When conditional tenses are used to speculate about present or past probable results, such grammatical construction is called conditional sentences for hypothetical imagination. There are two types of conditional sentences for hypothetical unrealistic imagination — past probable and present probable results.
Present Conditional, perfect Conditional, and perfect continuous conditional difference
1.If you took better diet regularly, you would be living healthy.
2.If you had taken better diet regularly, you would have lived healthy.
3.If you had taken better diet regularly, you would have been living healthy.
In the first Conditional sentence, if clause in simple past indicates hypothetical condition in the past. And in the main clause, present conditional is used for probable result in present.
But, in the second and third conditional sentences, if…. clause in perfect past indicates unrealistic hypothetical condition. And, in if…. clause, Conditional perfect and conditional perfect continuous are used for probable result in past
Correct use of conditional sentences for present unrealistic imagination
If you did something in past, your result in present would be accordingly. In such formation, simple past is used in the past condition, whereas present conditional is used for probable result in present.
1.If I were you, the result would be different.
2.If I were you, I would be teaching in school.
3.If they bought a car, they would be enjoying tour.
4.If USA banned immigrants, she would be facing labour shortage.
5.If I got better rank, I would join national service.
In all the above examples, present conditional with simple past is used to describe unreal condition in if…. clause and probable result in present by present conditional.
Understanding usages of conditional sentences for past hypothetical imagination
In the formation of conditional sentences for hypothetical imagination, perfect Conditional and perfect continuous conditional tenses are used to describe hypothetical condition in past and probable result in past as well.
1.If India had conserved fresh water resources from being polluted, they would not have experienced any scarcity.
2.If Pakistan had controlled rising prices of consumer goods much earlier, they might not have been facing public anger.
3.If Osama bin Laden had not attacked World Trade Centre and Pentagon, the Bush administration would not have declared war.
4.If the global community had implemented binding principle to cut carbon emissions, the rate of global warming would have been decreasing rapidly.
These are some useful examples of conditional sentences for hypothetical imagination by conditional perfect and Conditional perfect and Conditional perfect continuous. All the above express unrealistic condition in perfect past and probable result in past as well.
Short summary of “Zero, first, second, and third Conditional sentences“
Zero conditional sentences express general truth. Simple present is used to describe realistic condition in if… clause. And, in the main clause, simple present tense is used to indicate certain results.
Temperature decreases quickly if you switch on AC.
In the first Conditional sentences, simple present is used for real condition in if….clause. While in main clause, simple future is used for possible outcome in the present.
If you play regularly, you will learn evey basics. (Conditional sentences by simple future tense)
About second and third Conditional sentences for Hypothetical imagination and missed opportunity, I have already explained in this blog.