if conditional clauses in English explained Lesson 83.

In this English lesson we explain the

Conditional Clauses = if conditional clauses.

If Clause + main clause.

There are four scenarios depending on the message we want to convey :

Conditional 0 = facts. It is used to express facts.

I can replace “if” by “when”. If + simple present + , + simple present

If babies are hungry, they cry. = When babies are hungry, they cry.

If he eats peanuts, he feels unwell. = When  he eats peanuts, he feels unwell.


1/ English Sentence Practice

How much money did we want to earn anyway?

I was wondering if you might be able to give me a ballpark figure.

It’s about time I got a raise, that’s all.

It’s high time we rid ourselves of this uncertainty.

I would rather we resolved the problem than carry on talking about my job situation.

Or would you sooner we be serious than enjoy our time together?

We can talk about your project tomorrow.

It is the weekend after all and we do not see each other during the week.

No, that is alright. You’d rather I hadn’t gone back to study. Do you wish you had a bigger house like all your friends?

If only I was earning a decent salary because I love what I do.

If only you had waited another year, the website would have been more successful and I could have worked freelance.

I wish you would listen to my idea, I will get the plates and some glasses.

This is my idea or rather a variation on the theme on which WE have always worked.

We will need some finance, a lump sum, we could ask for an overdraft at a low rate of interest. Or we could start a company and sell off some of the shares. I am sure we can drum up the necessary funding. We can pay back the loan as soon as we start generating some profits. There are many ways to raise the necessary finance and the arguments for and against are as broad as they are long.

I think that we could break even in no time without being weighed down by all this responsibility and earn a tidy sum in the meantime.

What is the idea I am listening to?

Online education.

That is hardly new, is it?

Yes. But there again, nothing is entirely new. Everything is a variation on a theme.

I went to the bar where the mature students hang out and there is a very good fibre optic internet connection there. As a consequence, it resembled more an internet cafe than a student bar.

I happened upon a friendly chap named Brian who was participating in a webinar. Before you ask, it is a seminar conducted over the Internet.

What was it about?

Well, that isn’t the point, it was more the way in which it was being conducted.

The software they employed for the screen sharing was archaic. And basically, the professor was sharing the content of a book and explaining its meaning to his adepts.

This means that online education is far behind on the technology that is available.

If I were to use the same technology that I am using for specific academic products, we could take online learning to the next level.

I spent all afternoon studying online education and quite frankly the opportunities are infinite.

I have broken them down into several different activities.

Peter, just one question. What about your course study? Forget that I am going to write courses.

I spoke to one of the junior lecturers and I showed him what I do on my website and compared it to the online courses offered by the university. Chalk and cheese was the expression he employed and he would be extremely happy to cooperate in a project in his domain.

He could certainly see the academic benefits and he is well aware of the exorbitant fees demanded by institutions of further education. The potential is absolutely immense and my technology could be applied to a heap of disciplines. It is difficult to quantify the magnitude of the project but what it means is that I can kill two birds with one stone.

That is I can study and at the same time that I can make money.

Tomorrow I will show you the competition.

Can I have my say on the matter as I assume we are going in on this fifty-fifty?

Of course, you can but it will be more like thirds.

For each project, we need an oracle, or rather a specialist in their field, someone to write the material.

You have the whole thing figured out, lock, stock, and barrel. Well, it certainly seems interesting, after all everybody needs educating.

English Vocabulary

  • if conditional clauses
  • ample
  • average
  • bulk
  • Chalk and cheese
  • considerable
  • dimension
  • equation
  • to expand
  • the extent
  • force
  • to generate profits
  • to happen upon
  • heap
  • immense
  • magnitude
  • mass
  • minor
  • multiple
  • to quantify
  • exorbitant fees
  • ratio
  • to break down
  • compensation
  • debt
  • deposit
  • dividend
  • finance
  • interest
  • lump sum
  • overdraft
  • The potential is absolutely immense
  • share
  • withdraw
  • to buy off
  • to buy up
  • to clock up
  • to drum up
  • to pay back
  • to size up
  • to weigh down
  • breakeven
  • fifty-fifty
  • it’s as broad as it’s long
  • lock, stock, and barrel
  • tidy sum
  • everybody needs educating

English Grammar if conditional clauses

Conditional Clauses = If Clauses

if conditional clauses + main clause


Conditional 0 = facts. It is used to express facts.




Conditional One = likely. This scenario is likely, it is possible.

IF + simple present + , + future simple

If I run 20 miles, I will be tired. (I can’t remove the comma here)

I will be tired if I run 20 miles. (I can remove the comma here) If I win the lottery, I will be rich.

Conditional Two = less likely. This scenario is less likely, not completely impossible.

IF + simple past + , + simple conditional

If I ran 20 miles, I would be tired.

If I won the lottery, I would be rich.

Conditional Three = unlikely, unreal, expressing regret.

This scenario is unlikely, unreal, or sometimes even used to express regret.

IF + past perfect + , + conditional perfect

If I had run 20 miles, I would have been tired.

If I had won the lottery, I would have been rich.

English Speaking Practise

Shall I pay?

No we will go 50-50?

Is that the latest software?

Anything but, this software is archaic.

Don’t you think your coursework will suffer?

No, on the contrary, it will benefit I think.

What did you do today?

I spent all afternoon working on the webpage.

Will you break even in the first year?

Most probably not, I will suffer a small loss.

What was that all about?

Nothing really, Peter just wanted to have a say in the matter.

You wouldn’t have thought that they were brothers?

No they are as different as chalk and cheese.

When will you start to generate profits?

I don’t know, it is too early to say.

Have you used your car very much?

Yes, I have started to clock up some miles.

How difficult is it to find finance?

That depends on many different factors.

English Pronunciation

let’s look at another vowel sound called diphthong also pronounced diphthong, oi, your lips are forward and very rounded .Your tongue must go down then up, keeping your bottom jaw down; boy, boy, avoid, toy, enjoy employment,  oily, royal.  Let’s repeat, boy, avoid, toy, enjoy, employment, oily, royal. Now test time, how would you pronounce these words? The answer is: voices, coin, deploy. That’s it for today, see you soon.

Exercises Lesson 83
Comprehension Practice

Vocabulary Practice

Grammar Practice

What are the if conditional clauses?