​Zero Conditional (real present)

If + present simple, present simple

​general truth

e.g. If people eat too much, they get fat.

If you touch a fire, you get burned.

• People die if they don't eat.​

​First Conditional (real future)

if + present simple, will + infinitive

​

​to talk about things which might happen in the future

e.g. ​If it rains, I won't go to the park.

• If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.

• If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.

Second Conditional (unreal)

​if + past simple, would + infinitive

to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true

​e.g. If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)

​

​to talk about something in the present which is impossible

​e.g. If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

​(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing).