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The names of the conditionals

Updated: Jan 13

Do you ever wonder what the names of the conditionals mean? Why do we call them 'first', 'second' and 'third' conditionals? And is it helpful if you do understand the significance of these names?


First things first, do you know what a conditional is?


Think first, then continue reading.


What is a conditional?

 

In case you aren’t sure, a conditional contains a condition. A simpler way of thinking about it is that a conditional is a sentence containing the word ‘if’ or a similar word.


The significance of the ordinal numbers (first, second and third)


Now, to the numbers.


I never really understood why the conditionals were called ‘first’, ‘second’ and ‘third’. The names seemed arbitrary and not particularly helpful. However, it suddenly dawned on me that there is some logic to the choice of names, if you think about verb tables.


The first conditional is formed using if + the present tense (first column)

The second conditional is formed using if + a past tense verb (second column)

The third conditional is formed using if + a past perfect verb (third column)


This information can be helpful, particularly when comparing the different conditionals and how they are formed. However, it might not help you to get the conditionals right in real life. For that, you might want to try one of my conditional challenges.


The 10-day second conditional challenge is ready to go and costs just 10chf. That's a fantastic investment if you want to sound natural when you're speaking. Simply click on the link below and tell me you're ready to get the second conditional right.




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