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First Vs Second Conditional

The document summarizes the differences between first and second conditional structures in English grammar. 1) First conditional structures use the present simple in the if-clause to talk about real possibilities in the future, while second conditional structures use the past simple to talk about imaginary or hypothetical situations. 2) Modal verbs like "will" are used in the main clause for first conditional and "would" for second conditional, though other modal verbs like "can", "might", "may" are also possible. 3) First conditional is used when there is a real possibility of something happening, while second conditional is used for less probable imagined scenarios or situations.

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Ana Donoso
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32 views

First Vs Second Conditional

The document summarizes the differences between first and second conditional structures in English grammar. 1) First conditional structures use the present simple in the if-clause to talk about real possibilities in the future, while second conditional structures use the past simple to talk about imaginary or hypothetical situations. 2) Modal verbs like "will" are used in the main clause for first conditional and "would" for second conditional, though other modal verbs like "can", "might", "may" are also possible. 3) First conditional is used when there is a real possibility of something happening, while second conditional is used for less probable imagined scenarios or situations.

Uploaded by

Ana Donoso
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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First conditional vs second conditional

Structure

First conditional : If I (present simple) ..., I'll (= I will) ...

First Instead of will, we can use other modal verbs.


E.g. can, might, may, must, should.

conditional
Examples and use

According to the weather forecast, it might rain tonight.


If it rains, I'll stay at home.

We use the first conditional when there is a real possibility


that something will happen in the future.

E.g. Will you wait for me if I am late?


Second Structure

conditional Second conditional If I (past simple) ..., I'd (= I would) ...

Instead of would, we can use could or might.

Examples and use


• At the moment, it's raining.
• If it was sunny, I would go out.

We use the second conditional when we imagine a situation or


when there is very little or no possibility that something will happen

E.g.

• What would you do if you found a lot of money in the street?


• If it wasn't dark outside, we could go out.
Things to remember

We don’t use will or would in the if-part of a conditional sentence.


The if-part of the sentence can go at the beginning or at the
end.
In this type of structure, the past tense refers to an imaginary or
hypothetical situation, such as finding a lot of money in the street.
In a first conditional sentence, we can use when instead of if for
things that we are sure will happen.
Practice1-Put the verb in the correct form to complete each sentence.

1. If global warming continues, temperatures will rise (rise) even higher.


2. What would you do if you _________ (win) a million dollars?
3. If people stopped using cars completely, there _________ (be) much less pollution.
4. When it _________(rain) again, I won't forget to bring my umbrella.
5. If I spoke English fluently, I _________ (not/need) to take lessons.
Practice 2-Study each situation and complete the sentence below.
Decide whether to use a first or second conditional structure.

1. According to the weather forecast there is a chance of snow tomorrow.


If it _________ (snow), I _________ (need) to buy a pair of gloves.
2. Patrick is deciding whether to go to France or Spain on his next holiday.
If Patrick _________ (go) to Spain, he _________ (be) very satisfied.
3. John works 12 hours a day.
If John _________ (not/be) so busy, he _________ (have) more time for his family.
4. Kate is out of work, but she goes shopping every day.
If Kate _________ (continue) to go shopping, she _________ (run out) of money.
5. It is a sunny day with clear blue skies.
If it _________ (rain), I _________ (need) an umbrella.
Metacognition: What are the main differences?

First conditional Second conditional

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