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Conditionals: Why & How To Use Them
Master conditionals for everyday communication at California's College of English Language, where instructors help international students use different conditional forms effectively.
Master conditionals for everyday communication at California's College of English Language, where instructors help international students use different conditional forms effectively.
Conditionals, conditionals, conditionals. How many times have you heard this word in your California English language school for international students so far? The teachers may have explained how to form them and what common mistakes to avoid while using them. They also gave valuable tips on how to understand them. And you probably felt overwhelmed with the amount of information.
But, why do you need conditionals, and how can you use them in speaking? Your teachers will surely elaborate on this topic too, but until they do, read on to find out why and how to use conditionals in your everyday life.
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You've probably learned that conditionals, as their name indicates, convey some kind of a condition in the past, present, and future. And since our lives are full of events that depend on each other, we need them to illustrate this cause-and-effect relationship.
Look at the following example:
If you study hard enough, you’ll pass the exam.
Here, we have a first conditional sentence that describes a realistic situation in the future (You’ll pass your exam if you study).
However, what makes conditionals indispensable in day-to-day communication is that we can use them to offer advice, show regret, present a fact, or give an opinion, etc.
Let’s examine the above sentence again (If you study hard enough, you’ll pass the exam). The speaker doesn’t necessarily only talk about a condition and its result, but they also give a piece of advice: study harder and you’ll pass your exam.
As we highlighted before, learning conditionals is important as they can convey various meanings. Let’s see how we can use them in speaking.
You can use the first and second conditional sentences to give advice or articulate your opinion.
If I were you, I would buy this green car.
In this case, the speaker uses the second conditional to give a piece of advice/an opinion: I think you should buy this green car.
If you learn another language, you will easily find a better job.
In the above example, we have the first conditional, which indicates what condition needs to be fulfilled to get the desired result. But it can also be understood as advice or an opinion: learn another language, and it’ll help you find a better job.
The first conditional can be used to describe a plan which can be realized if a certain condition is met.
If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, I’ll go to the beach with my daughter.
Here, the speaker simply says that their plan depends on the weather.
The second and third conditionals can be used to express regret about our present or past situations respectively.
If I had more money, I’d buy a new house. (the second conditional)
I don’t have any money, therefore, I can’t buy a new house, and I feel sorry about it.
If I had known about his illness, I would have called him earlier. (the third conditional)
The speaker regrets not calling the ill person before.
We use the zero conditional if we want to talk about well-known facts and general truths.
If you heat the ice, it always melts.
Here, we say something that's always true: ice always melts when heated.
Learning English as a foreign language can be extremely challenging, especially if you want to get ready for a university in California. But you are not alone. Come to the College of English Language to get all the assistance you need.
Our experienced teachers will identify aspects of the English language you’re struggling with, be it tenses, articles, or conditionals, and how to use them in reported speech, and help you master them. Drop by on your way to Pacific Beach Recreation Center, and improve your English skills with us!
