Guide for

the use of
conditionals
Zero, first, second and third

Created by:
Yanet Alessandra Brito Ramírez
and Ana María Canto Maza
 Introduction

The following guide is aimed to help

understand and perfect the use of
the
The guide provides explanations, examples and
exercises of each type of English conditionals to help
the understanding of the grammatical point.

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 Index

1.Introduction
2.Index
3.What Is a Conditional Sentence?
4.The Zero Conditional
5.The First Conditional
6.The Second Conditional
7.The Third Conditional
8.Mixed Conditionals
9.Differences among conditionals
10.Exercises
11.Answer key
12.References

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 What Is a Conditional Sentence?

A conditional sentence is based on the word ‘if’. There are always two parts to
a conditional sentence, one part beginning with ‘if’ to describe a possible
situation, and the second part which describes the consequence.
For example:
If it rains, we’ll get wet.

We can also invert the two parts of a conditional sentence so that the ‘if’ part
comes second, and this is especially common in questions.
For example:
What will you do if you miss the train?

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 The Zero Conditional
We use the zero conditional to talk about permanent truths, such as scientific
facts, and general habits. The structure is simple:
if/when + present simple >> present simple.

Here are some examples:

❑ If I’m tired, I go to bed early.

❑ If you eat a lot, you put on weight.

❑ If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the earth gets

very dry.

❑ If you heat water to 100°, it boils.

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 The First Conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about a realistic situation in the present or
future. The structure of the first conditional is as follows:

If/when + present simple >> will + infinitive.

Here are some examples:
❑ If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
❑ Arsenal will be top of the league if they win.
❑ When I finish work, I'll call you.

It is also common to use this structure with unless, as long as, as soon as or in
case instead of if.
Examples:
❑ I'll leave as soon as the babysitter arrives.
❑ I don't want to stay in London unless I get a well-
paid job.
❑ I'll give you a key in case I'm not at home.
❑ You can go to the party, as long as you're back by
midnight.
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 The Second Conditional
We use the second conditional to talk about improbable or impossible situations in the
present or future. Here is the structure:
if + past simple >> + would + infinitive.

When if is followed by the verb be, it is grammatically correct to say: if I were, if he

were, if she were and if it were. However, it is also common to hear these structures
with was, especially in the he/she form.
Examples:
❑ If I had more time, I’d exercise more.
❑ If I were rich, I’d spend all my time
travelling.
❑ If I were you, I wouldn't mention it.
❑ If she was prime minister, she would invest
more money in schools.
❑ He would travel more if he was younger.

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 The Third Conditional
We use the third conditional to talk about impossible situations, as in the second
conditional, in the past. We often use the third conditional to describe regrets.
The structure is:
If + past perfect >> would/could + past participle
Here are some examples:

❑ If we had left earlier, we would have arrived

on time.
❑ If you hadn’t forgotten her birthday, she
wouldn’t have been upset.

❑ If they had booked earlier, they could have

found better seats.

❑ What would you have studied if you hadn’t

done engineering?

❑ You could have helped me if you’d stayed later.

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 Mixed Conditionals

It’s possible to combine the second and third conditional in one sentence when we
want to make a hypothesis about the past that has a consequence in the present. In
this case, the structure is:
If + past perfect >> would/could + verb
Here are some examples:

❑If you’d studied harder, you’d be at a higher level now.

❑We’d be lying on a beach now if we hadn’t missed the
plane.
❑They’d have much more confidence if they hadn’t lost so
many matches.
❑What would you be doing now if you hadn’t decided to
study?

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 Differences Among Conditionals:
First vs. Zero Conditional:
The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what
happens in general.
For example (zero conditional:
if you sit in the sun, you get burned here I'm talking about every time a person
sits in the sun the burning is a natural consequence of the sitting.
But (first conditional:
if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned here I'm talking about what will happen
today, another day might be different.
First vs. Second Conditional:
The first conditional describes things that I think are likely to happen in the future, whereas the
second conditional talks about things that I don't think will really happen. It's subjective; it depends on
the point of view.
For example (first conditional:
If she studies harder, she'll pass the exam
I think it's possible she will study harder and so she'll pass.
But (second conditional:
If she studied harder, she would pass the exam
I think that she won't study harder, or it's very unlikely, and so she won't pass

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 Exercises:
Finish the sentences with a clause in the correct conditional:
1: If it is sunny tomorrow _______________________________________________
2: If you sit in the sun too long __________________________________________
3: If I were you _______________________________________________________
4: If I were the Prime Minister ___________________________________________
5: If she had studied harder _____________________________________________
6: If I won the lottery __________________________________________________
7: If I hadn’t gone to bed so late _________________________________________
8: If I hadn’t come to London ___________________________________________
9: If you mix water and electricity ________________________________________
10: If she hadn’t stayed at home __________________________________________
11: If I go out tonight___________________________________________________
12: If I were on holiday today ____________________________________________
13: If I had listened to my mother _________________________________________
14: If I hadn’t eaten so much _____________________________________________
15: If it rains later ______________________________________________________
16: If I were British ____________________________________________________
17: If I were the opposite sex ____________________________________________
18: If I have enough money ______________________________________________
19: If you don’t wear a coat in the winter ___________________________________
20: If I weren’t studying English __________________________________________
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 Answer key
Possible answers (check your answer is in the same tense):
1: If it is sunny tomorrow, we'll go to the park.
2: If you sit in the sun too long , you get burned.
3: If I were you, I would go out tonight.
4: If I were the Prime Minister, I would make the museums free.
5: If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.
6: If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.
7: If I hadn’t gone to bed so late, I wouldn't have been tired.
8: If I hadn’t come to London, I would have gone to New York.
9: If you mix water and electricity, you get a shock.
10: If she hadn’t stayed at home, she would have gone shopping.
11: If I go out tonight, I'll go to the cinema.
12: If I were on holiday today, I would go to the beach.
13: If I had listened to my mother, I wouldn't have caught a cold.
14: If I hadn’t eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick.
15: If it rains later, I won't go out.
16: If I were British, I would speak perfect English.
17: If I were the opposite sex, I would grow a beard.
18: If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
19: If you don’t wear a coat in the winter, you get sick.
20: If I weren’t studying English, I would study French.
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 References:

Milne, M. (2019) How to use conditionals in English. Retrieved from:

https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/blog/how-to-use-conditionals-in-english-
zero-first-second-third-and-mixed

Perfect English Grammar. (N.D) Conditionals. Retrieved from:

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/conditionals.html

Conditionals 1 | Grammar - Intermediate to upper intermediate | British

Council. (s/f). Retrieved from:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-
intermediate/conditionals-

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