Condicionales en inglés

Los cuatro condicionales son:

Cero condicional

If + presente simple + presente simple.

Solo en relación con hechos o para expresar una verdad general.

• If I light a match, it burns.
• If you boil water, it reaches 100 degrees Celsius.
• If you attack animals, they get angry.

Primer condicional

If + presente + will + infinitivo.

Primer condicional: se usa para hablar sobre sucesos en el futuro que podrían pasar.

• If you do your homework, you will pass your exams.
• If you eat too many calories, you’ll get fat.
• If he comes early, we’ll be happy.

Segundo condicional

If + pasado simple + would + infinitivo.

Segundo condicional: se usa para hablar acerca de un futuro hipotético o posible, y en segundo lugar, cosas o situaciones en el presente que son imposibles o totalmente hipotéticas.

• If you lived closer to home, you’d be able to come home faster.
• If only she knew about the living circumstances, she wouldn’t be living there today.
• If Harry took the daily commute to London at five o’clock in the morning, he would arrive much earlier.

Tercer condicional

If + pasado perfecto + would + have + participio pasado,

Tercer condicional: se usa para el pasado y es completamente hipotético. También se puede usar para teorizar sobre situaciones imposibles o cosas en el pasado.

• If we had lived in New York, we would have met so many interesting people.
• If only I had been born in the first century, I would have seen the Roman Empire.
• If I had won the lottery, I would have given you half of my winnings.

Nótese que es gramaticalmente correcto en todos los condicionales (0, 1, 2, 3) invertir las cláusulas sin cambiar el significado

Ejemplo (ambos son correctos).

• They would have visited more places if they had taken more interest in travelling when they were younger.
• If they had taken more interest in travelling when they were younger they would have visited more places.