1.Definition

Conditional clauses are sentences expressing factual implications or hypothetical situations and their consequences. They are so called because the validity of the main clause of the sentence is conditional on the existence of certain circumstances, which may be expressed in a dependent clause or may be understood from the context. A full conditional sentence (one which expresses the condition as well as its consequences) therefore contains two clauses: the dependent clause expressing the condition and the main clause expressing the consequence.

An example of such a sentence is the following:

e.g.: If it rains, the picnic will be cancelled.

Here the condition is expressed by the clause if it rains, while the consequence is expressed by the picnic will be cancelled.