Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.

A English)

Grammar for IELTS

Conditional Statements

Main Conditional statements Usage in IELTS Writing Task 2

First Conditional Likely to be used

Second Conditional Likely to be used
Third Conditional Less likely to be used
Unless statements A useful variation
Provided that Statements A useful variation

There are three main types of conditional: first, second and third. The ‘zero conditional’ has not been
listed as it is not likely to be used in Writing Task 2. Try to use at least one type of conditional statement
in your essay.
You choose which conditional to use depending on your ideas.

• If you believe the situation is likely to happen, then you will use the First Conditional.
• If you think it is unlikely to happen in reality, you will use the Second Conditional.
Note that conditional statements do not need to start with "if ". You can change the position of the
clauses. If you plan to use two conditional sentences in your essay, invert one to show the examiner
flexibility. Always remember to use a comma in the right place, as shown below. You only use a comma
between the two clauses when the if-clause start the sentence.
First Conditional = real situation (likely to happened / a likely result)
This is generally made using “If + Present Simple, … will + Infinitive”.
Do not use will in the if-clause!
➢ If people work hard, they will have success in life.
➢ If rich countries provide more financial aid to poor countries, it will close the gap between the rich
and the poor.
➢ If the government does not act soon, global warming will become irreversible.
➢ If rich countries do not aid poor countries, the poverty cycle will never be broken.
The poverty cycle will never be broken if rich countries do not aid poor countries.
➢ Young people will gain important life experience if they travel abroad before going to university.
If young people travel abroad before going to university, they will gain important life experience.

1
Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Second Conditional = unreal situation / hypothetical (unlikely to happen)

This is made using “If + Past Simple, … would + Infinitive”.
Do not use would in the if-clause!
Note that we use the Past Simple in the if-clause although we are talking about the present (or the
future).
➢ If the government built wider roads, it would improve traffic flow.
➢ If people all around the world spoke only one language, it would promote harmony and
understanding between different cultures.
➢ There would be more violence and discontent in the world if there was no censorship of media
content.
If there was no censorship of media content, there would be more violence and discontent in the
world.
➢ If the government did not provide state schools and social security, many families would not be
able to afford either.
Many families would not be able to afford state schools or social security if the government did
not provide them.

Using "might" or "could" in the main clause

Note too that instead of would in the main clause, you can use might or could if you think it is less
probable that the event or situation described will happen.
➢ If we used fewer plastic bottles, it might have a huge impact on the environment.
➢ World poverty could be eradicated if everyone had free access to education.

Third Conditional = ‘imaginary past’; used to express criticism or regret because we would have liked
the past to be different from what actually happened
This made using “If + Past Perfect, … would+ have+ Past Participle” if both actions are in the past:
➢ If man had not always had the urge to surpass himself, the pyramids would never have been built,
and no one would ever have walked on the moon.
➢ If the public transport system had been better planned, our cities would not have become so
difficult to live in and work in.
➢ The British Empire would probably not have existed if Britain had not developed into a naval
superpower.
If the action or situation in the main clause is in the present, then the Third Conditional is made using
“If + Past Perfect, … would + Infinitive”:
➢ If the government had started paying attention to climate change 50 years ago, our environmental
problems would not be as complex as they are today.
➢ English would probably not be spoken as a lingua franca in so many parts of the world if United
States and Britain had not been economic and military superpowers.
2
Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

➢ If there had not been so many advances in medicine and in pharmacology over the past century,
people would live much shorter lives and suffer greater in pain.

Unless Statements unless = if … not

Unless statements can be very useful in highlighting the potential problems if a situation is ignored.
Such statements can be particularly useful in IELTS solution essays.
➢ If we do not reduce our consumption of plastic, ocean pollution will worsen.
Unless we reduce our consumption of plastic, ocean pollution will worsen.
In the same way as in if-sentences, you can change the position of the clauses:
➢ Unless people make more effort to recycle and reduce their energy consumption, global warming
will continue to be a threat.
Global warming will continue to be a threat unless people make more effort to recycle and reduce
their energy consumption.
➢ Many delinquents will reoffend unless they take part in a rehabilitation programme.
Unless they take part in a rehabilitation programme, many delinquents will reoffend.
Note that the same punctuation rule as in if-sentences applies here: you only use a comma between
the two clauses when the unless-clause starts the sentence.
Provided that Statements provided = if and only if
You can also begin a conditional clause with provided that. The expression provided that can also be
interchangeable with the following:
provided / providing / providing that / as long as / so long as
All the expressions above have the same meaning as ‘if and only if’.
➢ Children should be allowed to watch movies on television provided that parents censor violent
content.
➢ Children should be allowed to play computer games, provided parents control the amount of time
they spend playing them.
➢ Children should be allowed access to social media providing parents monitor the sites they access.
➢ Children should be allowed to read story books providing that they also spend time reading
educational books.
In the same way as in if-sentences, you can change the position of the clauses:
➢ Children should be allowed to watch the news on television provided that parents are prepared to
answer their questions.
As long as parents are prepared to answer their questions, children should be allowed to watch
the news on television.
➢ Provided overfishing ceases immediately, fish stocks might be able to recover.
Fish stocks might be able to recover so long as overfishing ceases immediately.

3
Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

Conditional Statements: Exercises

1. Underline the correct options.

1 If people will not / do not have children, they will / would lack support in old age.
2 Children would / might feel abandoned if their parents do not / will not spend enough time with
them.
3 Healthy food would be / will be more popular if it was / would be more affordable.
4 If children and grandparents spend / spent more time together, they can enjoy / had enjoyed a
closer relationship.
5 If fast foods did not get / have not got so much publicity, more people would / will continue to
cook traditional dishes.
6 Forests would not / did not have to be razed to grow plants to feed industrially reared cattle if
we reduce / reduced our consumption of meat.
7 If governments listened / had listened to climate experts sooner, global warming will be / could
have been reduced.
8 Fewer people will / would dislike walking if our cities might be / had been planned with
pedestrians in mind.
9 Unless the public transport system is / would be improved, most people would / will continue
to drive to work.
10 Social networking sites would not / will not lose their appeal provided that they do not pose /
had not posed a risk to users' privacy.

2. In most of the sentences 1 – 10 there is one extra word which does not fit. Some sentences,
however, are correct.

1 If more money was spent on sports facilities, the number of people engaging in sport would
increase.
2 Stricter environmental laws will not stop plastic pollution unless if individuals agree to
cooperate.
3 Children might become more adequate members of society if they could acquired team spirit
through leaning team sports.
4 If governments spent less money on armament and space exploration, they would be able to
eradicate or at least reduce world poverty.
5 Countries benefit from hosting international sports competitions providing so that the events
are well organise.
6 Libraries will be able to attract more users unless they will offer free internet access.
7 Pollution and global warming will not decrease so long as a suitable alternative to fossil fuels is
found.
8 If parents and children will spend increasingly more time online, the generation gap is bound
to keep widening.
9 Social networking sites would not have become so popular if people did not have an inherent
need to communicate and share stories.
4
Grammar for IELTS Daw Thuzar Latt (M.A English)

10 Unless more stringent laws to curb the felling of trees are not adopted soon, deforestation will
soon turn into a global disaster.

3. Complete the conditional statement in each pair so that its meaning is similar to the meaning of
the initial sentence. Use one to four words each time.

1 Medicines are tested on animals. This way, scientists know that they are safe for human use.
If medicines were ________________ on animals, scientists ________________whether they
are safe for human use.
2 Deforestation should be brought under control because an increasing number of species are
facing extinction.
An increasing number of species will __________________ extinction unless deforestation
_____________________ under control.
3 One problem with sports sponsorship is that an unsuccessful team or athlete means there is a
possibility of lower sales for the sponsoring company.
One problem for companies which sponsor sports is that if the team or athlete
_____________________ successful, sales _____________________ decrease.
4 Children pester their parents to buy junk food because they are easily influenced by TV
commercials.
If children _____________________easily influenced by TV commercials, they would
_____________________their parents to buy junk food.
5 Global companies have taken over the high street. That is why so many local shops closed
down.
Fewer local shops _____________________down if global companies _____________________
the high street.
6 Offering promotion opportunities guarantees employee motivation.
As long as employees _____________________promotion opportunities, they
_____________________feel motivated.
7 Through preparation is essential before a job interview. It definitely increases your chances of
success.
If you _____________________thoroughly before a job interview, your chances of success
_____________________definitely increase.
8 The absence of positive role models means young people cannot live with hope and integrity.
Unless they _____________________ positive role models, young people will
_____________________to live with hope and integrity.
9 It is a pity that equal distribution of global wealth is only a dream because it means the gap
between rich and poor is here to stay.
If the distribution of global wealth _____________________ unequal, the gap between rich and
poor _____________________ disappear.
10 People had to have more children in the past because the infant mortality rate was very high.
If the infant mortality rate _____________________lower, people _____________________to
have so many children.