"If it will rain, we stay home." "If I would know, I would tell you." Many languages put "will" or "would" in both halves of an if sentence, so learners translate that pattern straight into English. The result is understood, but it sounds wrong. Learners also mix up "if" and "in case," and are unsure whether to say "If I was" or "If I were." In this episode you learn the four if patterns Americans use every day at home, plus "unless," "in case," and "I wish," with the reductions you will hear in fast speech. In this episode: • Zero conditional: always true • First conditional: real future • Second conditional: imaginary now • Third conditional and i wish: looking back • Scene: the picnic • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: If you heat ice, it melts — a fact If the baby cries, I pick her up — a habit If I drink coffee at night, I can't sleep — always true for me When the dryer beeps, the clothes are done — "when" works here too If it rains, we'll stay home — a real possibility If you're hungry, I'll make a sandwich — an offer If you don't hurry, you'll miss the bus — a warning Text me if you need anything — a command plus if Unless means "if not": We'll eat outside unless it rains — if it doesn't rain If I had more time, I'd learn to bake — but I don't have time If we lived closer, we'd visit more — but we live far What would you do if you won a trip? — imagine it If I were you, I'd call her — my advice If I'd known, I would've called — but I didn't know (WOOD-uv) If we'd left earlier, we would've made it — but we left late Season 2 · Real American English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — accent, everyday grammar, prepositions, articles, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.