Home of English Grammar

Free Guide (Updated for 2023)

  • Home
  • Download Lessons
  • Grammar Rules
  • Online Exercises
  • Online Tools
    • Grammar Checker
    • Word Counter
  • Guides
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Lessons / If sentences

If sentences

October 2, 2010 - pdf

Sentences containing the word if are called conditional sentences because they usually express a condition.

Examples:

  • If he comes, ask him to wait.
  • If it rains, we will get wet.
  • If you study hard, you will pass your exam.

There are four types of if sentences in English.

  1. The zero conditional
  2. The type 1 conditional
  3. The type 2 conditional
  4. The type 3 conditional

The zero conditional

In a zero conditional sentence, we use a present tense in both parts of the sentence.

  • If you give respect, you get respect.
  • If you heat ice, it melts.

The type zero conditional sentences are used to talk about real and possible situations.
Type 1 conditional

Type 1 conditional sentences are used to talk about possible situations and their probable results. In these sentences we use the simple present in the if clause and the simple future in the result clause.

  • If you work hard, you will succeed.
  • If you ask him, he will help you.
  • If you invite them, they will come.

Type 2 conditional

These sentences are used to talk about an unlikely condition and its probable result. Here the tense in the if clause is the simple past and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional (would + get).

  • If you asked him, he would help you.
  • If you studied hard you would pass your exam.
  • If you invited them, they would come.

Type 3 conditional

In a type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the if clause is the past perfect and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional (would have + infinitive).

  • If you had invited them, they would have come.
  • If you had asked him, he would have helped you.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
1,267,772 
647,105 

Check Your Grammar

GrammarCheck.net - Try online
Hint → Bookmark GrammarCheck for future use.

Latest Exercises

  • Animal Idioms September 18, 2023
  • Less vs. Fewer September 17, 2023
  • If, Unless, Providing, As Long As September 17, 2023
  • Identifying Conditionals September 16, 2023
  • Conjunctions Quiz September 14, 2023
  • English Vocabulary Exercise September 13, 2023
  • Prefixes Exercise September 12, 2023
  • Tenses Quiz September 10, 2023
  • Gap Filling Vocabulary Exercise September 8, 2023

Topics

  • Adjectives
  • Adverbs
  • Business Writing
  • Commas
  • Conjunctions
  • Creative Writing
  • Difference
  • Essay Writing
  • Exercises
  • Learning
  • Lessons
  • Nouns
  • Prepositions
  • Pronouns
  • Proofreading
  • Punctuation
  • Quiz
  • Spelling
  • Style Guide
  • Teaching
  • Terms
  • Verbs
  • Words
  • Writing

Quiz

  • Can you correct these 14 basic grammar mistakes?
  • What kind of writer are you?

Copyright © 2023 · EnglishGrammar.org
Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Sitemap