Conditionals

Zero conditional

Form If-clause (condition) main clause (result)
If/when present present
Meaning If/When I do this, the result always happens.
Examples

If/When I go for a run, I stretch my muscles first.

If you pour oil on water, it floats.

Iron goes red when it gets very hot.

If I drink milk, I get sick because I have lactose intolerance.

If I don’t take vitamin C regularly, I often catch a cold.

When I watch a romantic movie, I always cry.

Note:

  • If you want to talk about things that are generally true, there’s little difference in meaning between if and when.
  • If you start with the if/when-clause, remember to follow it with a comma.

Exercises

Exercise 1.1

Complete the gaps with the right form of the verb in brackets:

First conditional

Form If-clause (condition) main clause (result)
If present WILL
Meaning If I do this, the result will probably happen.
Examples

If temperatures rise again, there will be further outbreaks of fire in the south of the country.

If you submit your essay after the deadline, it will not be marked.

If you don’t give people regular information about the hurricane, they will not leave the affected areas in time.

Note:

  • Remember to use the present tense in the if-clause!
  • Unlike the zero conditional, there is a difference between if and when in the first conditional.
    • If/When plants don’t get enough water, they die. (= zero conditional: this is what happens if you don’t water plants)
    • If I see Tom, I’ll tell him about the conference. (= first conditional: I don’t know if I’m going to see him, but I know it’s a possibility.)
    • When I see Tom, I’ll tell/I'm going to tell him about the conference. (= I know I’m going to see him)
  • Unless = if...not
    • I’ll go to the conference unless I’m too busy. = (I’ll go to the conference if I am not busy.)
  • Other time expressions which are followed by the present tense:
    • after (=at a later time)
      • After we finish the report, we will go to the gym.
    • as soon as (=at the same time or in a very short time after)
      • Don't worry. As soon as I open the letter with my exam results, I'll call you.
    • before (=earlier than something)
      • I think I'll prepare for school before I go to bed.
    • until (=up to a particular point in time)
      • We will be working on the assignment until it's finished.
    • in case (=in order to be prepared for future situations)
      • I'll read the lecture notes once again in case the teacher asks about it tomorrow.

Exercise 2.1

Complete the gaps with the right form of the verb in brackets:

Second conditional

If-clause (condition) main clause (result)
Form If + subject + past subject + WOULD
Full form If I won the lottery, I would study at Berkeley.
Contracted form If I won the lottery, I´d study at Berkeley.
Meaning

If I did this, the result would happen.

To talk about imagined or unreal situations in the present or future.
Examples

If developing countries had greater control of commodity prices, they would be able to plan their economies more efficiently. (= but they don't)

If I won the lottery, I would travel round the world (= I don't think it's very probable I'll win the lottery)

What do you think would happen, if Earth lost its moon? (= but it won't because it's impossible)

If I were you, I would study much harder. The exam is not as easy as you think. (= but I'm not you and never will be)

If you weren't making so much noise, I could concentrate better.

I wouldn't have a car, if I didn't live in the country.

Note:

  • the past tense after if does not refer to the past; it refers to the present or future
  • In unreal conditions, use WERE, not was
    • If I were you (= I am not you and I never will be), I wouldn’t do it.
  • However, in other situations, it's OK to use either was or were (= were is more formal):
    • If I were/was a student of history (= I am not, but I could be), I would focus on Ancient Egypt.

Exercise 3.1

Make sentences with “if” according to the example below:

Third conditional

If-clause (condition) main clause (result)
Form If + subject + past perfect subject + would + past participle
Full form If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
Contracted form If I'd studied harder,

I would’ve/I’d have passed the exam. (written)

I´d´ve passed the exam. (spoken)
Meaning

If I had done this, the result would have happened.
Examples
  • If you had paid more attention in the seminars, you would have known that the deadline was the end of February. (But you didn't pay attention and you missed the deadline)
  • If he had followed the lab safety rules, the lab wouldn’t have blown up.
  • (But he didn't follow the lab safety rules and the lab blew up.)
  • If I had conducted the experiment according to the instructions, it wouldn’t have gone wrong.
  • (But I didn't follow the instructions and the experiment went wrong.)
  • Had I conducted the experiment according to the instructions, it wouldn’t have gone wrong.
  • (This is more emphatic and formal than saying If I had conducted…)

  • use would have to describe the logical consequence of a hypothetical situation:

    If you had paid more attention in the seminars, you would have known the deadline was the end of February.

  • use could have/might have to speculate on one of more possible consequences of a hypothetical situation:

    If I had listened to your advice, I could have/might have prevented the accident.

  • if you want to talk about a real situation in the past, use if + past simple NOT if + past perfect:

    If you knew (= you did know this) this method was outdated, why didn't you tell me?

  • if you want to talk about an imaginary situation, use if + past perfect

    If I had known (= I did not know) this method was outdated, I would have tried another one.

Exercises

Exercise 4.1

Decide which answer best fits each gap:

Exercise 4.2

Complete the gaps with the right form of the verb in brackets:

Exercise 4.3

Write sentences with “if” to make a story. Follow the example below. Ella and John are cartography graduates. They work for a GIS corporation. Their job is demanding and they often find themselves burning the midnight oil, which makes them extremely tired in the morning. This is what happened one day when they failed to wake up in time for work:

Ella and John didn't hear their alarm, so they overslept.

If Ella and John had heard their alarm, they wouldn't have overslept.

Adapted from First Expert Coursebook, Bell, J. & Gower, R., Pearson, 2014.

Questions
Indirect speech