Four "if" patterns, from always-true to never-happened. The whole system is one thing: match the tense in the if-clause to the form in the result.
The four conditionals line up by how real the situation is. Zero and first are real, second and third are imagined. Each pairs one if-clause tense with one result form.
This is the whole system on one grid. The if-clause tense on the left, the result form on the right, learn the pairs and the rest follows.
In the second conditional, were is used for every subject: If I were you. "If I was" is common in speech, but were is the standard hypothetical form.
| Type | If-clause | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Zero | present simple | present simple |
| First | present simple | will + verb |
| Second | past simple | would + verb |
| Third | past perfect | would have + participle |
The key verb forms are highlighted. Decide which of the four types it is, then reveal the pattern.
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There are four main types: zero (general truths), first (likely future), second (unlikely or imaginary present or future), and third (imagined past). Mixed conditionals also exist for more advanced use.
The first conditional describes a realistic future ("If it rains, we will stay home"). The second describes an unlikely or hypothetical situation ("If it rained every day, I would move away") and uses the past simple with "would."
In the second conditional, "were" is the traditional subjunctive form used for all subjects in hypothetical statements, as in "If I were you." "If I was" is common in casual speech but "were" is the standard form.
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