Home » Zero Conditionals

Category Archives: Zero Conditionals

Inversion in Conditionals - Exercises

Inversion in Conditionals

1. Invert the following Conditionals.

2. Complete with the appropriate conditionals (0/ I / II or III).

3. Choose the correct answer

Conditionals / Inversion (without ‘if’)




First Conditionals – Type I: (Real Present: Possible and Probable)

Replace ‘IF’ with ‘SHOULD’
Form: Should + Subject + 1st form of the Verb (v1)


Examples:

  • IF you do not wish to … .     ➤     SHOULD you not wish to … .

  • IF you choose … .                  ➤     SHOULD you choose … .

More Examples
If it rains, we’ll stay indoors.
Should it rain, we’ll stay indoors.

If you have finished the book, give it to me.
Should you finish the book, give it to me..

Second Conditionals – Type II: (Unreal Present: Possible but Improbable)

Replace ‘IF’ with ‘WERE’
Form:

  • Were + Subject + Noun / Adjective / Adverb / Past Participle (v3) / Verb-ing
  • Were + Subject + to – Infinitive / not to-Infinitive (v1)


Examples:
  • IF she were my girlfriend, … .     ➤     WERE she my girlfriend, … .

  • IF I left home, … .                           ➤     WERE I to leave home, … .

More Examples
If I were you, I’d tell her the truth.
Were I you, I’d tell her the truth.

If she won the lottery, she’d travel the world.
Were she to win the lottery, she’d travel the world.

Third Conditionals – Type III: (Unreal Past: Impossible)

Replace ‘IF’ with ‘HAD’
Form: Had + Subject + Past Participle (v3)


Examples:

  • IF it had not rained … .     ➤     HAD it not rained … .

  • IF I had known … .             ➤     HAD I known … .

More Examples
If she had arrived earlier, she could’ve helped us.
had she had arrived earlier, she could’ve helped us.

If I had seen you before, I could’ve given it to you.
Had I seen you before, I could’ve given it to you.

If they hadn’t robbed the bank, they wouldn’t have gone to jail.
Had they not robbed the bank, they wouldn’t have gone to jail.





Zero Conditionals




  • The zero conditional describes situations that are always true.

  • ‘ If ‘ can be replaced by when or whenever without changing the meaning of a given sentence.


  • Form
    The zero conditional is made up of two present simple verbs:
    • the ‘if’ clause in the present simple
      and
    • the main clause in the present simple.



Examples
  • If you park your car on double yellow lines, you pay a fine.
    (Whenever you park illegally, you pay a fine.)

  • If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils.
    (It is always true, there can’t be a different result sometimes).

  • You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen.
    (It’s always true!)

  • If they go to school, they get up at seven.
    (Whenever they go to school they get up at the same time.)

  • My friends always help me if I ask them.
    (My friends help me whenever I ask them.)

Other Forms
Apart from the basic forms (the present simple in the main clause and the if clause),
we can use other verb forms in the zero conditional sentences:

  • If you want to be healthy, you must exercise.
    (a modal verb in the main clause)

  • If you are tired all day long, sleep more!
    (an imperative in the main clause)


Note
‘ If ‘ is the most frequent expression in the if clauses, but other expressions are also possible. even if, provided (that), unless, on condition (that)

  • Iron melts on condition that it is heated..

  • He never says hello unless you say hello to him first.

  • Meat goes off provided that we don’t keep it in a fridge.

  • the teacher always shouts even if there’s no need.