Grammar Made Simple

The Conditionals

Expressing what happens — or would happen — under different conditions.

If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.

What Are Conditionals?

A conditional sentence has two parts: the if-clause (the condition) and the result clause (what happens).

Every conditional has an if-clause stating the condition, and a result clause showing the consequence. The verb forms you choose tell your listener how likely or real the situation is — from always true, to possible, to imaginary, to impossible.

Zero Conditional — Always True

General facts, scientific truths, things that always happen.

If + present simple , present simple

"If you heat water to 100°C, it boils."

First Conditional — Real / Likely Future

Possible future situations that could realistically happen.

If + present simple , will + base verb

"If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic."

Second Conditional — Unreal Present / Future

Imaginary or unlikely situations — things that are not true now.

If + past simple , would + base verb

"If I won the lottery, I would buy a house." (I probably won't win)
Note: use were for all subjects in formal writing: "If I were you…"

Third Conditional — Unreal Past

Imagining a different outcome in the past — the situation cannot be changed now.

If + past perfect , would have + past participle

"If she had practised more, she would have won the competition."

Type	Reality	Time
Zero	Always true	Any time
First	Real possibility	Future
Second	Imaginary / unlikely	Present or future
Third	Impossible (past)	Past

🔑 Key shortcut: Count back. Zero = both present. First = present + will (or can / might / should). Second = past + would (or could / might). Third = past perfect + would have (or could have / might have). See the next section for how these choices change the meaning.

Exercise 1

Identify the Conditional Type

Which type of conditional is each sentence?

Question 1 of 5

"If you drop glass, it breaks."

Question 2 of 5

"If she studies hard, she will pass the exam."

Question 3 of 5

"If I were taller, I would be a basketball player."

Question 4 of 5

"If they had left earlier, they would have caught the train."

Question 5 of 5

"Unless you leave now, you will miss the bus."

Exercise 2

Choose the Correct Verb Form

Complete each conditional with the correct form of the verb shown.

Question 1 of 5

"If I ___ (have) more time, I would learn a new language."

Question 2 of 5

"If you heat ice, it ___ (melt)."

Question 3 of 5

"She ___ (call) you if she needs help."

Question 4 of 5

"If they ___ (leave) earlier, they would have caught the flight."

Question 5 of 5

"If I ___ (be) you, I would apologise." (formal second conditional — special form)

Exercise 3

Click the If-Clause

Click every word that belongs to the if-clause (the condition part), then press Check.

Sentence 1 of 5

Click all the words in the if-clause.

Sentence 2 of 5

Click all the words in the if-clause.

Sentence 3 of 5

Click all the words in the if-clause.

Sentence 4 of 5

Click all the words in the if-clause.

Sentence 5 of 5

Click all the words in the if-clause.

It's Not Just "Would"

"Would" is the most common choice, but other modals work in the result clause too — and they change the meaning. This is a very common source of confusion.

First Conditional — Alternatives to "will"

will — certain result
"If it rains, we will cancel."

can — permission / ability
"If you finish early, you can leave."

may / might — possibility
"If it rains, we might cancel."

should — advice / recommendation
"If you're tired, you should rest."

must — strong advice / obligation
"If you visit Rome, you must see the Colosseum."

Second Conditional — Alternatives to "would"

would — imagined certain result
"If I won, I would buy a house."

could — imagined ability / option
"If I had wings, I could fly."

might — imagined possibility
"If I had more time, I might learn piano."

Third Conditional — Alternatives to "would have"

would have — imagined certain past result
"If she'd studied, she would have passed."

could have — imagined past ability / option
"If we'd left earlier, we could have caught it."

might have — imagined past possibility
"If he'd studied, he might have passed."

🔑 The difference in a nutshell: will / would / would have = the expected result. can / could / could have = the ability or option. may / might / might have = a possibility, not a certainty. should / must = advice or strong recommendation (first conditional only).

Exercise 4

Choose the Right Modal

Different modals change the meaning of the result. Choose the one that matches the meaning in brackets.

Question 1 of 4

If it rains tomorrow, we __________ cancel the picnic. (it is possible, but not certain)

Question 2 of 4

If you visit Rome, you __________ see the Colosseum. (very strong advice)

Question 3 of 4

If I had wings, I __________ fly to work. (an imagined ability)

Question 4 of 4

If he had studied harder, he __________ passed, but nobody can be sure. (a possibility in the past)

Exercise 5

Mixed Review

A mix of everything — identifying the type, correct verb forms, and modal variations.

Identify the Conditional Type

Question 1 of 16

"If you mix red and blue, you get purple."

Question 2 of 16

"If we hurry, we will catch the train."

Question 3 of 16

"If I had a car, I would drive to work."

Question 4 of 16

"If she had known about the meeting, she would have attended."

Choose the Correct Verb Form

Question 5 of 16

"If water freezes, it ___ (turn) to ice."

Question 6 of 16

"If you ___ (study) harder, you would get better grades."

Question 7 of 16

"If he had asked, I ___ (help) him."

Question 8 of 16

"We ___ (go) to the beach if the weather is nice."

Modal Variations

Question 9 of 16

"If you finish your homework, you ___ watch TV." (permission)

Question 10 of 16

"If it rains, we ___ cancel the picnic." (a possibility, not a certainty)

Question 11 of 16

"If we'd left earlier, we ___ caught the train." (an imagined past option)

Question 12 of 16

"If you feel unwell, you ___ see a doctor." (advice)

Mixed Practice

Question 13 of 16

"Unless you hurry, you ___ (miss) the bus."

Question 14 of 16

"If I were you, I ___ about it." (not worry)

Question 15 of 16

"If she hadn't missed the flight, she ___ (arrive) on time."

Question 16 of 16

"Ice ___ (melt) if you heat it."

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Well done!

You completed all the exercises.