form	use	example
conditionals
zero conditional	events that occur at any time or more than once actions that always have the same result general instructions	If she's traveling abroad on business, she always phones me every evening. If you don't look after tomato plants, they die very quickly. If a chip pan sets alight, throw a fire blanket on it.
first conditional	possible future events or situations and their results commands, offers, suggestions and warnings	If the result of the test is negative, you'll receive notification through the post. The beach party will go ahead if the weather is fine tomorrow. Shall we go out tomorrow if the weather's good.
second conditional	improbable future events or situations and their results hypothetical current situations or events (a condition which is impossible to fulfill) advice, request, desires	If the result of the test were positive, we would call you within two days. If the police were confident of their case against Sykes, they wouldn't hesitate to take him into custody. If I were you, I would take her out of that school.
third conditional	hypothetical situations or events in the past (an unreal past situation) criticism	I would have used your builder if I had managed to contact him. If you'd been driving more slowly, you could have stopped in time.
mixed (second/third) conditional	hypothetical situations or events in the present with a result in the past	If the island were still a tourist attraction, last week's earthquake would have caused far more deaths.
mixed (third/second) conditional	hypothetical situations or events in the past with a result in the present	If Fleming hadn't discovered penicillin, there would be far more fatalities every year than there actually are.
`unreal' past
it's (high/about) time	to say that something is not happening and it should be	It's time we left.
what if, suppose/supposing	to ask questions about an imaginary situations and its possible consequences	Suppose I asked you to marry me, what would you say?
would rather/ would sooner	to describe preferences (often a polite way to give/refuse permission or make suggestions)	I'd sooner you gave me a refund. A credit note's no use to me. I'd rather you didn't smoke in here.
as if/as though	to say that how something appears does not match with reality	He talks to the children as though they were imbeciles.
wish/if only +past simple	desire for something to be different in the present	I wish I had more free time. If only I were young again.
wish/if only +past perfect	a regret about the past, a wish that something different had happened	I wish that you'd told me about this before I booked the tickets. If only you hadn't been driving so fast.
wish/if only +would	desire for someone to change their deliberate behavior in the present and future (often used to criticize or complain)	I wish you'd stop looking at me like that. It's terribly distracting. I wish you'd stop shouting. I'm not deaf you know.
wish/if only + could (have)	desire which we know is impossible to achieve (including desires about ourselves)	If only we could see the situation through his eyes. I wish I could dance but I'm afraid I've got two left feet.

Conditionals / `Unreal' Past Round-up

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