If - Clauses

Usually we distinguish (unterscheiden) between three types
of if-clauses:

If the weather is fine again,

we will go out for a walk.

If-clause: simple present

main clause: will-future

Translation: ... schön ist,

... werden wir...

If the weather was fine,

we would go out for a walk.

If-clause: simple past

main clause: conditional I

Translation: ... schön wäre,

...gingen wir (würden wir gehen)

If we spent more time in England,

we would understand the language 
better.

Translation: ... verbringen würden,

... würden wir... verstehen

If the weather had been fine,

we would have gone out for a 
walk.

If-clause: past perfect

main clause: conditional II

Translation: ... schön gewesen 
wäre,

... wären wir...gegangen

If I had known the exact time,

I wouldn't have missed the 
train.

Translation: ... gewußt hätte,

... hätte ich ... nicht verpaßt

!!! Depending on the verb, the German translation is either

            wäre                    or                  hätte 
(gegangen wäre)                           (gespielt hätte)

The three types of if-clauses can also be combined. The following combinations are also possible:

If you didn't drive so fast, 

you would have seen the sign.

Wenn du nicht ... fahren würdest

hättest du ... gesehen.

If we had left earlier this morning,

we would be in York by now.

Wenn wir ... weggefahren wären,

wären wir jetzt schon ...