IF CONDITIONAL

   IF   CONDITIONAL

         


                                                 
                         If I have extra money, I usually buy a laptop equipment with it.

                         I will buy a new laptop next month if I have some extra money.

                 If I had some extra money, I would buy a new laptop today or tomorrow.

             I would have bought a new laptop last month if I had had some extra money.


Conditional sentences are also known as conditional clauses or if clause. They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of conditional sentences.

SITUATION	IF CLAUSE	RESULT CLAUSE	EXAMPLE
1.True / in the present /    future	Simple present	Will +  simple form	If I have enough time. I watch TV every evening. If I have enough time I will watch TV later on tonight.
It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.
2. Untrue / in the present / future	Simple past	Would + simple form	If I found her address, I would send her an invitation
It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.
3. Untrue / in the past	Past perfect	Would have + past participle.	If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation
It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.