El condicional en inglés

El condicional es uno de los tiempos más difícil en inglés, incluso para los estudiantes avanzados. Aquí ofrecemos una sencillas reglas para las tres primeras condicionales:

• condicional cero,
• condicional primero y
• condicional segundo.

Al final hay un ejercicio para practicar las distintas formas del condicional en inglés. Encontrarán las respuestas correctas al ejercicio gratis aquí.

1. Zero Conditional: Para describir rutinas o hechos generales

Example

If I leave the house at 8am, I catch the bus at 8.15am
(this always happens = zero condition)

If + Present simple or continuous + subject + present simple


2. First Conditional: Para describir situaciones probables y resultados posibles

Examples

If I see Peter, I´ll give him your message.
If it´s raining when I leave the office tonight, I´ll get a taxi home.

If + present simple or present continuous + subject + will + infinitive


3. Second Conditional: Para describir situaciones imaginarias o muy poco probables y el resultado.

Examples

If I won the lottery, I would (or I´d) leave my job and travel around the world. (unlikely)

If I were you, I´d apply for a new job. (imaginary)

If + past simple + subject + would + infinitive

Tips:

• Use the infinitive without to after will and would
• We often use the contracted form of will - I´ll, you'll, he'll, she'll, ít'll, we'll and they'll and the contracted form of would - I'd, you'd, he'd, she'd, it'd, we'd and they'd
• Separate the clauses with a comma
• In the second conditional use were instead of was for ALL subjects - If I were you...

Ejercicio (se encuentran las soluciones aquí)

See if you can fill in the gaps using the correct form of the conditional. Answers here.

1 - If it .......... (be) sunny tomorrow, we ..........(go) to the beach.

2 - If the 8 o´clock bus .......... (arrive) late, I .......... (get to) work on time.

3 - If I ..........(be) you, I ........... (learn) how to cook.

4 - If I ............ (win) the lottery, I .......... (leave) my job.

5 - If I ............. (go) to that restaurant, I ............ (tell) you what it´s like.

6 - If I ............ (find) an envelope with a lot of money in it in the street , I ............ (take) it to the nearest police station.

7 - If you ........... (boil) water, it ............... (evaporate)

8 -If you .......... (help) me with my homework, I ........... (help) you clean the kitchen.

9 - If I ............ (arrive) late, .............. you .............. my dinner in the oven please?

10 - If England ............. the match tonight, they .............. (be) in the semi-finals!