CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

Always remember If clause Result clause Examples

(a) If she has enough time, she goes
to the library once every week.
True in the Simple Simple Present/Simple (b) If she has enough time, she will
present/Future Present Future go to the library once every week.
(General Truth)
(c) If she had enough time, she
would go to the library once
Untrue in the every week. (However, the truth
present/future Simple Past Would+ Simple Form is that she does not have enough
time, so she will not go to the
(Unlikely to
library)
happen)
(d) If she had had enough time, she
would have gone to the library
Untrue in the past once every week. (However, the
(Impossible Past Perfect Would have+ past participle truth is that she didn´t have
enough time, so she didn´t go
situation in past)
anywhere.)

FIRST CONDITIONAL (TRUE IN THE PRESENT OR FUTURE)

(e) If I don’t eat breakfast, I always get hungry
during class.
(f) Water freezes (will freeze) if the temperature
goes below 32° F/0°C.
(g) If I don’t eat breakfast tomorrow morning, I will
get hungry during class.
(h) If the weather is nice tomorrow, we will go on a
picnic.
In (e): The simple present is used in the result
clause to express a habitual activity or situation.
In (f): Either the simple present or the simple
future is used in the result clause to express an
established, predictable fact.
In (g) and (h): The simple future is used in the
result clause when the sentence concerns a
particular activity or situation in the future.

EXERCISE 1: Connect the phrases to make sentences.

1. If you hide behind the tree, B a) you’ll know more words.
2. If you don’t hurry, C b) he’ll see you.
3. If you read more books, A c) we’ll be late.
4. If she doesn’t eat, E d) their teacher will be angry.
5. If they don’t do their homework, D e) she’ll be hungry.

EXERCISE 2: Complete the conditional sentences.

1) If you ____don’t behave_____ (not/behave), you _____will get__________ (get) a bad mark.
2) If she _____wears__________ (wear) a raincoat, she _____won’t get wet________ (not/get) wet.
3) I ________won’t talk to you____ (not /talk) to you if you __don’t keep_________ (not/ keep) my secret.
4) If he _____leaves________ (leave) now, I ___will never talk_____ (never/ talk) to him again.
5) If your students _______work______ (work) hard, their results ___will be___ (be) a lot better.
6) If you _________wait______ (wait) a minute, she ____will be_____ (be) here with Jack.
 SECOND CONDITIONAL (UNTRUE (CONTRARY TO FACT) IN THE PRESENT/FUTURE)
(i) If I taught this class, I wouldn’t give tests. In (i): In truth, I don’t teach this class.
(j) If he were here right now, he would help us. In (j): In truth, he is not here right now.
(k) If I were you, I would accept their invitation. In (k): In truth, I am not you.
Note: Were is used for both singular and plural subjects. Was (with I, he, she, it) is sometimes used in
very information speech but is not generally consider grammatically acceptable.

EXERCISE 3: Complete the sentences with the verbs in parentheses.

1. If I have enough apples, I (bake) _____will bake______ an apple pie this afternoon.
2. If I had enough apples, I (bake) ____would bake______ an apple pie this afternoon.
3. I will fix your bicycle if (have) ______I have________ a screwdriver of the proper size.
4. I would fix your bicycle if I (have) ___had____________ a screwdriver of the proper size.
5. I (make) ___will make___ a tomato salad for the picnic tomorrow if the tomatoes in my garden are ripe.
6. I (make) __ would make__ a tomato salad for the picnic tomorrow if the tomatoes in my garden were ripe.
7. Jack would shave today if he (have) ____had______ a sharp razor.
8. Jack will shave today if he (have) ____has_________ a sharp razor.
9. Sally always answers the phone if she (be) __is____ in her office.
10. Sally would answer the phone if she (be) __were_ in her office right now.
11. I (not be) __wouldn’t be___ a student in this class if English (be) __were______ my native language.

EXERCISE 4: Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. If I were you, I ______wouldn’t wear______________ (not wear) those old jeans.
2. Terence __________ would win _____________ (win) the championship if he trained harder.
3. If he _________were______________ (be) taller, he could be a basketball player.
4. If everybody _______protested_________________ (protest), they would stop killing whales.
5. The countryside _ would be _____ (be) more beautiful if people didn’t set fire to the forests every year.
6. If you ______stopped___________ (stop) smoking, you ___ would feel _____ (feel) much better.
7. If the temperature ____dropped__(drop) a bit more, it __ would snow (snow), but I don’t think it will.
8. I _____ would read __ (read) the book if it __were___ (be) interesting, but it’s so boring.
9. If my boyfriend __treated____ (treat) me like that, I ___ would break up ________ (break up) with him.

EXERCISE 5: Rewrite the sentences using the second conditional.

1. I don’t have his phone number. I can´t call him. If I ___had his phone number, I would call him.
2. I feel terrible I can’t go to school. I could go to the school if I felt good.
3. My parents don’t like him because he looks so strange. If he didn’t look so strange, my parents would
like him.
4. He doesn’t get the good marks because he is lazy. He would get the good marks if he weren’t so lazy.
5. She doesn’t speak Portuguese because she doesn’t live in Portugal.
If she lived in Portugal, she would speak Portuguese.
6. You don’t lose weight because you eat too much. You would lose weight if you didn’t eat too much.

EXERCISE 6: Supply the appropriate auxiliary verb

1. I don’t have a pen, but if I ____had it______, I would lend it to you.
2. He is busy right now, but if he ___weren’t busy_____, he would help us.
3. I don’t have enough money, but if I ___had enough money___, I would buy that book.
5. The weather is cold today, but if it __weren’t cold____, I would go swimming.
6. I’m not a good cook, but if I ___were good___, I would make all of my own meals.
7. I have to go to class this afternoon, but if I _didn’t have class___, I would go downtown with you.
8. I always pay my bills. If I __didn’t pay my bills__, I would get in a lot of trouble.
9. Helium is lighter than air. If it _were heavier____, a helium-filled balloon wouldn’t float upward.

Exercise 7: WHAT WOULD YOU…? What would you do in these situations?

1) If you had to choose a place to live outside your country, which one would you choose and why?
If I had to choose a place to live outside your country, I would choose Australia because it has
beautiful landscapes and interesting culture.
2) Quit Facebook? If I quit Facebook, I would spend my time in more productive activities.
3) If you had plenty of money to give away, what would you do with it?
If I had plenty of money to give away, I would help a lot of people.
4) What three things would you take if your house was on fire?
If my house was on fire, I would take my laptop, my money and my cat.
8) You find a lot of money in the street?
If I found a lot of money in the street, I would look for its owner.
9) You were a girl/boy for a day?
If I were a girl for a day, I would try lots of clothes.
10) What will happen if we don’t protect the environment?
If we don’t protect the environment, our children wouldn’t have a place to live.
11) If you had a child, how would you bring him/her up?
If I had a child, I would teach him/her important values to carry a right life.
13) If you were a teacher, how would you behave with your students?
If I were a teacher, I would be so kind with them.
14) What would happen if you failed three courses this year?
If I failed three courses this year, I would do my best next year.
15) You could be invisible for a day?
If I could be invisible for a day, I would hear what people say about me.
16) You saw a bear in the forest?
If I saw a bear in the forest, I would keep calm.
17) Had one day left to live?
If I had one day left to live, I would spend it with my family.
18) Were in a war?
If I were in a war, I would protect my colleagues
19) You find out you were adopted?
If I found out I was adopted, I would ask to my adoptive parents how come.
20) Had superpowers?
If I had superpowers, I would fight criminals.
21) You can get any job you wanted?
If I could get any job I wanted, I would be the best at my job.
22) Your friend is drunk and cannot drive?
If my friend were drunk and couldn’t drive, I would drive in his place.