In linguistics, conditional sentences are sentences discussing hypothetical situations and their consequences. Some languages (not English) have special verb forms (the conditional mood) that they use in these kinds of sentences.

Conditional sentences contain two distinct clauses: the protasis or condition (if I go to the store), and the apodosis or result (I will buy milk). The nature of the condition is determined mainly by the form of the verbs is these clauses. Here are examples of the major types of conditional sentences:

Present General

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Present General (sometimes called the Zero Condition in English grammars) sentences specify present results of conditions that are true, feasible, or likely:

If water is heated to 100 degrees, it boils.
Whenever it rains, I take my umbrella.
If she is here already, I am glad.

English in this type of condition uses present tense verbs in both the protasis and the apodosis.

Future More-Vivid

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Future More-Vivid (or First Condition) sentences express future results of probable or expected conditions:

If it rains, the roads will be wet.
If he doesn't show up, you can have his sandwich.

Future Less-Vivid

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Future Less-Vivid (or Second Condition) sentences express future results for conditions that are considered unlikely to occur:

If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.
If he should say that to me, I would run away.

Present Contrafactual

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Present Contrafactual (also sometimes called Second Condition, along with Future Less-Vivid sentences) sentences express present results of untrue (contrary to fact) conditions: If she were at work today, you could find her on the next floor up.
If I were king, you would be queen.

Past Contrafactual

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Past Contrafactual (or Third Condition) sentences give supposed results for events that could have taken place in the past but did not:

If you had called me, I would have come.
If Thomas Paine had been born in the early-21th Century, he would undoubtedly have kept a blog.
If I had lived during the Elizabethan era, I would have attended all of Shakespeare's plays.

External links

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• English Conditionals
• Classical Greek Conditionals
• Latin Conditionals
• French Conditionals

Syntax