve also instead of using will you

can also use going to or other modal

verbs such as can could or should

depending on what you are trying to say

for example if you tell him that he's

going to be angry or if the rain stops

we can go for a walk now to make sure

that you understand the difference

between the zero conditional and the

first conditional we're going to compare

two sentences first sentence my son will

call me if he needs help that's the

first conditional and it means that I

know that my son might need help

sometime in the future and I know that

he will call me if he does if my friend

asks me how I know that my son will call

me if he needs help I can then use the

zero conditional I can say because my

son always calls me if he needs help so

the first conditional explains what we

think will happen in one situation in

the future but the zero conditional

gives us a rule for how something always

works or how something generally Works

how do I know that my wife will get

angry if I don't wash my dishes

because she always gets angry if I don't

wash my dishes just an example I always

wash my dishes and my wife is very nice

now let's move on to the second

conditional the second conditional is

often called the unreal conditional

because we use it to talk about

situations that are either impossible or

just very unlikely basically there's

situations that we just really do not

expect to happen and the second

conditional looks like this if past

simple subject would verb for example if

I had a horse I would ride it every day

this tells us that I do not have a horse

and this is just a situation in my

imagination or again if I won the

lottery I would buy a car again it's

just a situation in my imagination and

it also tells us that I do not expect to

ever win the lottery and although wood

is probably the most common modal verb

that we use when making this conditional

you can also use other ones for example

if I had a private jet I could fly

anywhere I wanted however we never use

will because will is for things that are

real and this conditional is for things

that are unreal so don't use will also

the past form of I am is I was but if

you want to follow traditional grammar

rules when using the second conditional

the correct thing to say is if I were

not if I was for example if I were you I

wouldn't do that however not everyone

follows this rule anymore so you will

sometimes hear people say if I was then

we have the third conditional which

looks like this if past perfect subject

would have past participle and we use

this one to talk about imaginary

situations in the past for example if

you had invited me I would have come

this means that you didn't invite me and

because of this I didn't come or if I

had had more time I would have studied

more this means that I didn't have more

time and that is why I didn't study more

so again this one is about the past but

it's about something that didn't happen

in the past and just like with the

second conditional you can also use

other modal verbs if you want to for

example if you had studied you might

have passed the exam also you might have

noticed from my examples that for all of

these conditionals instead of using a

verb you can also use verb to be with a

noun a preposition or an adjective for

example if I call my mother she will be

happy or if he had studied harder he

could have been a doctor and finally we

also have mixed conditionals which are

conditionals that we use to talk about

how something in one time period affects

something in a different time period for

example how something in the future

affected something in the past to learn

more about those make sure to watch this

video right here