Conditional Sentences

The Grammar HELP!  Student Handbook - Online!

In today's Grammar HELP! Student Handbook - Online! lesson we begin our unit on
Conditional Sentences

Please keep in mind that all the examples you see below were contributed by ESL students in their writing and reading classes. We bring you only authentic writing.

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The following sentences are conditional sentences from our students' essays. Do you agree with their statements?

  1. If a person wants to live in the United States, he should learn to speak English.

  2. If a man cooks or helps his wife to cook, he can say 'good-bye' to being slim.

  3. If a married couple doesn't get along, they should get divorced.  If they have children, their staying together only harms the children.

  4. If all your dreams came true, you would not be happy.

  5. If a person keeps busy and gets plenty of exercise, he will stay young.

What Is a Conditional Sentence?

A conditional sentence is one type of complex sentence, which means that it consists of a main clause and a dependent (or subordinate clause).

Most of the time the conditional sentence begins with the subordinate clause, as in the examples above. 

The subordinate clause is often called the "if" clause (or the "condition") clause, and the main (or independent) clause is often called the "then" clause (or the "result" clause).  The action in the "then" or "result" clause is dependent upon the action in the "if" or "condition" clause.

It is easy to identify a conditional sentence. The "if" clause usually begins with the word "if".  The main clause usually begins with the word "then".

Three Categories of Conditional Sentences

 

There are three categories of conditional sentences and they are known as

  • 1st conditional

  • 2nd conditional and

  • 3rd conditional.

We will learn about each of these categories in the rest of this chapter.

Next...1st, 2nd and 3rd Conditionals

Continue with our next lesson, "Conditional Sentences: Introduction, Part 2."

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