Although most learners and non-native speakers of English tend to say that conditional sentences are too complicated and not really necessary, the truth is quite the opposite. Conditionals are actually some of the most useful structures in English and are commonly included in daily conversations.
There are two basic kinds of conditional sentences: ‘real’ and ‘unreal’. The ‘real conditional’ or the 1st conditional (If you come early enough, I’ll be there = Ako dođeš dovoljno rano, bit ću tamo.) describes real-life situations and implies that something is likely and possible to happen. The ‘unreal conditional’ or the 2nd conditional describes imaginary or hypothetical situations, i.e. situations that are unlikely or imaginary (If I had enough time, I would play golf. = Kada bih imao/la dovoljno vremena, igrala bih golf). Its usefulness is most obvious in negotiations.
Let’s recall the 1st conditional
If clause: PRESENT SIMPLE | main clause: WILL + infinitive | example: If you apply for this job, you will get it. (Ako se prijavite za taj posao, dobit ćete ga.)
Let’s recall the 2nd conditional
If clause: PAST SIMPLE | main clause: WOULD + infinitive | example: If you applied for the job, you would get it. If you bought 10,000 pieces, we would give you a discount. (Kada bi se ti prijavio za taj posao, dobio bi ga) (Kada biste kupili 10,000 komada, dali bismo vam popust.)
Let’s recall the 3rd conditional
If clause: PAST PERFECT (had + past participle) | main clause: WOULD + HAVE + past participle | example: If you had applied for the job, you would have got it. (Da si se prijavio za taj posao, bio bi ga dobio.)
Read the sentences and decide if the events are likely or only imaginary. Complete the sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into the 1st conditional or the 2nd conditional.
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If I _ (be) the President of the company, I _ (introduce) an entirely different company policy.
