First, Second, and Third Conditional

Conditional Clause and Main Clause

If I have enough money, conditional clause	I will go to Japan.     main clause
I will go to Japan main clause	if I have enough money     conditional clause

First, Second, and Third Conditional

1. First conditional:	If I have enough money, I will go to Japan.
2. Second conditional:	If I had enough money, I would go to Japan.
3. Third conditional:	If I had had enough money, I would have gone to Japan.

Conditional clause	Main clause
1. If + Present Tense	will + inf / present tense / imperative
If you help me with the dishes (if + pres), I will help you with your homework. (will + inf) If the sum of the digits of a number is divisible by three, the number is divisible by three (Pres. tense) If you see Mr Fox tonight, tell him I am ill. (imperative).
2. If + Past Tense	would + inf
3. If + Past Perfect Tense	would have + past participle
We do not normally use will or would in the conditional clause, only in the main clause.

Uses of the Conditional

1. First conditional
   1. Nature: Open condition, what is said in the condition is possible.
   2. Time: This condition refers either to present or to future time.
      e.g. If he is late, we will have to go without him.
      If my mother knows about this, we are in serious trouble.
   
   
2. Second conditional
   1. Nature: unreal (impossible) or improbable situations.
   2. Time: present; the TENSE is past, but we are talking about the present, now.
      e.g. If I knew her name, I would tell you.
      If I were you, I would tell my father.
      Compare: If I become president, I will change the social security system. (Said by a presidential candidate)
      If I became president, I would change the social security system. (Said by a schoolboy: improbable)
      If we win this match, we are qualified for the semifinals.
      If I won a million pounds, I would stop teaching. (improbable)
   
   
3. Third conditional
   1. Nature: unreal
   2. Time: Past (so we are talking about a situation that was not so in the past.)
      e.g. If you had warned me, I would not have told your father about that party.(But you didn't, and I have).

Remember!

1. The conditional construction does not normally use will or would in if-clauses. EXCEPTION: If will or would express willingness, as in requests, they can be used in if-clauses.

e.g. If you will come this way, the manager will see you now.
I would be grateful if you would give me a little help.
(= ± please, come this way; please, give me...)

2. For the second conditional, were replaces was:

If I were a rich man...

3. After if, we can either use "some(-one, -where...)" or "any(-one, -where...).

If I have some spare time next weekend....or :
If I have any spare time...

4. Instead of if not, we can use unless.

e.g. I'll be back tomorrow unless there is a plane strike.
He'll accept the job unless the salary is too low.

5.There is a "mixed type" as well, for the present results of an unreal condition in the past:

If + Past Perfect - would + inf.
If you had warned me [then], I would not be in prison [now].

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True in the Present
If clause	Independent clause
True as habit or fact
If + subject + present tense	subject + present tense
If Judita works hard,	she gets good grades.
True as one-time future event
If + subject + present tense	subject + future tense
If Judita hands in her paper early tomorrow,	she'll probably get an A.
Possibly true in the future
If + subject + present tense	subject + modal + base form
If Judita hands in her paper early tomorrow,	she may/might/could/should get an A.

Untrue in the Present
If clause	Independent clause
If + subject + past tense	subject + would/could/might + simple form of verb
If Judita worked this hard in all her courses,	she would/could/might get on the Dean's List.
If + subject + to be verb	subject + would/could/might + simple form of verb
If Judita were president of her class,	she could work to reform the grading policy.

Untrue in the Past
If clause	Independent clause
If + subject + past perfect tense	subject + modal + have + past participle
If Judita had worked this hard in all her courses,	she would not have failed this semester.