Conditional Clause Or If-Clause | Simply Explained With Examples

Conditionals/ If-clause sentences

          There are three types of conditional clause.

  v Open/ probable/ possible condition:

          In this condition’s action may or may not happen in the future.

          Rules:

                  

If-clause	Main clause
Simple present tense	Will/ shall/ can/ may + present form verb

          Ex:

                   If you play well, you will win the game.

  v Zero condition:

               To desire general truth (or) universal truth (or) scientific facts the verbs in both clauses are in the tense.

              Rules:

If-clause	Main clause
Simple present tense	Simple present tense

     Ex:

              If you boil the water, it evaporates.

              If you heat the ice, it melts.

Ø Negative meaning:

If-clause	Main clause
Unless – model Unless + simple present tense	Will/ shall/ can/ may + not +present form verb (or) negative sense

     Ex:

              Unless you study well, you will not pass/ fail the exam.

  v Improbable/ Imaginary/ Hypothetical condition:

          Though we use a past tense, the meaning is not past. The meaning is something connected with imagination (or) wish (or) a kind of dreaming the e whole situation is unreal.

          Rules:

If-clause	Main clause
Simple past tense	Would/ should/ could/ might +present form verb

          Ex:

                   If my brother were in London, I could also go there.

                   If my brother became the P.M, He would help me.

                   If I were a bird. I would flu in the sky.

                   If I had money, I would give you.

Note:  In imaginary condition we use ‘were’ the plural form of the verb “be” to the subjects which are even in subjective mood.             Ex: if my brother were (be) the C.M, He would give job to all

  v Impossible/ Unfulfilled condition:

          The action has been completed and we cannot retrieve back that action, so we call it impossible condition.

          We find that certain actions did not happen in the past and so other actions also did not happen so we call it impossible condition.

          Rules:

If-clause	Main clause
Past perfect tense	[Past of the future perfect tense] Would/ should/ could/ might + have + Past participle

          Ex:

                             If I had got a prize in lottery, I would have bought a car.

                             In the above example “getting a prize” in a lottery did not happen; so “buying car” also did not happen.

---

  v Model-1

1.     A man falls, he feels painful

                   If a man falls, he feels painful

2.     Study well, you will score high marks

If you study well, you will score high marks

  v Model-2

1.     I don’t have money, I want to help you.

If I had money, I would help you

2.     I am not the C.M, I would serve the poor.

If I were the C.M, I would serve the poor.

  v Model-3

1.     They did not take medicine, they did not recover.

If they had taken medicine, they would have recover.

2.     They did not ask him, he did not help them.

If they had asked him, they would have helped them.

---

Tense	If- clause	Main clause	Type
Present tense	positive	Positive	Type - I
	positive	Negative	Type - II
	Negative	Positive
	Negative	Negative
Past tense	Positive	Positive	Type - III
	Positive	Negative
	Negative	Positive
	Negative	Negative

Main clause – simple future tense (negative means) we can use type – I

Type – I

          If both sentences are present tense, means (positive) we can use there Type-I

                   You study well. You score more marks.

                   You study well, you will score more marks.

---

Type - II

1.     I am not a bird. I will not fly

               If I were a bird, I would fly.

2.     Tomorrow is not a holiday. We cannot go Ooty.

                If tomorrow were a holiday, we could go to Ooty.

---

Type – III

1.     I forgot the answer. I lost marks.

                          If I had not forgot the answer, I would not have lost marks.

2.     I did not get up early. I could not attend the meeting.

                        If I had got up early, I could had attended the meeting.

3.     He did not go to school. He missed his lesson.

                        If he had gone to school, he would not have missed his lessons.

---

     1.     He studied well. He passed the exam.

          If he hadn’t studied well, he wouldn’t passed in the exam.

(அவன் நன்றாக படிக்காமல் இருந்திருந்தால், அவன் தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றிருக்கமாட்டான்)

     2.     He didn’t study well. He did not pass in the exam.

          If he had study well, he would have passed the exam.

(அவன் நன்கு படித்திருந்தால், அவன் தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றிருப்பான்)

---

Ex:

1.     The bus breaks down. I won’t be able to attend the class.

2.     Kalai did not have a cycle. He did not reach school early.

3.     Sita studies well. She passed the exam.

4.     You waste water. You suffer.

5.     It rains. I shall get wet.

6.     The glass falls. The glass breaks.

7.     They play well. They win the cup.

8.     Don’t waste rain water. Otherwise you will suffer.

9.     He did not run fast. He lost the race.

10.            Run fast. You can catch the bus.

11.            You are tired. You take rest.

12.            Raja must work hard. Otherwise he will not succed.