A brief i presentation on how if-clauses work in English; autonomosly produced by a small group of 16-year-old Italian students.

1. Betti, Bordoli, Marazzi, Merola
IF
CLAUSES

2. Zero Conditional
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + subject + present
simple
subject + present
simple
ex. If you read the
newspaper every day ,
you know what’s
happening in the world.

3. First Conditional
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + Subject + Present
Simple
Subject + Will / Won’t
ex.If I like their next CD, I will buy it.

4. If I call you
tomorrow, will
you come?
If I put a
mentos in a
coke, does it
explode?
First conditional Zero conditional
INTERROGATIVE
FORM

5. Second Conditional
IF CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + subject + past
simple
subject +
would/wouldn’t
ex. If I had a boat, I’d spend my holidays at
sea.

6. INTERROGATIVE
FORM
Second conditional Third
conditional
Yes!
If I fell in the
lake, would
you save me?
If you had had
time, would
you have
turned the
world?
oh,
sure!

7. AND … THIRD CONDITIONAL
If clause main clause
If + past perfect Perfect conditional or perfect
continuous conditional
ex. If you had studied harder you would have passed the exams

8. USE OF THE…
-ZERO CONDITIONAL :
The zero conditional is
used for when the time
being referred to is now
or always and the situation is real and possible. The zero
conditional is often used to refer to general truths. The
tense in both parts of the sentence is the simple present.
ex. If I arrive at school late, the teacher gets angry.

9. - FIRST CONDITIONAL :
The type one conditional is
used to refer to the present
or future where the situation
is real. The type one conditional refers to a possible
condition and its probable result. In these sentences
the if clause is in the simple present and the main
clause is often in the simple future.
ex. If it stops snowing, I’ll go out with my friends

10. - SECOND CONDITIONAL :
The type two conditional is used to
refer to a time that is now or any time
and a situation that is unreal or highly improbable . The
type two conditional is used to refer to a hypothetical
condition and its probable result.These sentences are
not based on fact; they tell you that reality is the
contrary of what is expressed. The if clause uses the
simple past and the main clause uses the present
conditional.
e.g. If I had enough money, I would buy a lots of shoes.

11. - THIRD CONDITIONAL :
The third conditional is
used to refer to a time
that is in the past, and a situation that was
contrary to reality. The facts they are
based on are the opposite of what is
expressed.
e.g. If i had had wings, I would have flown.

12. SOME EXAMPLES

13. The End