CONDITIONALS When in time if This is the condition (if clause) Verb tense: SIMPLE PRESENT/CONTINUOUS always you heat ice When I play tennis with John I am studying If/ Verb tense: SIMPLE PRESENT result /consequence / effect (main clause) Verb tense: SIMPLE PRESENT type it melts and turns into water I always win I never answer the phone ‘0’ SCIENTIFIC TRUTH PERSONAL TRUTH Verb tense: SIMPLE FUTURE (WILL + base verb of verb) or MODAL + BASE FORM Present / future If you don’t leave it rains tomorrow you think she is ill he is interested in the idea you want to lose weight you see Mary I will/shall call the police the match will be cancelled you should call the doctor he might ask us to a demonstration you must/should exercise more could you ask her to call me? Verb tense: SIMPLE PAST Verb tense: MODAL (usually would) + (subjunctive – one step back in time) Present / future If past If I had time John were here I were you he had a work permit I knew Mary’s number Verb tense: PAST PERFECT SIMPLE/CONTINUOUS I’d known about your party we hadn’t eaten so much John had found her earlier John had found her earlier hadn’t been driving so fast I hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt BASE FORM OF VERB I would call Mary he would help us I would tell him the truth He could get a job here I could phone and ask her to come Verb tense: MODAL (usually would) + PERFECT INFINITIVE I would have come we wouldn’t have been so ill he could have saved her life.(ability) I he might have saved her life.(possibility) I wouldn’t have had the accident ‘1’ ‘2’ Certain / Probable / Possible Improbable hypothetical ‘3’ Impossible hypothetical I would (certainty) / could (probability) / might (possibility) have been seriously injured when I crashed into the wall This table does not take into account all verb constructions in the conditional covers more possibilities than usually found in worksheets of this type However, it