1.0 Causes, Effects, and Control

The statue above is called The Thinker.  We could imagine that the man in the statue might be wondering, “What if . . . ?”  In our lives, we have sometimes wondered, “What would happen if . . . ?”  We also think about what we have control over and what we do not have control over.

The early Greek philosopher Aristotle had a big influence on Western Culture and Language.  When we studied Verb Tenses, we saw some similarities between his ideas of Time and the Simple and Continuous English verb tenses.

Aristotle was also focused on the idea of Cause and Effect.  He wondered about the ultimate First Cause of everything.  What started everything?  He also liked to divide things up into logical categories, so it is not surprising that, in Western Culture, cause and effect has developed into four categories in the English language.  Conditionals are really about cause and effect, but the categories also acknowledge that we cannot always control everything, so the effect, and our choices for the future depend on which cause happens.

As human beings, we often wonder, “What if . . .”  What would happen if we did this?  Or that?  Sometimes we even dream about things that are not really possible.  We use Conditionals to talk about different possibilities that arise when something happens or doesn’t happen.  They also consider what we have control over or maybe what is possible or not possible.

All of these questions are asked in four categories of ‘What if ?’ situations in English Conditionals.

1. What is predictable?  What do we have control over?  In one of the categories of conditionals, we choose situations where there is only one cause, and the cause always has a predictable effect.  We use this category to talk about facts.  Whenever we choose to do something, we know what the result will be.  On the other hand, whenever a certain thing happens, we can predict the result.
2. What is not predictable?  Here, we don’t know yet if the cause will happen, either because we have not decided which cause we will choose to do, or because we don’t have control over something that could happen but which also might not happen.  So, we don’t know the effect because the effect depends on a cause, and we don’t know if the cause will happen.
3. What is not possible?  Here, a desired cause or a cause that we are thinking about is not possible.  So, the effect is also not possible.  Sometimes we use this category to talk about our dreams or wishes.
4. What is too late to change?  In this category, we look at a result that is desired or expected.  However, in this category, we have to admit that the effect will not happen because the cause has already happened—in the past.  We cannot change the past.

In the Conditionals, we start with the effect, and then we look back at the cause.  It asks the question, “When we look at an effect, what needs to happen first to make that possible—what is the condition?”  For example, if we want to win $1,000,000 in a lottery, what needs to happen first?  I need to buy a lottery ticket!  The ticket is a condition for winning the lottery.

Conditionals are also divided up according to what we have control over and also by what is possible and what is not possible.

The four types of Conditions in the English Conditionals can be divided up into two categories—situations that are possible and situations that are not possible.

1.1 Situations That Are Possible

These possible situations are divided into two types.  They are called the 0 Conditional and the 1^st Conditional.  However, there is not much difference in how they are constructed.

1.1.1 The 0 Conditional

We have control over the Cause, and the Effect is predictable.

The 0 Conditional is used for facts.  It is like a science experiment.  The cause happens whenever we chose to make it happen, or it happens commonly—so we know that it will happen at some point.  However, we focus only on what happens when this happens.  We don’t look at the possibility that it might not happen.  So, it is like—whenever this happens, the result is . . .

In fact, we could use the adverb ‘when’ or ‘whenever’ instead of ‘if’ in the clause which expresses the cause.  The effect is also very predictable.

It is usually for activities in general and not a specific situation.  It could be for things that repeat over time, for things that are always true or are generally true (facts), or for things which we can choose to do the cause-action.  Because of this, we use the Simple Present Tense for both the cause and the effect.

The effect is usually clear and not nuanced because the 0 Conditional is for situations that are very predictable.

1.1.2 The 1^st Conditional

Here, we cannot control the cause, but the effect can sometimes be controlled after the cause happens.

In this situation the effect will only happen if the cause happens.  The cause might happen or it may not happen.  There could be two or more possible things that could happen, but only one will result in the effect.  We are interested in the effect, but for the effect to happen, there is a condition—the cause must happen first.

1.2 Situations That Are Not Possible

Here again, there are two types.

1.2.1 The 2^nd Conditional

The cause is not possible, so the effect is not possible.

In this situation, we are imagining what effect or result is possible if a particular cause would happen.  However, the cause it is not possible or very unlikely to happen—so the result also will not happen.

1.2.2 The 3rd Conditional

The desired cause is not possible because the cause has already happened, and you cannot change the past.

In this situation, we are imaging what effect or result would be possible if the past cause happened or did not happen.  But the effect is not possible because the cause already happened, and we cannot change the past.  In this case, we are really imagining that we could change the past because we wanted or we wonder about a different possible result.

2.0 Format: How to Write Conditionals: Independent and Dependent Clauses

The 0, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd Conditionals use the subordinating conjunction ‘if’ in a dependant adverb clause.

In the 0 Conditional, it is possible to use ‘when’ or ‘whenever’ instead of ‘if’ because this suggests that the causal action can be repeated with predictable results, which is typical of the actions or situations of the 0 Conditional.

2.1 Special Considerations with Conditional Sentences

2.1.1 Verb Usage

Conditional Sentences have a special use of verbs.

• The four types of conditions have very specific uses of verb tenses.

Conditionals are about Cause and Effect, BUT they have a special kind of Cause/Effect relationship.

• We start with the effect and then talk about what cause is necessary for the effect to happen—this is a condition for the effect to happen.

2.1.2 Multiple or Nuanced Effects are Possible

In conditional sentences, while the cause is limited to whether one particular cause, action or situation will happen or not happen, in the effect clause, we can express a more nuanced effect.  More than one possible effect can happen because we sometimes have a choice in what we will do when a cause happens—we can decide what happens.  Also, different degrees of certainty about a chosen effect are possible.

3.0 Summary of Cause/Effect in Conditionals

4.0 Details: The Four Types of Conditionals

4.1 The 0 Conditional is for Predictable Facts/Laws

• This is like the simple tense—it is for things that are always true.
• The Simple Tense is for non-specific actions (actions in general that can happen at any time).
• When using the 0 Conditional, first choose the effect and then look at one possible cause that is a condition.
• The effect is predictable—it always happens, unless otherwise stated.
• The 0 Conditional is the same as ‘when/whenever something happens’.
• Here, ‘when’ is not referring to time.  It means ‘whenever’.

4.2 The 1^st Conditional is for Possible but Unpredictable Causes

• This conditional is used when we don’t know if the cause will happen or not or when it is out of our control.  Again, however, the cause is possible.
• There could be two or more possible causes (it could happen or not happen, or we don’t know when it will happen).
• The 1^st Conditional is often used to talk about:
  • the needed conditions for a result to happen.
  • the results of a particular actions.
  • predictions, offers and promises.
• The conditional if clause is always in simple or continuous present tense, but the present tense can be used to refer to the future.  Future time words are often used.

  Example

  If it rains tomorrow, I will not go hiking.

4.3 The 2^nd Conditional is for Impossible Causes

• We use the 2^nd Conditional to talk about hypothetical situations.  These are situations with are not possible or very unlikely.  However, people sometimes do imagine what would be possible if a certain condition were to happen.

  Example

  If I were a famous singer (I actually have a terrible voice), I would sing to thousands of people and make a lot of money.

4.4 The 3^rd Conditional is for Impossible Situations

It is not possible because the cause (the condition needed) already happened in the past, and you cannot change the past.

• Not possible because the cause has already happened and the past cannot be changed.
• Again, we use the 3^rd Conditional to talk about hypothetical situations.  This are in our imagination only, because the real situation or action happened in the past, and we cannot change the past.

  Example

  If I had studied harder, I might have passed the test.  (I did not study at all, so I failed the test.)