First Conditional

The first conditional, also known as the real conditional, is used to express possible situations and their likely results in the present or future.

Structure:

• If clause: Present Simple
• Main clause: Future Simple (will + base verb)

Example: If I go on holidays, I'll relax.

For questions, invert the word order in the main clause:

Example: Will Janek invite Luzia on a date if Wiktoria lets him?

Negative form: If + subject + don't/doesn't + verb, subject + won't + verb

Example: If I don't swim, I won't be tired.

Highlight: The first conditional is often translated as "if something, then something" in Polish.

Second Conditional

The second conditional, or unreal conditional, is used for unlikely or hypothetical situations in the present or future.

Structure:

• If clause: Past Simple
• Main clause: would + base verb

Example: If he had a lot of money, he would go on a trip.

Vocabulary: "If I were you" is a common phrase meaning "If I was in your position."

For questions, keep the 'if clause' unchanged and invert the main clause:

Example: What would you do if you had a lot of time?

Highlight: The second conditional is often translated as "if something were to happen, then something would happen" in Polish.

Third Conditional

The third conditional is used for impossible situations in the past.

Structure:

• If clause: Past Perfect (had + past participle)
• Main clause: would have + past participle

Example: If I had gone to Spain last year, I would have bought Spanish sugar.

For questions: Would + subject + have + past participle + if clause

Negative form: If + subject + hadn't + past participle, subject + wouldn't have + past participle

Example: If Wiktoria hadn't called Mateusz last week, she wouldn't have known where to go.

Highlight: The third conditional is often translated as "if something had happened, then something would have happened" in Polish.

Definition: The third conditional is used to express regret or to imagine how past situations could have been different.

Zero Conditional

The zero conditional is used to express general truths and habitual actions. It typically uses the present simple tense in both clauses.

Example: If I'm angry, I bite walls.

Key features of the zero conditional:

• Both clauses are in the present simple tense
• Often used for natural truths and routines
• Can be translated as "when something, then something"

Highlight: The 'if clause' and 'main clause' can be interchangeable in this structure.