What is a Conditional Sentence?
A Conditional Sentence is a type of sentence that indicates some possibilities and outcomes or proposition or assumption but with condition.
It has mainly two parts – Main Clause and a Conditional Clause . Main Clause indicates what would happen and Conditional Clause indicates the condition behind this .
Examples –
If you talk to her , she will definitely help you .
In this sentence, the Conditional Clause is – ‘ If you talk to her ‘ and the Main Clause is – ‘ she will definitely help you ‘.
Types of Conditional Sentences –
There are five types of Conditional Sentences –
1 . Zero Conditional Sentence – This type of sentence describes known facts or a general truth or anything scientific or a cause and its effect . In this type of sentence both the main and conditional clause are used in Simple Present Tense.
Examples –
If you brush well, you get healthy teeth .
If you multiply five to six, you get thirty .
The heatwave blows when it’s summer .
Unless you get up early , you can’t see the rising sun .
2 . Type 1 Conditional Sentence – It indicates a possible situation and its result . The outcome is likely to happen but not guaranteed . The Main Clause uses Future Tense and the Conditional Clause uses the Present Tense. It indicates the open condition.
Examples –
If you work hard , you will succeed in your next project .
If I go to the office, I will do your task .
If you have no plan , you will not be able to execute .
I will not go to work if the heatwave blows.
3 . Type 2 Conditional Sentence – This type of conditional sentence indicates something hypothetical and its result. In this type the Conditional Clause uses the Past Tense and the Main Clause uses the Present Tense.
Examples –
If I got some money, I would visit Bangkok .
If they booked tickets early , they could get a chance to see the movie .
If you had a chance, you could make a century .
4 . Type 3 Conditional Sentence – This type of conditional sentence indicates an impossible situation in Past and its result in the past . In this type of sentence the Conditional Clause uses the Past Perfect Tense and the Main Clause uses a Perfect Infinitive . It indicates the closed condition.
Examples –
If my father had known I was arriving , he would have received me at the airport.
If you had started in time, you would have achieved better .
If he had performed better earlier, he wouldn’t have missed the playing eleven .
5 . Mixed Conditional Sentence – This type of sentence indicates a Past situation and its Present result. The Conditional Clause uses the Past Perfect Tense and the Main Clause uses the Present Tense.
Examples –
If you had prepared well , you would achieve better .
If he had performed well earlier, he would get a chance .
