Conditionals

What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we

call them 'if clauses'. They describe the result of something
that might happen (in the present or future) or might have
happened but didn't (in the past) . They are made using
different English verb tenses.

There are four kinds:

The Zero Conditional:
(if + present simple, ... present

simple)
If you heat water to 100%, it boils.

The First Conditional:
(if + present simple, ... will +
infinitive)
If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the
cinema.

The Second Conditional:
(if + past simple, ... would +
infinitive)
If I had a lot of money, I would travel
around the world.

The Third Conditional
(if + past perfect, ... would +
have + past participle)
If I had gone to bed early, I
would have caught the train.

(Notice we can put the 'if' at the beginning, or in the

middle. It doesn't matter at all.)
 The Zero Conditional

We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one
in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'):

If + present simple, .... present simple.

This conditional is used when the result will always happen. So, if water reaches
100 degrees, it always boils. It's a fact. I'm talking in general, not about one
particular situation. The result of the 'if clause' is always the main cluase.

The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the
meaning.
For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there
can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true
only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I
eat peanuts)
Here are some more examples:

If people eat too much, they get fat.

If you touch a fire, you get burned.
People die if they don't eat.
You get water if you mix hydrogen and oxygen.
Snakes bite if they are scared
If babies are hungry, they cry
 The First Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple
in the other clause:

if + present simple, ... will + infinitive

It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we
can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things,
which could easily come true.

If it rains, I won't go to the park.

If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
She'll be late if the train is delayed.
She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
If I see her, I'll tell her.

First vs. Zero Conditional

The first 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)
 The Second Conditional
The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the
infinitive:

if + past simple, ...would + infinitive

(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'we'. It's strange, but correct!) It
has two uses. First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are
probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.

If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the
lottery)
If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't
happen)

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible,
because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:

If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's
impossible for me to call him).
If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.

How is this different from the first conditional?

This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more
unlikely.

For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with
twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much money, it's just
a dream, not very real)

But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new
shoes (It's much more likely that'll have enough money to buy some shoes)
 The Third Conditional
We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then
'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:

if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle

It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to
imagine the result of this situation.

If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know
she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and
so I did feel sick).
If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine
The Zero Conditional
Make zero conditionals:

For example:
(not / rain / the flowers / die)
If it doesn’t rain, the flowers die
1. (I / wake up late / I / be late for work)
_______________________________________________________________
2. (my husband / cook / he / burn the food)
_______________________________________________________________
3. (Julie / not wear a hat / she / get sunstroke)
_______________________________________________________________
4. (children / not eat well / they / not be healthy)
_______________________________________________________________
5. (you / mix water and electricity / you / get a shock)
_______________________________________________________________
6.(people / eat / too many sweets / they / get fat)
_______________________________________________________________
7. (you / smoke / you / get yellow fingers)
_______________________________________________________________
8. (children / play outside / they / not get overweight)
_______________________________________________________________
9. (you / heat ice / it / melt)
_______________________________________________________________
10. (I / speak to John / he / get annoyed)
_______________________________________________________________
First Conditional Exercise
Put the verb into the correct first conditional form:

1. If I __________________ (go) out tonight, I __________________ (go) to the

cinema.
2. If you __________________ (get) back late, I __________________ (be)
angry.
3. If we __________________ (not / see) each other tomorrow, we
__________________ (see) each other next week.
4. If he __________________ (come), I __________________ (be) surprised.
5. If we __________________ (wait) here, we __________________ (be) late.
6. If we __________________ (go) on holiday this summer, we
__________________ (go) to Spain.
7. If the weather __________________ (not / improve), we
__________________ (not / have) a picnic.
8. If I __________________ (not / go) to bed early, I __________________ (be)
tired tomorrow.
9. If we __________________ (eat) all this cake, we __________________
(feel) sick.
10. If you __________________ (not / want) to go out, I __________________
(cook) dinner at home.
Second Conditional Exercise
Second Conditionals - put the verb into the correct tense:

1. If I _________________ (be) you, I _________________ (get) a new job.

2. If he _________________ (be) younger, he _________________ (travel)
more.
3. If we _________________ (not / be) friends, I _________________ (be)
angry with you.
4. If I _________________ (have) enough money, I _________________ (buy)
a big house.
5. If she _________________ (not / be) always so late, she _________________
(be) promoted.
6. If we _________________ (win) the lottery, we _________________ (travel)
the world.
7. If you _________________ (have) a better job, we _________________ (be)
able to buy a new car
8. If I _________________ (speak) perfect English, I _________________
(have) a good job.
9. If we _________________ (live) in Mexico, I _________________ (speak)
Spanish.
10. If she _________________ (pass) the exam, she _________________ (be)
able to enter university.
Third Conditionals
Put in the correct third conditional verb form:

1. If you ______________ (not / be) late, we ______________ (not / miss) the

bus.
2. If she ______________ (study), she ______________ (pass) the exam.
3. If we ______________ (arrive) earlier, we ______________ (see) John.
4. If they ______________ (go) to bed early, they ______________ (not / wake)
up late.
5. If he ______________ (become) a musician, he ______________ (record) a
CD.
6. If she ______________ (go) to art school, she ______________ (become) a
painter.
7. If I ______________ (be) born in a different country, I ______________
(learn) to speak a different language.
8. If she ______________ (go) to university, she ______________ (study)
French.
9. If we ______________ (not / go) to the party, we ______________ (not /
meet) them.
10. If he ______________ (take) the job, he ______________ (not / go) travelling.
Perfect-English-Grammar
Conditionals
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
___________________________________