If Clause Table, Type 0,1,2,3! ESL students, have you ever wondered what the different types of ‘if’ clauses are? In this post, we will take a look at each type and give some examples. Keep reading to learn more about! ‘if’ clauses in English!

If Clause, Type 0,1,2,3

Type 0: If + present tense, will/can/may/might + infinitive without to

Examples:

• If you heat ice, it will melt.
• If you put salt on a snail, it will die.

Type 1: If + present tense, present tense

Examples:

• If you study hard, you will pass your exams.
• If I have time, I will visit my grandparents.

Type 2: If + past tense, would/could/should + infinitive without to

Examples:

• If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
• If it rained tomorrow, we could go to the park.

Type 3: If + past perfect tense, would/could/should + have + past participle

Examples:

• If I had known her phone number, I would have called her.
• If we had gone out last night, we could have seen the shooting stars.

If Clause Table

If Clause	Main Clause
Zero Conditional Sentence – Type I
Present Indefinite Tense	Present Indefinite Tense
First Conditional Sentence (Present Tense/Future Tense)
Present Indefinite Tense	Future Indefinite Tense(will + infinitive)
Present Indefinite Tense	Modal Verb + infinitive
Present Indefinite Tense	Imperative
Present Continuous Tense	Future Indefinite Tense (will + infinitive)
Second Conditional Sentence (Present Tense/Future Tense)
Past Indefinite Tense	Conditional Simple (would + infinitive)
Past Indefinite Tense	Modal Verb + infinitive
Third Conditional Sentence (Past Tense)
Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle)	Conditional Perfect (would + have + past participle)
Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle)	Modal Verb + have + past participle
Mixed Conditional Sentence (Past action, present result)
Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle)	Modal Verb + infinitive
Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle)	Conditional Simple (would + infinitive)