English has four standard conditional forms. Most students learn the mechanical recipes (“if+ present, will + base”) but stumble on which one to use when. This guide cuts the recipes down to a one-line rule per type and shows you how examiners read your conditional choice.
Type 0 — Always true
Form: If + present, present. Use it for facts, scientific laws, habitual cause-and-effect.
If governments tax sugary drinks, consumption falls.
Cause and effect that is generally true. No specific time. Type 0.
Type 1 — Real / likely future
Form: If + present, will / can / may + base. The situation is realistic — it might actually happen.
If the policy is introduced next year, low-income families will benefit.
Real, plausible future scenario. Type 1.
Type 2 — Hypothetical / unlikely now
Form: If + past, would / could / might + base. Use it for imagined scenarios that aren’t the case right now.
If schools introduced a four-day week, students would have more time for sport.
They haven't introduced it. It's a hypothetical recommendation. Type 2.
Type 1 — likely
If the government raises taxes, fewer people will smoke.
Realistic scenario the writer thinks could happen.
Type 2 — hypothetical
If the government raised taxes, fewer people would smoke.
Imagined scenario; writer is speculating about a policy not on the table.
Type 3 — Past, impossible now
Form: If + past perfect, would have + past participle. Used for things that didn’t happen — regret, alternative history, missed chances.
If the city had invested in cycling infrastructure earlier, congestion would have eased.
It didn't invest. Now it's too late. Type 3.
Mixed — Past condition, present result
Form: If + past perfect, would + base. The past condition leads to a present result.
If the company had hired better engineers, the platform would not crash so often today.
Past hiring decision (hadn't done it) → present-day consequence. Mixed conditional.
Pick the right conditional
- 1
Likely vs hypothetical
The writer is recommending a policy that hasn’t been proposed and isn’t on the table — which form fits?
Pick one. You'll see why straight away.
- 2
Mixed
You want to say: a country didn’t industrialise in the past, and as a result it is poor today. Which form?
Pick one. You'll see why straight away.
Practice prompt: write three sentences about climate change — one Type 1, one Type 2, one mixed. Submit to Isabel for feedback if you’re on a package, or post it in chat.