Conditional Sentences & Tags — Quick Revision

Conditional Sentences Table

Type	If-clause	Main clause	Example
Zero	Present Simple	Present Simple	If you heat water, it boils
1st	Present Simple	will + V1	If it rains, I will stay
2nd	Past Simple / were	would + V1	If I were rich, I would help
3rd	Past Perfect	would have + V3	If I had studied, I would have passed
Mixed	Past Perfect	would + V1	If I had taken medicine, I would be well

Must-Know Conditional Rules

• If I WERE — always "were", never "was" (subjunctive)
• Unless = If not (NEVER use "unless + not" → double negative)
• Wish + Past Simple = present unreal wish
• Wish + Past Perfect = past regret
• It's high time + Past Simple = unreal urgency

Question Tags — Special Cases

Statement	Tag
I am late	aren't I?
Let us go	shall we?
Let him go	will you?
Open the door	will you?
Everybody knows	don't they?
Nobody came	did they?
Nothing happened	did it?
He rarely comes	does he?
She hardly works	does she?
He never goes	does he?
There is a book	isn't there?
He used to play	didn't he?
One should try	shouldn't one?

Tag Rule

• Positive statement → Negative tag
• Negative statement → Positive tag
• Hidden negatives (rarely, hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, never, few, little) → treat as NEGATIVE → positive tag

Top Traps

• "If I was" → WRONG (always "If I were")
• "Unless you don't" → WRONG (double negative)
• rarely/hardly/never → positive tag (NOT negative)
• "I am" → "aren't I?" (special exception)
• Everybody/Nobody → they in tag