General Question

Anythingnew's avatar

Which of these are first, second, & third Conditional sentences?

Asked by Anythingnew (46points) November 7th, 2012

If I won the lottery, I would buy a Ferrari.

I will go to the shop if it stops raining.

If I go to London, I can have tea with the Queen.

I would have studied law if I’d had the money.

I would ask him if I were with him now.

If I hadn’t won the lottery, I wouldn’t have bought my own island in the Caribbean.

And could you explain why they are

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2 Answers

gailcalled's avatar

Here is a very clear and detailed crib sheet that should help you. It gives the rule, the example and the explanation.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/conditional2.htm

if this is how you are learning English, you have my sympathy

If I had enough money, I would send you to live with an English-speaking family. (Second conditional)>

Jack79's avatar

2
1
1
3
2
3

There is “zero” which is ALWAYS true.
1st is not true yet, but can happen LATER (if I see your sister, I’ll give her the money).
2nd is not true NOW, but theoretically it could be true. (If I were a rich man…)
3rd was not true IN THE PAST, which is why something else didn’t happen (I would have come if I’d known)

There are also mixed conditionals. For example, I would be rich now, if I’d worked harder in the past, or I would have known what that guy was saying (in the past) if I were Spanish (because I’d always be Spanish in this case).

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