Reading and Writing · 13 · Grammar Foundations
Conditionals
Notes
Key points
- Zero: if + present, present — facts. “If you heat ice, it melts.”
- First: if + present, will + verb — a real future.
- Second: if + past, would + verb — unreal now.
- Third: if + had + participle, would have + participle — unreal past.
- Never would in the if-clause: “If I had known”, not “If I would have known”.
- Unreal “if” takes were with any subject: “If she were taller…”
- “would have”, never “would of”.
Rules
Third: had + participle, then would have + participle.
If the engineers had tested it, they would have found the flaw.
If the engineers would have tested it, they would have found the flaw.
First: present in the if-clause, will in the result.
If it rains, the match will be postponed.
If it will rain, the match will be postponed.
Second: past in the if-clause, would in the result.
If I had more time, I would travel.
If I had more time, I will travel.
Common traps
- Mismatched pairs: “had” in the if-clause with “will” in the result.
- Putting “would” in both clauses.
SAT tip
Match the if-clause verb to its partner: present → will, past → would, had + participle → would have.
Test yourself
10 official SAT questions on Conditionals, easiest first.