If + present form + present form

"If" sentences

There are four main types of if sentences in English, often called conditional sentences.

These sentences are in two halves, with theifpart in one half and the other part where you can use words such as can, will, may, might, could and would.

If + present form + present form

"If you heat ice, it melts."

In this type of sentence, you could use when instead of if. It's always true that when you heat ice it melts. This is why this type of sentence is sometimes called a zero conditional.

If + present form, + will, can or may

"If Iamlate, I will call you."

"If youneedme, you can call me at home."

"If it gets any hotter, we may have a thunder storm."

In these sentences (or first conditional sentences), there is a strong possibility that the first part (coming after if) is going to happen. The second part says what will happen as a result.

If + past form + would, could or might

"If I got a pay rise, I would buy a new car."

"If youleftyour job, you could travel around the world."

"If you werenicer to him, he might lend you the money."

In these sentences, the first part with if shows that the event is unlikely to happen. In English, we often use this type of sentence (called a second conditional) to talk about hypotheses, or imaginary future events.

For example, "If I was President of the United States, I would change some laws." But I know that I'll never be the President of the USA – I'm just saying what I would do if I was in his/her position. Note: in American English, it is correct to use "if I were…" In British English, it's more common to say "if I was…"

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