“If …, then …” — English has four main patterns for this, and each one says something different about how real or possible an idea is. Look things up, explore the machine, and practise.
If + clause, clause.
Understand the structure
“Two clauses, one comma.”
What the if-clause and the main clause do, and when to use a comma.
Start here0 · 1 · 2 · 3
Explore the machine
“Same idea, four ways.”
Pick a sentence and a type, and watch the pattern change.
Try it✓ / ✗
Practise
“Now you try.”
Six exercises: recognise, choose, type, build, and read.
Go to practiceHow to use this page: read “Understand” and “The four types” to look things up, use “The machine” to see the pattern in action, then do “Practise”. Nothing you do here is saved.
A conditional sentence has two parts: the if-clause (the condition) and the main clause (the result). Either part can come first.
Merke: The word “if” introduces a condition, not a question. The tense in the if-clause tells you how real or likely the condition is — that choice is what makes the four types different.
Auf Deutsch
Ein Konditionalsatz (if-Satz) hat zwei Teile: den if-Satz (die Bedingung) und den Hauptsatz (die Folge). Steht der if-Satz zuerst, kommt ein Komma vor dem Hauptsatz: If you heat water, it boils. Steht der Hauptsatz zuerst, gibt es kein Komma: It boils if you heat water.
Die vier Typen unterscheiden sich durch die Zeitform im if-Satz. Diese Zeitform sagt aus, wie wahrscheinlich, möglich oder wirklich die Bedingung ist — nicht, wann die Handlung stattfindet.
Click a type to see its formation, its use, and an example.
Auf Deutsch
| Typ | Bildung | Verwendung |
|---|---|---|
| Type 0 | if + Simple Present, Simple Present | allgemeine Wahrheiten, Naturgesetze, Gewohnheiten |
| Type 1 | if + Simple Present, will + Infinitiv | reale Möglichkeit in der Zukunft |
| Type 2 | if + Simple Past, would + Infinitiv | unwahrscheinlich oder unmöglich (Gegenwart/Zukunft) |
| Type 3 | if + Past Perfect, would have + 3. Form | unmöglich in der Vergangenheit (ist schon passiert) |
Besonderheit: Nach if I / he / she / it benutzt man in Typ 2 oft were statt was, besonders in der festen Wendung If I were you, … (An deiner Stelle …).
Sometimes a past condition has a present result, or a general condition has an imperative result. These don’t fit neatly into Types 0–3, but they follow the same logic:
Choose a sentence and a type. Look at the colours: the if-clause is blue, the main clause is green.
Type
Auf Deutsch
| Falsch | Richtig | Warum? |
|---|---|---|
| If it will rain, we will stay home. | If it rains, we will stay home. | Im if-Satz von Typ 1 steht kein will. |
| If I would have more time, I would help you. | If I had more time, I would help you. | Im if-Satz von Typ 2 steht kein would. |
| If I was you, I would ask her. | If I were you, I would ask her. | Nach if I/he/she/it benutzt man in Typ 2 oft were statt was. |
| If she had study harder, she would have passed. | If she had studied harder, she would have passed. | Past Perfect braucht had + 3. Form: had studied, nicht had study. |
| If I had studied harder, I would pass the exam. | If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam. | Den if-Satz von Typ 3 nicht mit dem Hauptsatz von Typ 2 mischen: would have + 3. Form. |
| If you heat ice, it’s melting. | If you heat ice, it melts. | Typ 0 benutzt Simple Present in beiden Teilen, und ein Komma, wenn der if-Satz zuerst steht. |
Do the exercises in any order. You get help after every answer. Nothing is saved.
Read the sentence and choose the type.
Choose the verb form that fits.
Write the correct form of the verb in brackets. Press Enter or click “Check”.
These two are easy to mix up. Choose the right one.
Click the words in the right order.
Choose the right word in every gap. Then click “Check”.