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It is exceedingly important to continuously introduce yourself to new conditionals or rules and vocabulary when learning a new language or when trying to improve your skills in an existing one. You might not realize it, but you can easily become bored or frustrated with yourself if you start feeling like you are not making any progress.

So here we want to introduce conditionals to you, and perhaps expand your knowledge on them if you are already familiar. This grammatical rule is a multi-layered one that will keep you engaged for a long time, as it also incorporates many other language rules that will encourage you to get creative with your knowledge on how to apply the rules of English.

‘If’ Clauses

Conditionals are known as ‘if’ clauses. They are present in every language. In English, they express the result of something that has happened. Also something that might happen, or did not happen. It relies on conjugations of verb tenses, and so will expand your speaking abilities.

There are four conditional rules, as well as their uses and meaning. Keep in mind that these rules are attempting to talk about situations and events that may or may not happen:

Conditionals:

The Zero Conditional refers to what is now/always real/possible. Use them to make truthful statements, so ‘if this happens, then that happens’. For example: “If you press the flick the light switch, the light will turn on”.

The First Conditional is used to talk about future events. It describes possibilities. So ‘if this happens, then this might happen/this won’t happen’. For example: “If the sun shines, then I will take my dog for a walk”.

The Second Conditional has two uses. We can use it to talk about future events that will probably not happen, and we can use it to refer to something in the present that is impossible. In the first use, we might say something like: “She would go to college if she ever made an effort”. In the second use we might say something like: “If I had gone to MIT, I would be an astronaut”. The second conditional is used for unlikely or impossible events.

The Third Conditional speaks about the past, particularly a situation that did not happen. So ‘if this had happened, this would have happened’. For example: “If I had eaten more, I wouldn’t have been hungry”.

Keep Learning

All of these deserve their own section, since there is also a mixed conditional clause, and they come with a specific set of rules. Now that you are more aware of them though, feel free to click on the above links and learn more about these essential clauses and how to apply them. You will see that learning a rule will allow you to keep introducing yourself to new kinds of vocabulary and even more rules, which will give you a tangible way of proving to yourself that you are making progress and improving your language abilities.

By Thomas Marais

Thomas Marais is a native English speaker from South Africa. He graduated cum laude and uses his honors bachelor’s degree in the Humanities to provide professional English tutoring to children and adults. He is a TEFL certified teacher and teaches teach both children and adults at any language level.

Every morning when you wake up, your first thought is, “I am so excited to study English today!” Right?! …Okay, maybe not. Honestly, even the most dedicated English students have days when they don’t want to study. So if you’re feeling like opening that English book and learning English is the last thing you want to do, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad student! It just means your motivation is running a little low. Fortunately, there are things you can do to increase your motivation—let’s look a few.

Strengthen your vision of your future

Take a step back for a moment. Why are you learning English? Is it to get a better job? To be comfortable in a new country? To complete university studies in English? Whatever your goals are, imagine that you’ve finally reached them. You’re speaking fluently, writing without mistakes and able to read English easily. Think about exactly what you’ll be doing and how you’ll feel. Write down your thoughts and feelings on a piece of paper that you can keep nearby. Then, when you’re feeling like you don’t want to study, pull out the paper and review what you wrote. Remind yourself of the great opportunities that English will bring you. Sometimes remembering your reasons for studying English will be all you need to get yourself ready for another English lesson!

Find someone you really want to talk to

Do you have an English-speaking friend? If not, make it a priority to find one. If you can find a friend who is a native English speaker, even better! When you have English-speaking friends, not only will you be naturally motivated to communicate, you’ll also probably start using some of their vocabulary, phrases, and accent without even trying! And even if you live in an area far from where native-English speakers live, with today’s modern technology you can meet and have conversations with people throughout the world. You might try to find someone interested in learning your native language; then, split your conversation time between English and your native language.

Have a clear plan for learning English

You’ll be most successful at learning English if you know exactly where, when, and what you’ll study. Having a set time and place for your study can help it to become a habit. When you have a habit of studying English, you won’t be tempted to do other things if you’re not feeling motivated. Studying will just be regular part of your routine! A plan for your what you’ll study is also important.

Without a plan, you won’t know what English learning activity you should start first. You also won’t be able to measure if you’re making progress. To avoid this, spend some time creating a plan of what you will study each day and what you hope to learn as a result. Then at the end of your study time, review your plan. Did you learn what you hoped? What more do you need to study? Change your plan as necessary to help you meet your goals.

If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate all three of these tips into your English studies, why not take a course from World’s English? As a World’s English student, you’ll receive a free Personal English Action Plan so you’ll know exactly what you need to study. You’ll also have access to our dedicated, native English-speaking teachers who will love to talk with you! Let World’s English know about your goals, and they’ll help you reach them!