CABS-CENTER OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH STUDIES

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 clause.
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

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)
_______________________________________________________________
11. (I / feel good the next day / I / go to bed early)
_______________________________________________________________
12. (lots of people / come / Jenny / have a party)
_______________________________________________________________
13. (she / buy expensive clothes / she / go shopping)
_______________________________________________________________
14. (my daughter / pass her exams / she / work hard)
_______________________________________________________________
15. (David / be sick / he / drink milk)
_______________________________________________________________
16. (the river / freeze / it / be very cold)
_______________________________________________________________
17. (I / like to visit the museums / I / be in a new city)
_______________________________________________________________
18. (I / cycle to work / the weather / be fine)
_______________________________________________________________
19. (my flatmate / clean it really well / she / clean the house)
_______________________________________________________________
20. (everybody / be grumpy / it / rain a lot)
_______________________________________________________________

The First Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future
simplein 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 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 my 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)

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.
11. I __________________ (come) early if you __________________ (want).
12. They __________________ (go) to the party if they __________________ (be) invited.
13. She __________________ (stay) in London if she __________________ (get) a job.
14. He __________________ (not / get) a better job if he __________________ (not / pass)
that exam.
15. I __________________ (buy) a new dress if I __________________ (have) enough
money.
16. She __________________ (cook) dinner if you __________________ (go) to the
supermarket.
17. They __________________ (go) on holiday if they __________________ (have) time.
18. We __________________ (be) late if we __________________ (not / hurry).
19. She __________________ (take) a taxi if it __________________ (rain).
20. I __________________ (not / go) if you __________________ (not / come) with me.

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 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal
writing).

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 I'll have enough money to buy some shoes)

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.
11. She _________________ (be) happier if she _________________ (have) more friends.
12. We _________________ (buy) a house if we _________________ (decide) to stay here.
13. They _________________ (have) more money if they _________________ (not / buy) so many clothes
14. We _________________ (come) to dinner if we _________________ (have) time.
15. She _________________ (call) him if she _________________ (know) his number.
16. They _________________ (go) to Spain on holiday if they _______________ (like) hot weather.
17. She _________________ (pass) the exam if she _________________ (study) more.
18. I _________________ (marry) someone famous if I _________________ (be) a movie star. 19. We never
_________________ (be) late again if we _________________ (buy) a new car. 20. You _________________
(lose) weight if you _________________ (eat) less.

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

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.
11. He ______________ (be) happier if he ______________ (stay) at home.
12. She ______________ (pass) the exam if she ______________ (study) harder.
13. We ______________ (not / get) married if we ______________ (not / go) to the same university.
14. They ______________ (be) late if they ______________ (not / take) a taxi.
15. She ______________ (not / meet) him if she ______________ (not / come) to London.
16. He ______________ (take) a taxi if he ______________ (have) enough money.
17. I ______________ (call) you if I ______________ (not / forget) my phone.
18. We ______________ (come) if we ______________ (be) invited.
19. She ______________ (not / do) it if she ______________ (know) you were ill.
20. He ______________ (be) on time if he ______________ (leave) earlier.