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How to use ‘if’ in conditional sentences

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If i won the lottery, I would...

In English we have four ways to make conditional (if) sentences. Here is how to make them...

0 Conditional – is used for scientific facts or general truths. ‘If’ can be substituted for ‘when’.

 ‘If you boil water to 100°C, it boils.’

‘When you boil water to 100°C, it boils.’

1st Conditional – is used with ‘will/can + base verb’ for a probable future result.

 ‘If you study hard, your English will improve.’

'If I get enough sleep, I will feel better.’

2nd Conditional – uses the ‘simple past’ with ‘modal + base verb’ for imagined, impossible or unreal future situations.

 ‘If I won the lottery, I would buy a plane.’

'If you met Johnny Depp, what would you ask him?’

3rd Conditional – uses the ‘past perfect’ with ‘modal + have + past participle’. It is usually used to express a past regret about something which did not happen in the past.

 ‘If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a plane.’

‘If I had been taller, I could have played in the NBA.’