English grammar: conditionals and subjunctive mood

Conditionals

Conditional or hypothetical situations are commonly expressed in English using conditional sentences, which are generally categorized into several types based on their likelihood or time reference. Here’s an overview of each type with examples:

1. Zero Conditional: Universal Truths or General Laws

Used for facts and general truths that are not limited to specific instances.

Use the zero conditional to express general truths and facts. 

• Structure (Always True, General Fact): If + present simple, present simple.
• Example: "If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils."
• Example: "If iron is exposed to oxygen and water, it rusts."

To talk about scientific facts.

• If you heat water, it boils. 
• You get purple if you mix red and blue paint. 

To talk about general or personal truths. 

• If I don't get a good night's sleep, I can't concentrate very well the next day. 
• I feel a bit stressed out if I don't play the guitar when I get home from work. 

To talk about rules and laws.  

• If you don't buy a train ticket and get caught, you get a fine. 
• If we film videos in the wrong part of the building, they tell us to move. 

2. First Conditional: Real and Possible Future Events

Used for real, possible future situations that are likely or possible under certain conditions.

Use the first conditional to express likely future situations and their consequences. 

• Structure (Future Possibility): If + present simple, will + base verb.
• Example: "If it rains tomorrow, I will stay home."
• Example: "If you submit your application on time, you will get a response within a week."

To talk about likely future situations and their possible consequences. 

• If it rains this weekend, I'll stay inside and watch a film.
• If it doesn't rain this weekend, I'll do some work in the garden. 
• I'll cry if my train home is cancelled. 

To make predictions.

• If electric cars become cheaper, then more people will buy them. 
• If you don't move that plate, it'll fall off the table and break. 
• If you leave some food outside, the birds will come. 

3. Second Conditional: Unreal or Improbable Present or Future

Used for hypothetical situations or unlikely events in the present or future.

Use the second conditional to express unlikely future situations and their consequences. 

• Structure (Present or Future Unreality): If + past simple, would + base verb.
• Example: "If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world."
• Example: "If I were you, I would apologize."

Subjunctive II (Counterfactual 'If' Statements (If, As If))​​​​​​​

To talk about unlikely, hypothetical situations and their possible consequences. 

• If I won a million pounds, I'd buy a nice house in the countryside. 
• I probably wouldn't survive very long if I were alone on a desert island!
• If aliens landed in my garden, I'm sure my Mum would offer them tea and biscuits. 

To give advice.

• You don't know what to have for lunch? Well, if I were you, I'd try that new cafe down the road. 
• I don't have much experience in relationships, but if I were you, I would break up with him. 
• If I were you, I would take an umbrella because it looks like it's going to rain. 

4. Third Conditional: Past Hypothetical Situations

Used for situations that did not happen in the past and their imagined results.

Use the third conditional to imagine a different past.

• Structure (Past Hypothetical): If + past perfect, would have + past participle.
• Example: "If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam."
• Example: "If she had left earlier, she wouldn’t have missed the flight."
• Example: "I wish I had study harder in school."
• Example: "I wish I had traveled to more conuntries on my gap year."

Subjunctive III (I Wish, If only)

To imagine a different past. 

• I got to work today by train, but if the train had been cancelled, I would've got the bus. 
• She finished the project at the weekend, but if she had been ill, that wouldn't have been possible. 
• The festival was a great success. We were lucky with the weather, because if it had been raining, people wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

Similarly, to express regret.

• I wish I had travelled more before starting work. If I had travelled more, I would've learnt more about other cultures. 
• I wish I hadn't been so shy at school. If I hadn't been so shy, I would've made more friends.  
• I wish I had made a note of all my friends' birthdays. If I had made a note, I wouldn't have forgotten Julia's birthday. 

 To assign blame.

• You didn't tell me about the party! If you had told me about the party, I wouldn't have forgotten to come! 
• You didn't give me the house key! If you had given me the house key, I wouldn't have been locked outside all night! 
• They didn't give me any information about the project. If they had given me the information, I would've been able to finish it sooner. 

5. Mixed Conditional: Mismatched Time References

Often combines a past condition with a present consequence, or vice versa.

• Structure (Past Condition with Present Result): If + past perfect, would + base verb.
• Example: "If you had studied law, you would be a lawyer now."

To talk about how a past action or situation affects your life in the present. 

• If I’d slept properly, I wouldn't be so tired now.
• George would still live in Korea if he hadn't accepted his job at the BBC. 
• If Covid hadn't happened, I wouldn't live where I live now.
• If Phil hadn't learnt Spanish when he was younger, he wouldn't have a Spanish-speaking family now.
• They wouldn't be so hungry now if they had eaten breakfast like I told them to. 

• Structure (Present Condition with Past Result): If + past simple, would have + past participle.
• Example: "If I were qualified, I would have applied for that job."

To talk about how a present situation would also change the past situation.

• If I wasn't so scared of flying, I would've been to so many more interesting places in the world.
• If Buli wasn't so clumsy, he would've made an excellent barista. 
• I would've got a main part in the school play if I were a better singer. 
• If Phil liked exercise, he would've enjoyed PE class more at school. 

These types of conditionals help express a range of hypothetical scenarios, possibilities, and certainties. Each serves a specific purpose, allowing speakers to explore different dimensions of time and reality in English.

These structures allow you to discuss a range of possibilities and their potential outcomes, from highly probable events to completely imaginary scenarios. Each type serves a different purpose and helps convey your thoughts about potential situations more clearly.
 

Examples:

Zero Conditional – General Truths

This conditional is used for facts and rules that are always true under certain conditions.

Use the zero conditional to express general truths and facts. 

• Example: "If you press the button, the light turns on."
• Example: "If you freeze water, it becomes ice."
• Example: "If you touch a fire, you get burned."

First Conditional – Real Possibilities

This conditional deals with real and possible situations in the future that are likely to happen.

Use the first conditional to express likely future situations and their consequences. 

• Example: "If it snows tomorrow, we will go skiing."
• Example: "If you hurry, you can catch the bus."
• Example: "If they arrive late, we will start without them."

Second Conditional – Unreal or Hypothetical Situations

This conditional is used for unrealistic or hypothetical situations in the present or future.

Use the second conditional to express unlikely future situations and their consequences. 

• Example: "If I were a bird, I would fly around the world."
• Example: "If you studied more, you would pass your exams easily."
• Example: "If he had enough money, he would buy a sports car."

Third Conditional – Hypothetical Past

This conditional is used to talk about past situations that did not happen and their possible outcomes.

Use the third conditional to imagine a different past.

• Example: "If I had seen the sign, I would not have parked there."
• Example: "If you had told me about the problem, I could have helped."
• Example: "If she had applied earlier, she might have got the job."

Mixed Conditional – Past Conditions with Present Results

This type of conditional often mixes a past condition with a present consequence.

• Example: "If you had studied harder, you would understand this now."
• Example: "If he had taken better care of himself, he wouldn’t be sick today."
• Example: "If she had listened to me, she wouldn’t be struggling now.

Reference

BBC Learning English: Conditionals with Georgie

BBC Learning English: How can you get better at using the third conditional?

Subjunctives

The subjunctive mood is a grammatical mood used to express various states of unreality such as wish, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, necessity, or action that has not yet occurred. It is distinct from the indicative mood, which is used to express factual, objective statements. The subjunctive is used less frequently in English compared to other languages like French or Spanish, but it's still an important aspect of formal, nuanced English communication.

Forms and Uses of the Subjunctive Mood in English:

1. Present Subjunctive: This form is used mainly in that-clauses after verbs indicating importance, necessity, desire, or a similar emotion or condition. The present subjunctive is the base form of the verb for all persons, including the third person singular (which does not take an 's').

   • Example: "It is vital that he be informed of the changes immediately."

2. Past Subjunctive: Often identical in form to the past simple tense in English except for the verb 'to be', where 'were' is used for all subjects. This form is typically used in conditional sentences and expressions of wishful thinking.

   • Example: "If I were you, I wouldn't do that."

3. Past Perfect Subjunctive: This is used to express hypothetical situations in the past, often in the context of expressing regret or imaginary scenarios. It is formed with 'had' followed by the past participle of the verb.

   • Example: "If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake."

Special Cases and Additional Uses:

• Formal Expressions of Wishes and Commands: The subjunctive can also be used in formal or traditional expressions, commands, or wishes. For instance, "God save the Queen," or "Long live the king."
• In Fixed Phrases: Certain phrases always use the subjunctive, such as "come what may" or "heaven forbid."
• After Certain Conjunctions: Used after conjunctions like "lest" (meaning 'to avoid the risk of'), "as though," and "as if" when creating a hypothetical or speculative statement.
  • Example: "He spends as if he were a millionaire."

 Reference

Subjunctive I (Requests/Recommendations)​​​​​​​

Subjunctive II (Counterfactual 'If' Statements (If, As If))

Subjunctive III (I Wish, If only)​​​​​​​