ifclauses

Ifclauses, commonly called conditional clauses, are subordinate clauses that express the condition under which the main clause occurs. They are a central feature of English grammar and are used to talk about real situations, hypothetical scenarios, and past possibilities.

The zero conditional expresses general truths and uses present simple in both clauses: If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.

The first conditional describes real future possibilities and combines present simple with will or another modal: If it rains, we will cancel the picnic.

The second conditional talks about unreal or improbable present or future situations: If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.

The third conditional refers to past unreal conditions and their imagined past results: If she had studied, she would have passed the exam.

Mixed conditionals blend times, such as past conditions with present results: If I had worked harder, I would be happier now.

Punctuation and variation: If-clause position varies. When the if-clause comes first, a comma is used before the main clause: If it rains, we will stay indoors. When the main clause comes first, the comma is often omitted: We will stay indoors if it rains. In formal style, inversion may replace if: Had I known, I would have acted.

Other forms include negation such as unless, and inverted variants like Should you need help. These patterns help convey different degrees of reality, possibility, and time reference.