Conditional Sentences

Conditional Sentences
Structure :
A conditional sentence is composed of 2
parts :

If-clause +

Example :

Main
Clause

If it rains tomorrow, we will not come.

If-clause

Main Clause

Conditional Sentences
Types :
The order of the two clauses is flexible, its not
important.
But if the if-clause comes first, it must be
followed by
a comma.

If it rains, Ill stay at home

There are 4 types of conditional sentences.
They are classified according to the degree of
probability that they express.

Each type of conditional sentences uses

different
tenses to show the difference in

the degree of

Conditional Sentences

Zero Conditional: If /when + present tense .. /

modal

First Conditional: If/unless + present,..

Future

If I study, Ill pass

Second Conditional: If + past, would +inf.

Water boils if it reaches 100

If I studied, I would pass

Third Conditional: If + past perfect .. would

have + pp

Zero Conditionals
Tense : Present tense in both clauses
Exampl
e:
Present Tense

Present Tense

If you heat water to 100C, it boils.

If you pour oil into water, it floats.

Zero Conditionals
Use :

Talk about universal truth.

If you heat ice, it turns to water

To talk about habits

If I see a spider, I get very scared!

First Conditionals
Tense :
If-clause ~ Present Tense
Main Clause ~ Future Tense
Present Tense

Future Tense

If I feel sick tomorrow, I will not go to

school.
If it rains, the match will be cancelled.

First Conditionals
Use :

To speak about possible or probable

future events.
If the weather is as sunny tomorrow as it was today,
we will go surfing.

To make promises or warnings

If you forget my birthday, Ill never speak to you

again.

To give commands

If you are tired, go to bed!

In this case the verb in the main clause is an
Imperative

Exercise One. First

Conditionals
do not come (not come),
1. If you ___________________
will miss (miss ) the show.
You ________________
will buy
2. John __________________
(buy)a car if he
gets
_____________
(get) a job.
will get
3. Mary ________________(get)
a toothache if
eats
she_________________ (eat) too many sweets.

Second Conditionals
Tense
:
Example :

If-clause ~ Past Tense

Main Clause ~ would + an
infinitive

Past Tense

Would + infinitive

If he were a bird, he would fly across the

harbour.
If I had $200,000 now, I would buy a car.

Second Conditionals
Use :

To speak about present and future

situations which are unlikely to happen.
If I had any money I would lend it to you.
If I were you I wouldn't do this.
MIND
Were is often
used instead
of was in the
1st and 3rd
person
singular

Third Conditionals
Tense
:

If-clause ~ Past Perfect Tense

Main Clause ~ Would Have +
Past
Participle

Past Perfect Tense Would have+ Past Participle

If I had had enough money, I would have

bought the camera yesterday.
If I had come home earlier, I would not have
missed the programme.

Third Conditionals
Use :
To speak about impossible past events
If theyd gone by bus, they would have
arrived much later.
(They didnt go by bus)
He would have travelled around the world if
he had had more money.
(Impossible to change,
because he didnt have the
money)

Exercise Two
were
1. If I ________________
(be) four years old, I
would learn (learn) to play the piano.
________________
had not failed(not fail) in the
2. If I ________________
would have bought
examination, my mother_______________
(buy)
me a would
new computer.
have finished (finish) if we
3. We ________________________
had had
________________
(have) better preparation.

Conditional Sentences
Other connectors:
Type 1 : UNLESS
If you dont phone John, hell get very
angry.
Unless you phone John, hell get very angry.

Unless can replace

If in negative
conditionals

Conditional Sentences
Other connectors:
PROVIDED / PROVIDING (THAT)/ WITH THE
CONDITION THAT/ AS LONG AS
You can stay with the condition that you
sleep on the couch.
I will go to the party as long as you go
there too

IMAGINE / SUPPOSE /SUPPOSING THAT

Imagine that you won a million
pounds, what would you do?

Conditional Sentences
Other connectors:
EVEN IF
I wont go to the party even if they beg
me

IN CASE
Take an umbrella in case it rains

Conditional Sentences
Variations:
Type 1, 2 and 3 :
If we are not careful, many species may become
extinct.
If I were an aeroplane, I could fly in the sky.
If she hadnt worn her helmet, she might have
been seriously injured.
Modal verbs in conditional
sentences

Exercises

Identifying conditionals

I. Choose the correct answer.

1 - If I drink tea in the morning, it makes me feel sick.

Zero Conditional

First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional

Exercises
2 - I'll tell her if she comes.

Zero Conditional

First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional
3 - If I were you, I'd buy it as soon as possible.

Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional

Third Conditional

Exercises
4 - If I had the time, Id help you

Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional

Third Conditional

5 I would have done things differently if I had been the

manager.

Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional

Third Conditional

Exercises
6 - If you work hard enough, you may well pass.

Zero Conditional

First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional
7 Water boils if you heat it to a hundred degrees celsius.

Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional

Exercises
8 - I would be surprised if it rained.

Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional

Third Conditional

9 If she'd tried harder, she might have succeeded.

Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional

Third Conditional

Exercises
II. Choose the correct answer.
1 - If I ...... you, I would tell him straightaway
were
am

2 - If you ...... yellow and blue, you get green

will mix
mix

3 - If I .........., I would never have done it

knew
had known

4 - Unless you ....... drinking, you'll have serious health problems.

stop
will stop

Exercises
5 - I ......... there if I'd known about it
would never have gone
would never go

6 - If you see him, ......... him to call me?

will you ask
would you have asked

7 - If I ........., I'd have done it myself

were there
had been there

8 - What would you do if the police ......... you?

arrested
had arrested

Exercises

Finish these sentences using the correct verbal tense.

1. If they had listened, they..............................
(understand)
2. If he hadnt worn the helmet, he..........................
(Be)
would have
injured.
understood
Would have
3. If he...........................
(Speak)
clearly,
people would understand
spoke
been
him.
Will be
4. If we miss this train, we.................................. (Be) late for the
Wont call
interview.
met
5. The bank.............................................
(not / call) if we pay the
Would keep
bill.
knew
6. If you................................... (meet ) Tom, you wouldnt like him.
Will be
7. If wont
I foundbuy
100 in the street, I .......... (Keep) it.
had
8. If I ... (Know) her number, I would phone her.
known
9. If he gets late, I .. (be) angry.
10.I .. (Not/buy)
will go that coat if I were you..
11.If I .. (Know) that you were ill last week, I'd have
gone to see you.
12.If it stops raining, we . (Go) on a trip.

Exercises
Choose the correct answer
1

If Teresamore sensible, she wouldnt get into trouble so often.

a) will be b) were
c) had been
B
2 me some ice cream if you go to the supermarket.
a) Got
b) Get
c) Have got
B
3 If I...late, will you wait for me?
B
a) be
b) am
c) will be
4 If Vanessa had..me the truth, I would not have been so angry.
a) told
b) tells
c) tell
A
5 If you listen to her, youllin trouble.
C
a) been
b) being
c) be
6 If you had listen to her, you.have been in trouble.
B
a) shouldnt b) wouldnt
c) couldnt
7 Nobody wouldthe secret if Danny hadnt revealed it.
A
a) have known
b) knew
c) known
8 Will you be all right by yourself if I. out tonight?
A
a) go
b) will go
c) would go
9 If I knew how to run my own business, I..a rich man.
C
a) am
b) will be
c) would be
10 If anyone., say Ill be back about 7.30.
C
a) will phoneb) phone
c) phones

I wish / If only

We use wish and if only +past simple/continuous

or could when we want a situation or thing in the
present to be different or to change.

The time of the action referred to in the subordinate

clause is the same as the time of making the wish.

He wishes that he were rich.

I wish I didnt have to leave.
I wish he was waiting for me.
I wish I could help you.

I wish / If only
We use wish + would to complain about a thing or a

situation.
She wishes that you would come to the meeting
tomorrow.
I wish you wouldnt be so rude.
I wish my mother would let me go out till late.
She wishes her child would sleep all night long.

I wish / If only
We use wish / if only + past perfect / continuous or

could have + p.p.to express a wish about the past

They wish that they had studied harder when they
were young.
(they didnt study)
I wish I hadnt failed the exam
(I failed the exam)

Exercises

Pay attention to the underlined adverbs indicating

time. Complete each of the following sentences with the
correct form of the verb shown in brackets.
1. I wish he

were

2. I wish that you

Had been
3. We wish you

Would
come
4. You will wish you
Would
5. They wished hecome
Would come
come)
6. We wish you Had arrived

here now. (to be)

here yesterday. (to be)
tomorrow. (to come)
earlier. (to leave)
with them the next day. (to
yesterday. (to arrive)

Exercises
7. I wish that he

Would visit

8. She wishes that she

9. You wish that he

were
had
helped

us next year. (to visit)

at home now. (to be)
you last week. (to help)

were
10. He will always wish he ____________ rich. (to be)
Would win the competition the next day. (to win)
11. The boy wished that he ____________
Had made
12. She will wish she _____________
the arrangements earlier. (to make)
were
13. I wish the weather ____________ warmer now. (to be)
were
14. We always wished we ____________
fluent in other languages. (to be)
Would telephone
15. They wish he ________________
them next week. (to telephone)

Mixed exercises

Choose the correct option

1.-Meg would do better at French if she worked harder.

a. Meg will never succeed at French.
b. Meg is very good at French.
c. Meg usually works well at French.
d. Meg doesn't work hard enough.

2.-If the plane hadn't been delayed by bad weather, we wouldn't have
been late
a. Although the plane was late, we were on time
B
b. The weather made us late.
c. The bad weather did not interfere with the plane's arrival.
d. We were not late although the weather was bad.

Mixed exercises
3. If you ask someone the way, you'll find the Modern Museum of Art
easily.
A
a. Most people can tell you where the Modern Museum of Art is.
b. It is very difficult to find the Modern Museum of Art, even if you
ask how
to get there.
c. Did you find the Modern Museum of Art when you wanted to go
there?
4. If I were you, Id get a job.
d. Did you ask someone the way to the Modern Museum of Art?
A
a. I think you should get a job.
b. I need a job.
c. I had a good job, but I left it.
d. You are going to get a job soon.

Mixed exercises
5. The doctor said that if Mrs Allen went on a diet, she would
lose weight.
a. Mrs Allen does not need to be careful with what she
eats.

D
b. Mrs Allen has always been careful with what she

eats. .
6. Jessica c.
would
have should
passedeat
themore.
exam even if I hadn't helped
Mrs Allen
her.
d. Mrs Allen should eat less.
a. Jessica passed the exam without help.
b. Jessica failed because no one helped her.
c. Without my help, Jessica would not have passed. D
d. Jessica didn't really need any help at all.
Note: For more practice click:
if clauses, Conditional sentences - Grammar Exercises - Learnin
g English

Mixed exercises

What would you do in these situations

You are alone in the forest at

night without a phone.

If I were alone in the forest I

would try to use the stars.

You met the genie.

If I met the genie, I would ask

him for my three wishes.

Mixed exercises

What would you do in these situations

One day you read in a newspaper

an article about you. The article
was telling about your private life.

If I read an article about my

private life, Id look for a lawyer.

Your favourite singer wrote a

song for you.

If my fauvorite singer wrote a

song for me, Id be excited.

Mixed exercises

What would you do in these situations

You are going to a date. But

suddenly a bird made your jacket
dirty.

If a bird made my jacket dirty, Id

run to buy other.

You enter the classroom and

suddenly realize that youve
forgotten to dress your trousers.

If I forgot to dress my trousers,

Id try to invent some
explanation.

Third Conditional story

Look at this
photo story.

Third Conditional story

Write what happened in each picture.

He went to a party
He arrived home very
late.

He overslept.

Third Conditional story

Write what happened in each picture.

He missed the bus

He was late for work

and his boss was very
angry.

Third Conditional story

Write what happened in each picture.

His boss was angry and he was

dismissed

He went for a walk.

Third Conditional story

Write what happened in each picture.

He met a girl and

they fell in love.

Now they have three

children.
They got married.

Third Conditional story

Write what would have happened if.

If he hadnt gone to a
he wouldnt have arrived home
party..
late.
If he hadnt arrived home very
he wouldnt have
late..
overslept.

Third Conditional story

Write what would have happened if.

If he hadnt overslept..he wouldnt have missed the bus.

If he hadnt missed the
bus..

he wouldnt have been late for work.

Third Conditional story

Write what would have happened if.

If he hadnt been late for work, his boss wouldnt have

got angry.

If he hadnt been
dismissed..

he wouldnt have gone

to the park.

Third Conditional story

Write what would have happened if.

If he hadnt gone to the

park,..
If he hadnt met the
girl..

he wouldnt have met a

hegirl.
wouldnt have got married
and wouldnt have had three
children.

Third Conditional story

Therefore .

If he hadnt gone to the party, he wouldnt have got married.

..

Web pages
Note: For more practice use you you can click:

http://www.isabelperez.com/conditionals1.htm
http://www.miguelmllop.com/practice/intermediate/g
rammar/conditionals8.htm
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/condit23.htm
http://www.miguelmllop.com/practice/intermediate/g
rammar/conditionals7.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/conditiona
l-sentences/type-1/exercises?02
http://www.geocities.com/athens/olympus/7583/cond
prac1.html
http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/if-clauses.html

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