Grammar: Conditionals

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-There are four types of conditionals!- Professor Malfoy states. 

  • Zero conditional: ('If' clause: present, Result: present).
                 -Used for general facts that do not change and scientific facts 
                                   -Ex: If you mix the colours blue and red, you get purple.


  • First conditional:('If' clause: present, Result: 'will').
                 -Used for future real possibilities 
                                   -Ex: If you work hard, you'l get a good job.

  • Second conditional:('If' clause: past, Result: 'would').
               -Used to express unreal situations (a) or to give advice and suggestions (b), 
                                  -Ex(a): If I had some money, I would live somewhere farmer.
                                  -Ex(b): If I were you, I'd go now before it rains.

  • Third conditional: ('If' clause: past perfect; Result: 'would have').
               -Used for 'unreal' situations or impossible conditions in the past:
                            -Ex: We would have gone abroad for our holidays if we hand't bought a new car.
               -Used to imply regret:
                            -Ex: If we hadn't set out late, we wouldn't have been caught in that traffic jam.
               -Used to imply criticism:
                            -Ex: If you had listened to your father, you wouldn't have made so many mistakes.

-Can we mix them?- a 4th year student from Hufflepuff asks.
-Of course but only in the following situations.
                 -Used for situations in the present which affect the past: ('If' clause: past tense, Result: might/could/should/would+have+past participle form).
                           -Ex: If I weren't so untidy, I wouldn't have lost your keys.

                 -Used for situations in the past which affect the present: ('If' clause: past perfect, Result: would/might/could+ infinitivo form).
                           -Ex: If I had moved to California, I would be much richer today.

 -We can also use the inversion using conditional clauses.
                 -In formal English, the subject and the auxiliary can be inverted in the if-clause with if omitted:
-Should you see Kate, say hi from me. (if you should see Kate)
-Were he to propose to you now, what would you say? (if he were to propose to you)
-Were I you, I would stop smoking. (if I were you)
-Were it not for Miguel, we wouldn't know what to do now. (if it weren't for Miguel)
-Had we booked our flight earlier, it would have been cheaper. (if we had booked our flight earlier)
-Had it not been for your foolishness, we wouldn't have got lost. (if it hadn't been for your foolishness).





 Bibliography:
 -The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar
-Fillmore, C. J. (1986). Varieties of conditional sentences. In Eastern States Conference on Linguistics (Vol. 3, pp. 163-182).











                           

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