make an essay in any topic using conditional

Follow These Rules To Write Conditional Sentences Correctly

by Alice Sudlow | 18 comments

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Of all the nuances of grammar in the English language, this is my greatest pet peeve. No, it’s not “its vs. it’s.” It’s not “there, their, and they’re.” It’s not even the Oxford comma.

Let’s talk conditional sentences.

What Is a Conditional Sentence?

A conditional sentence is a sentence that describes a hypothetical situation, like an action or event, and the result of that situation.

Confused? Here’s an easy way to think about it: a conditional sentence can usually use the words “if” and “then.” Here’s an example:

If a zombie apocalypse occurs, then I want to survive.

Real vs. Unreal Conditional Sentences

There are two major types of conditional sentences, and you use them based on how likely the hypothetical situation is to occur.

Real conditional sentences deal with factors that are certain.

If I go to the hardware store today, then I will get a crowbar.

It’s very possible that I’ll actually go to the hardware store today, and when I'm there, I will definitely get a crowbar. So this is a real conditional sentence.

On the other hand, unreal conditional sentences deal with imaginary situations, things that aren’t likely to happen.

If their chainsaws were not so expensive, then I would get one of those, too.

The problem is that chainsaws are expensive, so I definitely won’t get one. Since finding a low-priced chainsaw at that hardware store is an imaginary situation, this conditional sentence is unreal .

Formulas for Writing Conditional Sentences

Writing a conditional sentence is like following a formula. Try these common ones out for size:

The Present Real Conditional: If [present situation], then [present result]

If I buy hefty tools, I put them in my zombie preparedness kit.

Note : you can often omit the “then” from conditional sentences. Most of the examples in this post work with or without the “then.” Most writers will omit the “then” in almost all their conditional sentences for simplicity sake.

The Present Unreal Conditional: If [simple past situation], then [conditional result].

If I bought a chainsaw, then I would put it in my zombie preparedness kit, too.

The Past Real Conditional: If [simple past situation], then [simple past result].

Before I created my zombie preparedness kit, I avoided watching zombie movies because if I watched them, then I got really scared.

The Future Real Conditional: If [present], then [future].

If one day we face a zombie apocalypse, I will be ready.

Reversing “If and Then” Order

All formulas for conditional sentences hold true if you reverse the if/then clauses:

I would buy a chainsaw if I could afford it.

Or even if you remove the words “if” and “then” altogether:

Had I a chainsaw, I would feel more prepared.

You Can Use “When” in Conditional Sentences, Too

Using “when” instead of “if” will change the meaning of these sentences, but they’re still conditional sentences either way. For example:

When  I buy hefty tools, I put them in my zombie preparedness kit.

When Things Go Wrong With Conditional Sentences

Have you ever heard someone say, “If I would have”?

If I would have known the chainsaws were on sale last week, then I would have purchased one.

This is so wrong.

I hear it all the time, but there’s a major problem here. Remember all those formulas we talked about? Here’s the one we need now:

The Past Unreal Conditional: “If [past perfect situation], then [conditional past result].”

Or to put it more simply, “If I had [past participle], then I would have [past participle].”

“Would have purchased” is the conditional past tense of the verb “to purchase.” It fits perfectly after “then.” But “would have known” is the conditional past, too, so it doesn’t fit. The past perfect of “to know” is “had known.” So the correct sentence is:

If I had known the chainsaws were on sale last week, then I would have purchased one.

Bonus! More Misused Conditional Sentences

Here’s one more instance where people commonly (but mistakenly) use the conditional past tense:

I wish I would have known about the sale at the hardware store!

Like the if-clauses above, “I wish” must be followed by the past perfect. So if you realize you missed out on a great opportunity to beef up your zombie preparedness kit and you regret not snagging a deal on that chainsaw last week, you would say,

I wish I had known about the sale at the hardware store!

This is the correct version.

And with that, you know all you need to if you never want to misuse conditional sentences again! If I were standing next to you, then I'd give you a high five! (See what I did there?)

 How about you? Do you enjoy using conditional sentences in writing? Let us know in the comments section .

Write a scene about a regretful character. Maybe she did something she shouldn’t have done. Maybe he didn’t do something he should have done. If something had happened, then what would have happened? What does this person wish they’d done differently?

Write about your character’s if/then or “I wish” mistake for fifteen minutes, then post your practice in the comments. And if you post, remember to give feedback to your fellow writers.

Bonus: Today, find a real-life if/then or “I wish” mistake. Listen to the conversations around you, pay attention to the lyrics of songs on the radio, and double-check the newspaper, books on your shelf, and cereal boxes. When you find an instance where the conditional past is misused, share it in the comments.

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Alice Sudlow

Alice Sudlow is the Editor-in-Chief of The Write Practice and a Story Grid certified developmental editor. Her specialty is in crafting transformative character arcs in young adult novels. She also has a keen eye for comma splices, misplaced hyphens, and well-turned sentences, and is known for her eagle-eyed copywriter skills. Get her free guide to how to edit your novel at alicesudlow.com .

18 Comments

Another is ‘may’ vs. ‘might’ – I keep hearing people talk about things that could have happened but didn’t and saying they ‘may have’ happened. The only time it’s correct to say something may have happened is when we don’t know whether it happened or not – they mean that it might have happened, as in ‘if the Nazis had invented the atomic bomb first, they might have won World War II.’

That’s a good one! It trips a lot of people up.

This, Jim, is one that I always have to think about. The conditional sentences don’t really cause me any problems. How about conditional sentences and the subjunctive? I too often hear ‘If I was…’ When it should be ‘If I were…’ It grates!

If I were you, I would have written this brilliant post. Since I am not, I just deleted my astute response. I am considering writing a story from my idea box about a former friend who hurt me in high school. If I were Andi, would I care about crushing another ‘s feeling? Roy Clark in his masterful “The Glamour of Grammar” warns us to avoid “hypergrammar.” He suggests we sound like “prigs ” if we were to use “It is I.” What is your response?

I hear where you’re coming from. When sentences get complex or unwieldy, enforcing correct grammar can make them sound strange and unnatural. I love grammar, and I find it hard to bend the rules even when they start to do more harm than good. But I do have a couple of exceptions:

– I don’t mind ending a sentence with a preposition. That rule is based on French grammar, in which it’s actually impossible to end a sentence with a preposition. I don’t think it enhances clarity to say, “About what are you thinking?” rather than, “What are you thinking about?”

– If you’re writing dialogue, the key is to capture the way that your characters would actually talk. That gives you a decent amount of freedom in what you can do to bend grammar rules. The novel as a whole would need to adhere more closely to correct grammar, but even there, the voice and tone should fit the characters and setting. A story about teenagers in the 23rd century on Mars will probably sound different from a historical political drama, and perhaps grammar (even dated or made-up grammar) will play a part in that.

Bottom line: I agree that it’s good to avoid “hypergrammar.” But loving grammar as I do, I find that a difficult line to walk.

I’m glad you’re confident with conditional sentences! I see “if I would have” so often that I felt it bore explaining. You’re right, though, that the subjunctive gets very tricky for a lot of people. I hear it used incorrectly so frequently that sometimes I have to double-check my own usage. Good idea for a follow-up post!

Awesome. Thank you. And, what a coincidence! My oldest son has problems using those words, in the 1st paragraph, in a sentence. I was going over them with him just yesterday. (Due to his behavior, he has to write a lot of essays)

I’m so glad you found this helpful! Good luck to your son — with both essays and behavior! 🙂

Awwww, thanks.☺

This is an excellent start for me ~ Sorry my 15 minute response will be kept for expansion. IF I didn’t have this plan, THEN I would certainly have shared it.

Great use of a conditional sentence! I’m glad your practice turned into a promising piece!

Shadow watched the girl sleep on the couch. Her chest rose and fell, her breaths coming softly.

The face of the man who’d tried to rape her rose up in his mind in sharp focus. Shadow’s jaw clenched. He’d had his chance to strangle the man—yet he’d restrained himself because the girl had been there, because she had asked him not to.

The look in her eyes as Shadow had gripped the man’s throat…it had chilled Shadow. Because it had reflected who he was inside. Someone capable of killing.

But if he had taken the man’s life, it would not have been without cause.

The girl stirred on the couch. She opened her eyes, revealing soft, bottle-green. “You okay?” she asked.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I was just about to leave for work. Rouge is coming by to spend the night.” His mouth tugged in a half-smile. “She likes scary movies, so I’m sure she’s bringing one.”

“Sounds fun,” the girl said, returning his smile.

He squeezed her shoulder and headed for the front door. Just as he’d opened it, the girl said behind him, “Shadow?”

He turned back.

“You did the right thing.”

The thought of a man holding this girl down and forcing himself on her—on a little girl—made his blood simmer.

Allowing that man to live, to let his heart beat one more instant, had been the right thing to do?

Shadow could not disagree more.

Any suggestions/feedback are welcome. Thanks for reading!

If I have to wait to read the rest of this story, then I will be sad. Nice start to something really good.

Aww thank you!! : ) I appreciate that!

This is a great start! I like the slow way you reveal details, not disclosing the young age of the little girl until near the end. I also found the way you showed Shadow’s inner turmoil to be very effective. Internal reflections are nicely mixed with external actions, so neither one feels too long.

And of course, excellent use of a conditional sentence in the fourth paragraph!

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that! : )

Thanks for the reminder!

Guys, is anyone using the typo bounty app? I read about it in a grammar forum. I’d love some feedback!

Thanks, Jai

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“If-then”: Using Conditional Sentences in Academic Writing

Conditional sentences are statements of an “if-then” or “unless-then” situation (although “then” is not used), or a probability. These sentences present situations and their possible outcomes. Conditional sentences are often used to discuss the results of the research studies or are part of a research hypothesis statement.

Conditional sentences are perfectly acceptable and, in many cases, necessary to state and test a condition and its outcome. Most authors of the scientific papers will use these sentences in their abstracts to discuss the reasons to conduct their study. So, it is important to frame them correctly.

One way of writing conditional sentences correctly is using Trinka – world’s first AI-powered grammar checker and language enhancement tool custom designed for academic writing. Its smart features help you in incorporating all the requirements of academic writing such as formal tone, consistency, style guide preferences and much more! Moreover, Trinka corrects advance grammar errors unique to technical writing which includes conditional sentences, too.

Types of Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences are constructed using two clauses—the if (or unless ) clause and the main clause. There are five types of conditional sentences. It is important to understand each because each conveys a different meaning . Some conditional sentences refer to the general truths and others to hypothetical situations.

• Zero conditional sentences refer to the general truth about a situation. These sentences state that one condition always results in the same outcome. For example:

If I don’t turn on my air conditioner, my house is hot.

Note that the both clauses are in the present tense.

• First conditional sentences present a situation in which a future outcome is not ensured. For example:

If you eat your broccoli, you will feel great.

Note that the present tense is used in the if clause and the future tense in the main clause.

• Second conditional sentences express if clauses and results that are extremely unlikely, such as those we “wish for.” For example:

If I had control over the food sources, I would end world hunger.

Note the use of the simple past tense in the if clause and the verb (i.e., would, could, should) in the main clause.

• Third conditional sentences are a bit different. They suggest that the result would be different had the past been different. For example:

If you had told me you were hungry, I would have bought food for you.

Note that the conditions did not happen. The past perfect tense (had + past participle form of the verb) is used in the if clause and the verb (would) plus “have” plus the past participle of the verb was used in the main clause.

• Mixed type conditional sentences refer to something in the past but continuing into the present; however, the past condition and the results are not real. For example,

If I had learned to ride sooner, I would be a top rodeo star by now.

Note that the past perfect verb is used in the if clause and the present conditional verb is used in the main clause.

Punctuating these conditional sentences is simple. Use a comma to separate the if clause from the main clause when the if clause comes first. Again, Trinka can help you in the punctuating the sentences correctly, within minutes!

Some Exceptions to the Rules

For example, in the following sentence, we use the simple future verb in the if clause:

If turmeric will ease my arthritis pain, I will take some every day.

Note that the action in the if clause hasn’t happened yet, but will happen after the action in the main clause is taken.

The use of were to in the if clause is another exception. This phrase is used to emphasize the importance of the result of something that might happen. For example:

If she were to fall on that arm again, she would have to have surgery.

The action in the main clause is emphasized by were to in the if clause.

Importance to Researchers

In your research, you are most likely going to either perform your own experiments or use the results of others’ experiments to conduct a meta-analysis. Whichever the case, you will need to report your findings and assessments . In doing so, there will be situations in which the results of your study or even future studies are based on certain conditions. Your conclusions are based on evidence, data, or theory. You might present your conclusions as likelihoods that something has already happened, is currently happening, or will happen at some point. This is where conditional sentence is a great help.

Writing conditional sentences might appear to be a difficult thing to do, but with practice and good understanding of the above mentioned rules, you can perfect it. Alternatively, you can check out Trinka ! Its robust AI facilitates you in integrating all the conventions and language requirements of academic writing. Along with, conditional sentences Trinka can also assist you in logic, syntax, technical spellings and much more!

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• 4 Conditionals In English And When To Use Them

• Posted on 19/05/2021
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: Conditionals , Grammar , Resources to learn English

Conditionals? Is that something you use after shampooing your hair? Not quite. You may have heard your English teacher talk about conditionals. Who knows, you may have even learnt a couple:

• If it rains, you will get wet!
• If you don’t study, you won’t pass the exam.

But just when you think you’ve mastered them all, another one pops up that seems harder than the last.

Well, the good news is there are four main conditionals. All of which we’re going to teach you today. So that by the end of this blog post you’ll not only recognise them but also feel comfortable to use them in a variety of situations. We’ll also share some fun videos with you!

So, if you’re ready to begin, let’s get the ball rolling . (That’s the first conditional by the way).

The conditionals

Conditionals are also known as if clauses , we use them to say that one thing depends on something else. They can be used to talk about something that always happens, might happen or might have happened as a result of another state, action or event.

Check out these four conditionals and how to use them in a sentence.

As you can see, the sentences are divided into two parts:

If clause (condition), + main clause (result)

These are separated by a comma, but they also function in the following order without one and mean exactly the same thing:

Main clause (result) + if clause (condition)

Confused? Let’s take things back to basics.

1. Zero conditional

The zero conditional is used to talk about things that are certain, or always true. It is a real condition that has an inevitable result. Think about how scientific facts are written or general truths.

Structure & Examples

The message here is that if something happens there will always be a guaranteed consequence. If you stand out in the rain, you’ll get wet. If you eat too much, you’ll put on weight. If you touch a fire…well, then you’re asking for it .

‘When’ instead of ‘if’

We can also use the word when instead of if and the meaning stays the same.

Activity One

Got it? Good. Now try out this fun quiz from Get Grammarous to practise the zero conditional!

2. First conditional

Finished the quiz? Now, back to work! Let’s move on to the first conditional. We use this to talk about things in the future that are likely to happen or have a real possibility of happening.

The structure of the first conditional is: If + present tense,…will/won’t + infinitive

Other connectors: when, as soon as, in case, etc.

We can use the following connectors instead of if :

When, as soon as, in case, unless, as long as, after . However, each of these connectors changes the meaning of the sentence slightly .

Modal verbs or imperatives

We can use modal verbs instead of will/won’t :

May, might, shall, should, could or an imperative in the main clause. This changes the meaning, or the likelihood of the result.

Activity Two

Want to try out your skills with the first conditional? Try this Grammar Gameshow from BBC Learn English .

3. Second conditional

So you’re halfway through learning the conditionals. Well done you! The thing is, this is where things get a bit more difficult.

Whereas the zero and first conditionals describe a real or possible situation, the second and third are imaginary or hypothetical situations. Let’s start with the second conditional:

The structure of the second conditional is: If + past simple,… would/wouldn’t + infinitive

As you can see, in the if clause we use the past simple, and in the main clause we use the conditional would . We can also use the word could to mean a hypothetical possibility.

The second conditional refers to the present or the future, and is used to talk about anything unlikely to happen. Imagine meeting Lionel Messi, or finding a million dollars on the floor. These things might not have happened to you, but you sure can dream!

Were’ instead of ‘was’

When there is the verb to be in the if clause , we can change it from was to were . This is because we are talking about hypothetical situations, so we’re changing the mood of the verb from indicative to subjunctive. Both options are correct, but were is often preferred.

Activity Three

Lots of songs contain the second conditional! Here are some great examples for you to sing along with:

4. Third conditional

Last but not least, we have the third conditional. We use this structure to talk about an imagined past. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, here’s where you can change the past. Well, at least speculate how things could have been different.

The structure of the third conditional is: If + past perfect,…would/wouldn’t + have + past participle .

As you can see, we often use the third conditional to talk about regrets , and it is based on an unreal situation that cannot be changed.

Past participles

The third conditional is a little tricky, as there’s a lot to remember. So make sure you know your past participles inside out first . Here’s a list of past participles for you to revise.

Activity Four

Watch this story about a surprise birthday party from The British Council to see third conditional in use:

Bonus conditional: mixed conditional

And just when you thought the fun was about to end, we have another surprise conditional for you…the mixed conditional. Don’t worry you’ve already learned the basis of the structure. It’s just about em> meshing two conditionals together. The most common is to mix the third and the second to create a present result of a past conditional. For example:

These sentences express that if something had been different in the past, something would be different now in the present.

So that’s the end of our round up of the main conditionals! If you’re in the mood for some more grammar, why not sign up for one of our General English classes ? Or check out these blog posts below:

• 4 Present tenses and how to use them
• 4 Past tenses and when to use them
• 4 Future tenses and how to use them

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Pop up (pv): to appear suddenly.

Get the ball rolling (exp): to make a start or set an activity in motion.

Inevitable (adj): certain or unavoidable.

Asking for it (exp): behaving in a way that is going to get them into trouble.

Slightly (adv): a little.

Skills (n): abilities.

Unlikely (adj): not probable.

Regret (n): to feel sorry about a situation in the past, especially a mistake in the past.

Know something inside out (exp): to be really familiar with something, especially because you have learned about it or you have a lot of experience.

Mesh (v): to fit or work together.

pv = phrasal verb

exp = expression

adj = adjective

adv = adverb

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Passing Cambridge C1 Advanced Part 5: Reading and Use of English

• By: oxfordadmin
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GRAMMAR / Conditionals

 Academic Conditionals

• What are conditionals?

Conditionals in academic writing

• Conditional examples

 What are conditionals / if clauses ?

Conditionals are used to describe the result of a real or hypothetical condition.

There are four main types of conditionals in English. Each is used to indicate the likelihood of a situation occurring, or the likelihood that it would have occurred under particular circumstances.

• The Zero and First conditionals are known as ‘real conditionals’, because they are used for situations that are certain or highly likely.
• The Second and Third conditionals are often called ‘unreal conditionals’ because they are used for situations which are improbable or impossible.

Conditionals have many uses in academic writing: facts, habitual actions, implications, interferences, predictions, plans, possibities and hypothetical situations ( see next tab for conditional examples) . Conditionals are also used frequently in hedging language to make criticisms and judgements softer. 

Present unreal conditionals

• The evidence is not strong enough because it is based on a limited number of particpants.
• The evidence would be stronger IF it had been based on more participants.

Past unreal condition

• The paper was not persuasive because the author failed to relate the findings to previous theories on the topic.

The paper would have been more persuasive IF the author had related the findings to previous theories on the topic.

Conditional sentences examples

State scientific facts in the present tense:   if the corn is milled, starch can be extracted., show habitual actions in the present or past:   if we misinterpreted the results, we indicated this immediately., show implications:   if there was legislation for x, it could prevent…., make inferences about the past:  if the project had had  more investment, it may have succeeded., make predictions about the future:  if the results are analysed from an economical  perspective , it will define the problem more clearly., show possible plans or actions:   if you assess the data thoroughly, you might establish the cause of the problem., give advice / possibilities:  if these solutions are applied, it should reduce  the homeless problem significantly.., refer to impossible situations in the present or past :   if the proposal had focused on financial incentives, it would have been more useful., adapted from https://www.adelaide.edu.au, pdf lesson download.

  Conditionals  [new 2021]

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of conditionals .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Conditionals Language Review

Conditionals: exercise 1

Task 1:  Practice the zero conditional by reordering the following sentences. Add punctuation where necessary.

• watered plants wither if are not die and they

 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plants wither and die if they are not watered.

For a detailed worksheet and more exercises – buy the  download below.

Conditionals: exercise 2

Task 2: Practice the first conditional by rewriting the following sentences. Add the correct grammar and punctuation.

• organisations do not offer an online service then they go out of business

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. If organisations do not offer an online service ,   they  might/could  go out of business.

Conditionals: exercise 3

Task 3: Practice the second conditional by correcting the mistakes in the following sentences.

If car companies would make electric cars cheaper, then everyone can afford one.

If car companies made electric cars cheaper, then everyone could afford one.

Conditionals: exercise 4

Task 3: Practice the third conditional by circling the best option. If both options are possible, then circle both answers.

Zoom video conferencing could not / would not have become so successful if there hadn’t been a rise in remote working.

Zoom video conferencing could not / would no t have become so successful if there hadn’t been a rise in remote working.  

Conditionals: exercise 5

Task 4:   practice mixed conditionals by completing each sentence..

If the UK had gone into lockdown earlier, _______________________________________________________________________________

1. If the UK had gone into lockdown earlier,  we would have had fewer cases and mortalities. (example)

Conditionals: exercise 6 gap fill

Task 4:  Read the following paragraph about compulsory retirement and complete the gaps with the correct conditional form.

In the UK, the default retirement age of 65 no longer exists. An employee can work into their seventies or eighties if he or she  ____________   (wish) to, provided that they  _____________   (be) fit and healthy. For many people this is of great benefit to not only the individual, but also society as a whole. If an older but long-serving employee is forced to retire, the company  ______________ (need to) replace a wealth of experience and expert knowledge quickly. Also, there are…

In the UK, the default retirement age of 65 no longer exists. An employee can work into their seventies or eighties  if he or she wishes to ,  provided that they are   fit and healthy. For many people this is of great benefit to not only the individual, but also society as a whole. If an older but long-serving employee is forced to retire, the company  will need to   replace a wealth of experience and expert knowledge quickly. Also, there…

 Conditionals Download

Institutional Membership Download: here

General English: Conditionals / If Clauses

Exercise Sheet: This  worksheet provides an overview of the five conditionals (zero, first, second, third & mixed). It includes the structures, rules and example sentences. In addition, it includes two practice worksheets (intermediate & advanced). Watch the video for more information on conditionals.

Free Download

More grammar downloads…

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of conditionals .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]     TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Modal Auxiliary Verbs   [new 2021]

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of modal verbs .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Defining & Non-Defining Relative Clauses  

This lesson is to support students in their understanding and use of defining & non-defining relative clauses.The lesson includes four tasks of guided practice and two tasks of freer practice  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]  / Webpage link .  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Comparatives & Superlatives  

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of compare and contrast  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]  / Webpage link.  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Causes, Effects & Related L anguage 

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of cause and effect  language.  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]  / Webpage link.   / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Sentence Structure 1:  Simple, compound, complex & complex  compound  

This lesson is to support students in their understanding and practice of the four types of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex and complex-compound. It includes noticing, guided and freer practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1] .  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Sentence Structure 2:  Fragment, run-on & comma splice  sentences 

This lesson helps improve students’  sentence  structure through identifying and practising fragments, run-ons and comma splice sentences. It includes noticing, guided and freer practice.  ( see worksheet example )  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1] . / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Countable and uncountable nouns  [new 2021]

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of countable & uncountable nouns .  It includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice.   ( see worksheet example  Time: 60mins.   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Tense Review (3 lessons: analysis, gap fill, speaking)

This is a great lesson to introduce / revise English Tenses. Lesson 1: students discuss a number of sentences & identify the tense & reason for use. Give out Tense handout ( here ) to consolidate. Lesson 2:  tense review gap fill. Lesson 3: speaking exercise with lots of questions using the tenses. Example    Level **** * [B1/B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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English Conditional Sentences — Zero and First Conditionals with Examples [Updated]

Nov 11, 2020 | Conditionals in English , Grammar , Modal Verbs

This lesson on the Zero and First Conditional in English has been updated. The original lesson on this topic was published in November 2015.

Have you memorized the formulas for English conditional sentences but still feel confused about how and when to use them?

That’s understandable. Learning the formulas is a good start but to use them easily (and correctly) it’s important to understand exactly how we use conditionals in English conversation.

That’s what you’ll get in today’s Confident English lesson.

With today’s focus on Zero and First Conditionals, you’ll get practical examples of how to use English conditional sentences to share:

Probabilities

Future Consequences

Promises and Warnings

Most English classes and grammar books teach you the basic rules of conditionals, such as: If + present simple + will + infinitive

Again, that can be useful. But it doesn’t help you understand how to really use conditionals in your daily English life. This lesson will.

Don’t forget to review the other lessons in this series:

• Part 2: Second Conditionals in English

Zero vs. First Conditional in English

• When I’m too tired to cook, I order take-out. (zero conditional)
• If I’m too tired to cook tonight, I’ll order some take-out. (first conditional)

These two sentences are very similar but there is a difference in meaning between the two – can you identify the difference?

Read the sentences again and answer:

• Which one is a general truth?
• Which one is a likely probability?

If you’re not sure, let’s take a closer look at the Zero and First Conditional to help you answer those questions.

How to Use the Zero Conditional in English

Expressing General Truths

We can use the Zero Conditional to show or express a general truth. To do this, we use the Present Simple in both clauses. For example:

• If you heat ice, it melts.

That is a truth. Plain and simple.

Tip: With the Zero Conditional, we often replace “if” with “when.” For example:

• When/If I drink too much coffee, I get a headache.

Talking About Routines

We can also use this Zero Conditional structure to talk about our routines. Routines are things that we do regularly. For example:

• When I wake up, I always drink coffee first.
• When he goes to work, he rides his bicycle.
• When I arrive in the morning, I check my email first.

Can you think of some similar examples? Share them in the comments below.

How to Use the First Conditional in English

Can you predict – with 100% certainty – what will happen tomorrow? Do you always know exactly what will happen in the future? Probably not (but if you can – please tell me! I’d love to know the future!). 🙂

Okay. So we can’t tell the future with 100% certainty but we can express that we think something is very likely to happen or is probable.

And for this, we use the First Conditional. This form shows us something is likely in the future or very likely in the future based on a present situation or event.

Another helpful way to think of this is a REAL situation or event. Sometimes we refer to the First Conditional as the Real Conditional. Let’s look at an example:

• If it snows a lot tomorrow (present situation), the city will cancel school (future probability).

We are not 100% certain that the city will cancel school, but it is likely. We use the future tense (-the city will cancel school) to show that we are talking about a probable result in the future and it is a real. Here are two more examples:

• If it rains tomorrow, I will not go on my hike.
• If we complete this project under budget, the customer will be thrilled.

Sometimes a present situation or event can have a future consequence. These consequences may be positive or negative, for example:

• Pizza sounds amazing for dinner! But if I eat it, I’ll feel terrible about it in the morning. → the future, negative consequence is I’ll feel terrible about it
• Sure, salads seem boring sometimes. But if I eat something healthy, I’ll sleep better. → a future, positive consequence.
• If you develop an effective self-care routine , you will be able to manage stress and anxiety better.
• If we don’t complete this project on time, the boss will be furious. → no one likes to make her boss angry… definitely a future, negative consequence.
• If you cook dinner tonight, I will do the dishes. (promise)
• I will do all my homework now if you let me stay up late. (promise – imagine a child saying this to a parent)
• If you do that one more time, I won’t let you go to the party tomorrow night! (warning — imagine a parent upset with her child about something)
• If you don’t pay your invoice immediately, we will cancel your subscription. (warning)

The First Conditional is great for making promises to others or giving a warning.

Above I used the example warning: If you don’t pay your invoice immediately, we will cancel your subscription. This is warning to a client or customer. It is also a much more professional way to say: Pay now!

Here are more workplace examples:

• If the apartment becomes vacant, the owner will (likely) lose 2-3 months of payment. (warning)
• If we don’t complete this project on time, we will lose our client to our competition. (warning)
• If you reduce your price by 7%, we will sign the contract. (promise – could be used in bargaining or negotiating)
• We will compromise on the costs if you agree to our terms of service. (promise – again this could be used in bargaining or negotiating)

After you’ve watched the video and reviewed the lesson, I’d love to hear from you!

Think about your daily life – either your personal life or business life – and answer these questions.

• What truths or routines can you share using the Zero Conditional?
• What probabilities, consequences, promises or warnings can you use for work or for your daily life with the First Conditional?

Write down a couple examples in the comments section to practice. I will be sure to provide you with feedback.

Have a great week! – Annemarie

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Zero conditional: when the winter season turns into the spiring, all the ice covering on the rivers melts. wnen I start traveling, I always reserve hotels in advance.

First conditional: If my sister comes and stays with mom, I will go back to my own home. If the pandemic gets worse, everyone will be required to wear mask at anywhere.

If someone parks his or her car out of a park lot, he or she will get ticket.

Bravo! These are wonderful examples of the Zero and First Conditional forms.

• Zero Conditional: When I get to work, I switch my computer on and enter the password for the safe.
• First Conditional: If I develop a successful self-care routine, I will be in a fit form and maintain healthy weight.
• FC – promise/ warning: If you help me with the household chores, I will buy you an ice cream./ If you do not help me with the household chores, I will not buy you an ice cream.

When I reach office, I say hello everyone there one by one. If I don’t finish plot in its dedicated time, I will get a deficeincy in ISO survey. I said my niece, If you dont sleep soo, you will not wake up early, so you will loose chance of camp experience with your friends.

1) If You _____ what ____ You ____? 2) Daniel _____ his homework if he_______ it now. 3) what _____ Richard _____ ir the _______ to college 4) If I ______ tonight, I _____ TV instead

Great website! Thank you for an easy to understand lesson on conditionals. Here are my examples.

When I go to bed late at night, it is difficult for me to wake up on time and feel rested. If it rains tomorrow, I will skip my morning walk. If I am tired after work, I will stay in and order dinner. If I don’t do laundry today, I will not have clean clothes to wear for work tomorrow.

I look forward to your feedback!

Hey, Annemarie , I’ve just finished the three videos on using conditional in real life . But I have a question about it . “There could be no doubt that if she were to speak, she would say nothing complimentary to Anna Mihalovna” Does this sentence indicates she isn’t likely to speak ?

When I do homework, I listen my favorite music like Queen or Dire Straits or Alex Baroni. If I drink too coffee in the afternoon, I don’t sleep tonitht. If the client will be late, the session will be too short for optimize our results.

Good examples, Cinzia. With example 2, there’s one little change we want to make. We have two options: 1. “If I drink too much coffee in the afternoon, I ____ sleep tonight.” Because of the word ‘tonight’ we’re talking about the future. In that case, we need to make a change to the negative form. Do you know what it might be? 2. If we want to keep ‘don’t’ then we have to remove the word ‘tonight’ to show that this is something that happens consistently. So it would be, “If I drink too much coffee in the afternoon, I …  Read more »

-When I come home after work, I take a shower. -If the crisis of covid continue, I will lose my job. -If you don’t clean your room, you will be punished.

Good examples with the zero and first conditional forms, Zeinab.

Zero Conditional… 1. When I wear face mask, I get skin irritation. 2. When I arrived home from work, I prepare our dinner right away.

First Conditional… 1. If the Covid cases increases, the government will implement a lockdown. 2. If we create a systematic approach, it will be easier for us accomplish the task faster. 3. If you graduate with honour, I will buy you a new car. 4. If you come home late again, you will be grounded.

Wow, wonderful examples for both zero and first conditionals, Cez! Nicely done.

how is the negative form from… If I´m late for dinner, start eating without me. Please, somebody help me.

Hi Karla, your sentence “If I’m late for dinner…” works perfectly well. However, if you want to tell them not to eat before you arrive, you could say, “If I’m late for dinner, please don’t start without me.”

1. When I bake snacks,I make it for the next whole week. 2. If I am all done with my work before evening, we will go for a walk. 3. If you do yoga everyday for few minutes, you will have healthy body and mind. 4. If you finish your lunch early, I will let you watch your favorite TV show.

Wonderful examples, Joya! Nicely done.

1) When I get enough sleep, I generally feel more energized and productive the next day. 2) If I don’t prioritize and organize my tasks, I wont be able to meet any deadlines.

Hi Siti. Thank you for your comment. I love your examples, and the first one is so true about me. If I don’t have enough sleep or poor quality of sleep, I’ll feel tired and unfocused. Well done!

Hi Annemarie! As always, I compliment you on this great lesson!! 👏 About my routine: When I start my workday, I always check my “to do list” so as not to forget anything important. About consequences: If we don’t stick to anti-covid regulations, the amount of infections won’t decrease. About probability: If I spread myself to thin, I will be really worn out in the evening About promises (for my child 😊): If you will play nice, there will be a great surprise for you tonight!!

Hi Vania. Thank you for sharing your examples with us. We’re glad to hear the lesson was useful for you. And your kid is lucky. I still love surprises!

1)When our children come to see us, we always sit down for a cup of coffee at first. 2) If the anti- corona vaccination gets on the market quickly, we’ll be able to have a more care-free life again. 3) If I tidy up the house immediately, I will have more time for reading.

Oh, fantastic examples, Marianne! You used the zero and first forms perfectly. Nicely done. More time for reading is certainly a good motivation to get things cleaned up. 😊

Thank you Annemarie very much for your excellent lessons, they’re very educational and helpful. -If you continue your school, you see your progress. (General truth) -When I get your weekly lessons, I always feel thrilled. (routine) -If the weather is good tomorrow, I will go to the park for a walk. (probability) -If you follow your trainer’s advice, you will get benefits from it. (Positive consequence) If you don’t work hard on your goal, you will not get better results. (negative consequence) -If you vacuum, I will do the laundry. (Promise) -If you don’t care about your school, I will …  Read more »

Great work, Nasrin! I love these examples and you got them exactly right. Just for a challenge, in this example can you think of another way or a synonym to use for the words ‘not get better’: “If you don’t work hard on your goal, you will get ____________ results.”

Thanks Annemarie for the feedback, that’s so good to understand my mistakes and redo it. How about this sentence: “If you don’t work hard on your goal, you will get minimum results.”

Hi Annemarie,

If I wake up late, I haven’t breakfast. If I go to work tomorrow, I’ll not go to the party with you.

Great, Deise. Thanks for sharing your examples. There’s one change we want to make in the first sentence. In the second part, there is a negative and for that we need a helping verb in English: “If I wake up late, I _____ not have breakfast.”

• When I connect my laptop in the morning to telecommuting the first thing I do is clock in.
• If I read more in English, I will learn more vocabulary and expressions
• If I finish my project by Friday, my boss will be thrilled

Wonderful examples, Marta! And I hope you get your project finished. 😊

I will join you in the park if I finish my homework / when I finish my homework I will join you in the park. If she explains the situation well I will let her go with her boyfriend If I do 30 min. Exercises everyday, I will have a better health If you finish your homework on time I will allow you to watch your favorite show on TV for 30min If you don’t finish the vegetables in your plate, you won’t allowed to eat ice cream later for dessert If you don’t do your chores you won’t get …  Read more »

When I wake up early I join the 6am yoga class online.

When I finish my goals I feel satisfied

Hi Annemarie, here it is my homework……

If I don’t run early in the morning, I become angry and nervous When I listen to ANnemarie’s lessons with more concentration, I’ll improve my English rapidly If I don’t do the simple things well, I won’t be able to get the world better

Best Tommaso

If you finish succesfully the project on time, you will be promoted as Project Director.

Hi Annemarie, me too hated math, my mind was more creative than rational, so i imagined the numbers like little spiteful goblins 😉 Anyway,these are my examples: 1) When fall comes, the leaves fall 2) If I cook lasagna for dinner, my husband will be happy 3) If you go out without your coat, you will get a cold

Thank you so much for this possibility to understand and put into practice these two types of conditional <3

If I apply all that you teach in English, I will be easily fluent in speaking English.

Okay! If I don’t finish my homework today, I can’t have my relaxtime tonight! When I wake up in the morning, I have meditation time. If it will raining again, I will not go to visit Central Park in this afternoon.

Great examples, Cinzia! One little note, “If it will raining…” For the first conditional we want to use “If + present simple” so what adjustment could make to the verb?

Great, but there’s a mistake in the second example:

• “If I’m too tired to cook tonight, I’ll some take-out. (first conditional)”

Zero Conditional: When the climb is hot, i like to go to the beach First Conditional: If i don’ t go to the job tomorrow, i will study english and watch some series.

Thanks for this great post. I think, in your last example: “We will compromise on the costs if you will agree to our terms of service.”, there is an extra will

Thank you! you helped me alot

We are so glad to hear that! You are very welcome!

Hi ! thanks a lot for your help . I would like to know if it’s possible to say “If I put water on fire it may stop burning . Instead of will can we put ” may” or “can” . Here , I mean just a cup of water on a fire

Hellooooo!!! I am very sorry. I got problem with my smart phone, but, “better late than never”. Sorry to me.

According to this amazing lesson, this is what I can share with you: – If I get money, I will travel to England. – If you go slowly, you will arrive safely – If he takes care of this car, he will go to India

Thanks so much for sharing your examples, Felix! I’m glad the lesson was useful to you. Well done!

Dear Annemarie, Thank you for your great job about how we can use conditionals in our daly English practise. I’m happy to repeat some grammar too. Here are my sentences. General truth: If the architect makes mistakes, the hause collapses. If the teacher places higher expectations on students, they will rise in occasion and excell in school. Talking about routins: If time permits, I go to work by bike. First conditional-probability: If it hails tomorow, all the sidewalk will slide. If it real happens, some of the passengers will meet with accident, and the casualty wards will be crowded. Future …  Read more »

Thanks so much for sharing your examples, András. And I’m glad the lesson was useful to you!!

Could you clarify what you mean by “If it real happens…” –> I’m not sure what might happen here.

Best, Annemarie

If it hails tomorow, all the sidewalk will slide. If it really happens, some of the passengers will meet with accident, and the casualty wards will be crowded. So is better? The second sentence refers to the first eventuality. 🙂 Andras

Ah, that you for clarifying. As sidewalk cannot slide, but people can slide on a sidewalk. We would say, “If it hails tomorrow, people might slide (we more often use the word “slip”) and fall on the sidewalk. It is the fall that may cause an injury.

Dear Annemarie, thank you a lot for great lesson and especially for workplace examples. My zero conditional is: When I get up early in the morning I make a cup of cofee When I work hard I receive better result My first conditional is: If you send me full package of documents we will receive the products on time If I take into account all requests I will make a profitable deal

Excellent. It seems like you’ve understand the difference between the Zero and First Conditionals with your examples. Well done. And thank you for sharing! ~ Annemarie

Hello Yulia,

Excellent examples using the zero and first conditionals. Just one note: don’t forget to use the comma. That is an important punctuation to use in conditionals. Where would you put a comma in your examples?

If you sit up very late, you feel sleep-deprived next day.

When my uncle break his leg, he has cast put on.

Anna will go to work earlier if her mother dismisses her from some of the morning assignments.

Their acquaintances will go through a rough patch if they change their attitude to certain issues.

I won’t help you if you don’t stop being so mean.

Hello Anetta, Thank you for sharing your examples! I love the last example as a warning. A few notes: 1. With sentences 3 and 4, I understand that you feel these situations are likely since you’re using the first conditional. Is that correct? If you feel they are unlikely, then we would switch to the second conditional. 2. The phrasal verb “sit up” means to sit with your back very straight. I think you might mean to “stay up” which means to stay up past one’s normal bedtime. 3. With sentence 2, this sounds like something that happened only one …  Read more »

your generosity is uncountable, you are doing really great job. You have taken the level of my english to another stage, I am smitten to your leasons. Thanks abundanly keep up the great job……..

Zero conditionals: if i dont play football, i get bored if i sleep long, i became very tired…

First conditionals: If I struggle hard, I will be successful in life. If I read your leasons always, I will be great in english language like I wish.

Thank you for your lessons, first of all 🙂

I would like to share some sentences from my daily life 🙂

Zero sentences maybe could be these:

I sleep more, when Saturday comes. If I come sleep late, I am tired in the morning.

First sentences:

If I work harder, I will earn more money. I will got with you to the theater, if you ask me. 🙂

Dear Rasa – Thank you so much for your comments. I am thrilled you enjoy the online lessons. Great examples of the zero and first conditional! For “If I come to sleep late, I am tired in the morning.” –> We use the verb “go to” with sleep. We can say, “If I go to sleep late, I am tired in the morning.” This is a good example of a personal truth. Great job! Your examples for the first conditional are perfect. These are great examples of: Truth: If I work harder … Promise: I will go with you to …  Read more »

What you are doing here is amazing!!! Your effort and your way to teach are incredible. Thanks a lot!!! It works, perfectly works for me! What I want to learn is -hopefully you have in next sessions- that “how to be kind to your friends and also to professional connections.” For me it is a bit challenging to express myself as a kind person in English in a casual way and in a professional way. Because it is enough just to change the tone of voice to be king in my native language (Turkish). I am looking forward to seeing …  Read more »

Not to be king but to be kind 🙂

Dear Bahar –

What a kind and generous comment! Thank you so much. I am really happy to know you find these lessons useful.

I love your suggestion! It is a very interesting topic for many people I think. How we express kindness or politeness can be very different among languages and cultures. I will certainly add it to my list for future lessons! Would it be ok to email you with some questions to make sure I provide the best answer for you?

Thanks so much Bahar!

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How To Use Conditional Sentences in Academic Writing

How important is English grammar when it comes to academic writing? Well, if you’re writing in English, it’s of utmost importance. Quite frankly, researchers and students should have a thorough understanding of certain intricacies of grammar. For instance, take conditional sentences. This category of grammar is of great utility in academic writing. Hence, it’s important to learn and understand how to use this aspect of English grammar.

Example: If you want to succeed, you need to work hard. 

In this case, the dependent clause is if you want to succeed . The main clause is you need to work hard .

Types of conditional sentences

There are many ways to classify conditional statements. A common method is to classify them based on the probability of the result, which gives the following types of sentences:

• Zero conditional
• First conditional
• Second conditional
• Third conditional
• Mixed conditional

Things to keep in mind

Punctuation is one of the main areas where people tend to commit errors while using conditional sentences. If the conditional clause comes first, then a comma should be used to separate it from the main clause. However, if the conditional clause comes after the main clause, then there is no need to use a comma.

Example: If I see her, I will let her know.  

(Conditional clause comes before the main clause.)

I will let her know if I see her. (Conditional clause comes after the main clause.)

Conditional sentences have specific rules regarding tense as well. The table below illustrates this.

TENSE / OTHER RULES

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Conditionals can be a troublesome grammar point for EFL learners.  However, teachers should invest time in exploring this topic because conditionals allow us to express a wide variety of English language functions.  To name a few, we can use conditionals to state facts, to give advice, to discuss and analyze future and past situations, and to talk about hypothetical situations.  This month we’ll take a closer look at some of the ways conditionals function and how we can provide students meaningful (and fun!) ways to practice using these grammatical forms.

To begin, examine these conditional sentence and their functions.  What do the sentences have in common?

• If water reaches 212 ° Fahrenheit (100 ° Celsius), it boils. (fact)
• If I were you, I wouldn’t waste money buying junk food. (giving advice)
• She will pass the class if she studies and does her homework. (talking about the future)
• You would have caught the bus if you had woken up 15 minutes earlier. (analyzing the past)
• If Maria were president, she would pass more laws to protect the environment. (talking about a hypothetical situation)

Although these sentences perform different functions, they share a common feature:  all conditionals include a cause and effect relationship.  The “cause” part of each sentence describes a condition or situation. This part of a conditional is called the “condition clause,” and usually begins with the word “if” (or an equivalent phrase like as long as or in the event that ).  The “effect” part of a conditional is called the “result clause,” which explains an outcome that is dependent on the condition described in the other part of the sentence.

                     If you mix red paint and blue paint together , you get purple paint .

                                  condition clause (cause)     +     result clause (effect)

As you saw in the sentence list above, the condition clause and the result clause can be placed in any order.  For example, look at Sentences A and B below.  Do they have the same meaning? 

                     A:  She will pass the class if she studies and does her homework.                      B:  If she studies and does her homework , she will pass the class.

Notice that if the condition clause comes first, it is followed by a comma (Sentence B).  A comma is not needed when the result clause is first in a conditional sentence (Sentence A).

Some teachers may already be familiar with several ways of classifying conditional structures, such as the zero, first, second, and third conditional or systems that focus on real and unreal states along with the conditional’s time or function (e.g., unreal past conditional, timeless factual conditional).  Don’t worry!  Advanced knowledge of conditional classification schemes isn’t needed to successfully use this month’s activities in your classroom.

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Related AE Resources:

• Activate! Games for Learning American English: Which Would the World Be Better Without…Why? Board Game

Table of Contents

We can use conditionals to talk about hypothetical future events that are unlikely or impossible.  Use this activity to practice or review unreal future conditionals (also called hypothetical conditionals or the second conditional).  It can be used as a fun closing activity after a grammar presentation or as a review-oriented warm up activity. 

Level:  Intermediate and above

Language skill focus:   Speaking or writing, grammar (primary focus); listening or reading (secondary focus)

Goal:  Students will use oral or written conditionals to develop a series of related “cause and effect” events.   The chain of events will create a short, often funny, story.  Repetition in the story creation process enables students to both hear and practice the grammatical pattern several times. 

• Teacher: whiteboard, chalkboard, or large pieces of paper posted on the wall; markers or chalk; a clock or timing device
• Students: pencils or pens, blank writing paper, small cards or squares of blank paper (enough for each group of 4-8 students to have 10 cards)

Preparation:

• Prepare a list of 5-7 unreal conditional prompts.  The prompts can be unlikely or completely impossible. For example, your list may include prompts such as:
• If I got a perfect score on my college entrance exams, ….
• If I visited the United States next week, ….
• If I won the lottery/a million dollars, ….
• **If I were elected president, ….
• If the internet was shut down tomorrow, ….
• If aliens landed in my city, ….
• If scientists found a way for humans to live for 150 years, …
• Select the amount of time you want to devote to the activity.  A warm up or brief review may take 10-15 minutes of class time; for a closing activity after an initial grammar presentation, you may want to dedicate 20-25 minutes to the activity.

** During the lesson you may wish to review or highlight that, according to prescriptive grammar rules, with this conditional form the verb “to be” becomes “were” for all persons in the condition clause ( If I were you, If John were 10 years older, etc.).   You can also explain that many American native English speakers no longer observe this rule, so students may also hear If I was you, If John was 10 years older, etc.

Procedures - Speaking Activity:

• Write several prompts from your list on the board.  To emphasize these events are hypothetical (not real in the present), ask students a few concept-checking questions, such as, “Have these things already happened? Are these events likely to happen in real life?”
• Highlight that the situations all begin with “If” and elicit the verb tense used in the “if” clause/condition clause (simple past).  Ask the class to brainstorm a few more hypothetical situations and add them to the list on the board.  Aim to have a list of at least 10 situation prompts.
• Create groups of 4-8 students, and ask student volunteers to pass out stacks of 10 blank cards to each group.  Ask groups to copy 10 prompts onto their cards, and then to put the cards in a facedown pile.
• Tell groups they will create chain stories using the hypothetical prompts. Model how to develop a chain story, writing the information below on the board as you go along:
• Provide a prompt that isn’t on the list written on the board:  If I never needed to sleep,….
• Complete the prompt:  If I never needed to sleep, I would learn 10 languages.
• Explain how to create a “link the story chain” by using the result clause in the next sentence’s condition clause (in other words, by using the previous effect as the next cause): If I learned 10 languages, I would travel the world.
• Highlight how the verb in the old result clause changes from would + verb to the simple past tense, if desired.
• Repeat the process to create 4 or 5 story links, eliciting some of the result clauses from the class.  Your completed chain story might look like this:

      If I never had to sleep, I would learn 10 languages.      If I learned 10 languages, I would travel the world.      If I traveled the world, I would eat lots of interesting food.      If I ate lots of interesting food, I would study cooking.      If I studied cooking, I would return to my country and be a famous chef .

• Tell students that the person with the next birthday in each group will pick the first prompt.  This person should pick a prompt card from the stack, read it out loud, and then verbally complete the conditional sentence following the model.  The person to his or her right must complete the next link in the chain story by taking the previous result clause and turning it into a condition clause. For example: Person 1 - If I won a million dollars, I’d buy a spaceship. Person 2 – If I bought a spaceship, I would take my friends to Mars.  Each person in the group must make a link in the chain story until everyone has contributed.  When the story is complete, the person to the right of the original “story starter” will choose a new card to start the process again.  Remind students that the stories can be serious or funny, but they should be classroom appropriate.
• Tell students how long the activity will last, set the timer, and direct groups to begin.
• To focus on grammatical accuracy, there are several ways to provide feedback during this activity.  For example, group members can give each link in the story a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” based on whether or not they think the contribution is grammatically correct.  Groups can discuss any observed problem areas and the contributor can try to correct his/her statement.  Alternatively, you can monitor groups as they create their spoken chain stories, and collect examples of student errors for a delayed feedback and error correction session at the end of the activity. 

Procedures - Writing Activity Variation:

• Follow steps 1-4 above.
• After modeling how to create a chain story, explain that when the activity starts, each person will pick a different prompt from the facedown pile.  Students will write their prompt on a piece of paper and complete the conditional sentence in writing.
• Then everyone passes his/her paper in a clockwise direction. Each person then adds a link in the new story.  Students then pass the papers clockwise again.
• Continue the process until everyone receives his/her original paper back.  The group members then read the different chain stories aloud.
• To focus on grammatical accuracy, each student can check the story he/she started for errors during and after the read aloud.  Group members can work together to address any questions about correct usage.      

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In this activity, students will practice or review using conditionals to express wishes and regrets about the past.  This conditional form used in this situation is often called the past unreal conditional or the third conditional. 

Level:  Upper intermediate and above

Language skill focus:   Writing, grammar (primary focus); speaking, listening (secondary focus)

Goal:  Students will use the written and spoken unreal past conditionals to describe wishes or regrets of famous/well-known people, historical figures, or fictional characters.  Other students will guess the person or character based on the wishes or regrets that are described.

• Students: pencils or pens, blank writing paper

Preparation

• Develop 1-2 example characters and a list of 3-4 wishes or regrets that could identify them to use in the modeling/explanation stage of the activity (see Step 3 below).
• Write the word “regret” on the board and elicit the meaning from the class using prompting questions if needed. 
• Ask students to give a few examples of regrets, such as “I never met my grandmother.” or “I didn’t do my homework last week.”  Ask students why these situations are regrets, that is, why do they wish the past were different?  Based on their answers, write unreal past conditional sentences on the board such as:
• If I had met my grandmother, she would have told me stories about my father.
• If I had done my homework last week, I would have done better on the exam.

     If desired, elicit the underlying grammatical form for these unreal past conditionals:

     If + past perfect tense…, would have + past participle….  

• Next, write one set of example descriptive conditional regret or wish sentences you developed before the lesson on the board.  Ask students to guess the target character or person.  For additional modeling, read your second set of example conditional regret or wish sentences aloud and allow students to guess the target.  For example:
• If I hadn’t been so round, life would have been much easier for me.
• If had never sat on that wall, I would have avoided a disaster. 
• If the kings’ men had been smarter, I would still be in one piece.

Answer: Humpty Dumpty, a nursery rhyme character

• If I hadn’t lived during wartime, my job would have been much less challenging.
• If southern U.S. states hadn’t supported slavery, my country would probably have remained unified. 
• If I hadn’t attended a play at Ford’s Theater, I would have been able to share more time with my family.

Answer:  Abraham Lincoln, American president during the Civil War

• Depending on your class size, put students in groups of 4-8 students, and then have the group members divide into pairs.
• Ask the pairs to work together to choose a target person or character.  Remind students that they can choose any famous real person or fictional character, past or present.  
• Tell pairs they will have 10 minutes to develop a written list of 3-4 wishes or regrets the target person or character might have about the past.  Adjust the amount of time dedicated to this portion of the activity according to your students’ level.
• After the designated time has elapsed, ask pairs to rejoin their group mates. Each pair will read their “wish or regret” clues aloud, and the other pairs will try to guess the target character or person.
• When the activity is over, groups can share their funniest, most unique, or most difficult set of clues with the whole class.     

In this activity, students will practice or review how to use conditionals to discuss plans to get out of tricky situations.  This conditional form used for this language function is called the unreal future conditional or the second conditional. 

Level: Intermediate and above

Language skill focus:   Speaking, listening, grammar (primary focus); writing (secondary focus)

Goal: Students will orally use unreal future conditionals to ask and answer questions about their plans for solving a variety of problems.  Students will take written notes during their interviews so that they can accurately report interview results to the class.

• Teacher: whiteboard, chalkboard, or large pieces of paper posted on the wall; markers or chalk
• What would you do if you saw a bear while walking in the woods?
• What would you do if you were trapped in a room where the walls were closing in on you?
• What would you do if there were a fire in your kitchen? **
• What would you do if there were a snake in your bedroom? **
• What would you if your computer broke and you lost all of your files?
• What would you do if a shark appeared next to you while you were swimming?

** During the lesson you may wish to review or highlight that, according to prescriptive grammar rules, with this conditional form the verb “to be” becomes “were” for all persons in the condition clause ( If I were you, If John were 10 years older, etc.).   You can also explain that many American native English speakers no longer observe this rule, so students may also hear If I was you, If John was 10 years older, etc.

• Tell students that this activity will require them to be creative and “think on their feet” to solve problems or manage difficult situations.
• If I saw a bear in the woods, I would (I’d) run away.
• If I saw a bear in the woods, I would (I’d) make loud noises and try to scare it.
• As desired, draw students’ attention to the grammatical form used in the complete responses:  If + past tense …, would + verb …..
• Write your complete list of “What would you do if…?” question prompts on the board. Ask the class to brainstorm 3-4 additional tricky situations to add to the question list.
• Ask students to make three vertical columns on a blank piece of paper.  Tell students to write Question , Name, and Plan at the top of the three columns.  Draw an example on the board, if needed.  Ask students to pick their favorite five “What would you do if…?” questions and write in the first column.
• Ask students to get out of their seats and interview five different people about their plans to deal with the difficult situations.  As they interview each person, students should write down his/her name in the second column and make notes about the person’s plan in the third column.
• When the interview period is complete, ask students to circle the three most creative or funny answers on their interview sheet. 
• Next, in a whole class setting, go through the list of  “What would you do if…?” questions on the board, asking 2-3 students to report any unique answers back to the class.  Be sure to prompt students to give complete answers when sharing responses.  For example:  If Saeed saw a snake in his bedroom, he’d try to hypnotize it by playing music.  Address any errors, as needed, while students share their interview results.
• If desired, at the end of the sharing session, the class can vote on their favorite plan.

Superstitions, sometimes called “old wives’ tales,” are longstanding, traditional beliefs that aren’t based on logic or fact.  In English and many other languages, superstitions are often phrased in the form of a first conditional statement.  In this activity, students will examine superstition statements in English, will think about English equivalents for superstitions from their own culture, and will play a short guessing game related to superstitions.

Level:   Intermediate and above

Language skill focus:   Grammar, vocabulary (primary focus); reading, speaking (secondary focus)

Goal:   Students will explore vocabulary content in and the meaning of superstitions phrased as conditional statements.  Students will brainstorm additional examples of superstitions from their own culture that can be restated in English using the first conditional.  Students will work in small groups to guess superstition statements based on a group mate’s miming or drawing the superstition’s meaning.

• Teacher: whiteboard, chalkboard, or large pieces of paper posted on the wall; markers or chalk; small slips of paper with superstitions on them, enough for each group of 4 students to have 8 slips:  print or photocopy the superstitions below and cut them into paper strips, or ask students to write down 8 different superstitions on small blank slips of paper that you provide to each group.
• Students: pencils or pens
• If you break a mirror, you’ll have seven years of bad luck.
• If you blow out all of the candles on your birthday cake in one breath, your birthday wish will come true.
• If you find a four-leafed clover, you’ll have good luck.
• If you step on a crack (in a sidewalk), you’ll break your mother’s back.
• If you walk under a ladder, you’ll have bad luck.
• If you carry garlic, you will be protected from vampires.
• If your palm itches, you will receive money soon.
• If your feet itch, you will travel soon.
• If you touch a frog (or toad), you’ll get warts.
• If you find a penny that is heads up and pick it up, you’ll have good luck.
• Print or photocopy your superstition list, and cut the lists into paper strips, each containing one superstition, or prepare blank paper strips for students to fill out during the activity. 

Procedures:

• Write several superstitions from your list on the board.  For each superstition, poll the class (ask students to raise their hands) to determine (1) if they have ever heard of the superstition and (2) if they agree with each item.  Provide vocabulary explanation support, as needed, while you present the superstitions.
• Write “superstition” on the board, tell students that all of the examples on the board are superstitions, and then elicit a definition or explanation for the term “superstition.”
• Tell students to turn to a partner and brainstorm a few superstitions that are common in your local culture.  Provide an example to get the brainstorming process started.  Tell students that they should try to rephrase the local superstitions in English.  Elicit responses from several pairs, and add their examples to the list on the board.  As you add examples, prompt students to provide their answers in the first conditional format (If you + simple present tense verb…, you will + verb….  or  You will + verb…if you + simple present tense verb….).
• Put students into groups of 4.  Ask student volunteers to pass out the superstition strips to each group.  Consider including a few blank strips in each pack and asking students to write in some of the local superstitions they supplied.  If students are making all of the strips, ask them to copy at least 8 superstitions on the blank slips of paper you provide. Tell groups to put their strips face down and mix them up. 
• Explain that group members will each pick a strip from the pile and then try to get their group mates to guess the corresponding superstition by drawing images to represent the superstition (like the game Pictionary) or acting out their superstition’s meaning (like charades).  Each student can choose his or her preferred communication method.  Model an example superstition for the class by acting or drawing and having the students guess.  Encourage students to provide their guesses in the form of a conditional statement.
• Start playing the game.  Monitor groups as they begin guessing, prompting students to give complete answers if needed.  Everyone should get two attempts to act or draw, and the game ends once most groups have exhausted their piles of superstition strips.  
• If you want to add a competitive element, groups can keep score while playing:  students collect a point every time they are the first to correctly guess the superstition being acted out or drawn.
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ESL Conversations: 50 Conditional Questions

Conditional questions can contribute to this since you can discuss a great variety of situations using them.

You can make questions and get answers like these:

• What would you do If you had $500?
• I would buy comic books
• What country would you visit if you had enough money?
• I would probably visit Italy
• Will you buy another car if you get a job?
• I will certainly do
• What will you do if you get sick before the game?
• I will ask Mike to play instead of me.

Now that we know a little bit about, let’s explore how to use them in the classroom.

Table of Contents

Conversation Questions: How to Use Them

How much do you know about conditional sentences, 5 types of conditional questions, conditional questions with the first conditional, conditional questions with the second conditional, conditional questions with the third conditional, mixed conditional questions, interested in learning some more.

Conversation Questions are a good way to promote speaking in the classroom.

• You can easily promote speaking in the classroom by printing these questions and giving strips of paper to students so they can take turns to speak and let the interaction move from there with follow up questions.
• You can also tell students to make pairs and talk for a minute about one of the questions.
• You can choose images and ask students to create a question based on them.

My suggestion is don’t focus on all of them at the same time because it can confuse your learners.

Now let’s learn how many types of conditional questions there are.

Find out how much you know about conditional questions by taking this short quiz

A conditional sentence is a type of sentence that states a condition and the outcome of that condition occurring. Conditional sentences are made up of a dependent clause and an independent clause joined to express said condition.

There are five ways to make conditional sentences in English:

• Zero Conditional
• First Conditional
• Second Conditional
• Third Conditional
• Mixed Conditional

Let’s take a look at some of these questions

The First Conditional is a structure used for talking about possibilities in the present or in the future

This is the structure that you need to follow to make such sentences.

These are some example of questions made with the First Conditional

• What will you when you get retired?
• What will you do if you win the lottery?
• What will you do if you break up with your friend?
• What will you do if you get divorced?
• If you want to relax after class, what will you watch?
• If you have some free time on Saturday, will you study more?
• What medicine will you take if you catch a cold next week?
• What will you do if you pass the TOIEC Exam?
• What will you do if you get your dream job?
• What will you do if your mother buys you a car?

Remember that you can answer these questions freely and not necessarily using information from the questions themselves.

For example

• I will apply for a teaching positions in a small school
• I will probably go out more often

These conditional questions are based on the second conditional.

The second conditional is a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the present or in the future

This is the structure to make those sentences.

Now we know the structure, let take a look at the different types of the sentences we can make with the second conditional.

If you ask me, these are the most interest questions we can make since you need to think a lot to discuss hypothetical situations.

These are some example of questions made with the second conditional:

• What would you do if somebody stole your car?
• What would you do if you saw a man trying to steal your car?
• Where would  you live if you could live anywhere?
• If you were powerful enough to change the world,what would you change?
• If you were given three wishes, what would you wish?
• Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?
• If you could change your past, what would you change?
• If your house was on fire, what personal belonging would you miss the most?
• If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be?

These are what would you do questions

• What would you do if you won a million dollars?
• If you won the lottery, what would you buy?
• If you changed your name, what name would you choose?
• What would you do if you could be invisible for a day?
• What would you do if you saw a ghost?
• What would you do if you saw a person shoplifting?
• What would you do if a robber broke in at night?
• What would you do if you had to catch a bus but you don’t have any money?
• What would you do if you saw a man hitting a woman?
• What would you do if you saw three men attacking another man?

These are second conditional questions that start with the sentence if you had

• If you had enough money to giveaway, who would you help?
• If you had $1000 dollars to spend within an hour, how would you spend them?
• If you had only 24 hours to live, what would you do?
• If you had excellent fighting skills, What would you do with them?
• If you had the chance to interview a celebrity, what questions would you make?
• If you had to run away from the police, where would you hide?
• If you had to watch a TV show for 24 hours, what would that show be?

These are second conditional questions that start with the sentence if you could

• If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?
• If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
• If you could travel anywhere in the worlds, where would you go?
• If you could commit any crime and get away with it, what would you do?
• If you could be famous, what would you like to be famous for?
• If you could be a Marvel Comics super hero, who would you like to be?
• If you could be a DC Comics super hero, who would you like to be?
• If you could be an athlete, what sport would you like to be good at?
• If you could pick to do any other job for a living, what would that job be?
• If you could travel back in time, what year would you go to?

These are some examples about how I would respond these questions

• I would like to be Superman
• I would be Deadpool since he is kinda funny

We use the third conditional to reconstruct imaginary situations in the past.

For example, ‘what would have happened, if the Titanic hadn’t sunk?’

This is the structure to make third conditional sentences

Now that we know the structure, let’s take a look at some examples of these questions.

• What university would you have chosen if you could have done absolutely anything?
• Would you have attended university if you have had the money?
• Would you have bought a brand new car if you have had enough money to do so?
• What would have been different about your life if you had grown up in another country?
• What would  you  have  studied  if  you  hadn’t  studied Math?

These are some of the answers to those questions:

• What would you have studied if you hadn’t studied Math?
• I would have studied Business Administration
• I would have attended an expensive university

Mixed conditional questions follow different patterns, let’s take a look at some of these questions

Mixed Conditional Past and Present:

• would you still be rich if you had won the lottery?
• Would you have more opportunities if you had learned English?

Mixed Conditional Past and Future

• Would she be joining us if you had signed for the trip?
• Would you be running with us if you had entered the race?

These type of conditional questions are not the best for conversations, I think second conditional questions can spark conversation without many difficulties.

Promote interaction in classes using conversation questions

• 60 Travel Conversation Questions
• 100 Getting to Know you Questions
• 70 Music Conversation Questions
• 200 ESL Conversation Questions
• 70 Questions about Love

I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English

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Writing Prompt ~ First Conditional

Writing Prompt: The first conditional is used to talk or write about real possibilities in the future. Review the rules for using first conditionals . Then pretend you are a parent who wants his or her kids to be behave for their grandparents on the weekend. Write a note to your kids. Offer some bribes for good behaviour.

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16 comments

Dear Holly,

Today is raining day.If you play in the rain,you catch a fever. I phoned your dad yesterday and he said there will be a surprise for you. If you want to know ,you have to wait for two days.If you can’t wait to know,you can ask your dad.If you ask me,I will say I don’t know.This evening,your aunt Sarah will take you to watch a movie and she will buy everything that you want.Ah! If you listen to her,she will take you to a fancy dinner and buy you a k pop albums.And I can’t wait to see you.

With Love, Mum

Hi,this is like a mail to send to someone, how about a normal writing prompt.

Dear Thomas: I’m going to dive in the Red Sea with Hugo for a month. You stay with grandma, take care of her. He also tidies up and leaves the house clean. If you do that, I promise I’ll buy you the Boca Junior and Messi shirt. In case of any emergency, call my friend Cristina or Uncle Bernardo. I will not have signal. Study hard. Love you

Dear Isabel You are a good Girl, i need you to do a favour, soon is Christmas and i don’t have enough money for gift, so… If you’re a good Girl, you’ll get a Big gift. The Christmas Will be happiest if your grandparents are here. I Will be Happy if i’ll have more money for the gift. And if we’re together it’s because you’ll be there with us.

Dear mateo and dary

be beatiful for travel this weekends. It you are good presents a visited my uncle marco a open the door house. you dont eat the vegetables we are not going to the movies with your uncle daddy is doing preparing a dessert . my grandfather is watching TV with my grandmother let’s sleep have our rooms .

love you brother

Queridos Atena y Mathias, Tienen que ser buenos con sus abuelos esta semana. Si se portan bien los llevaremos de viaje por todo Europa les compraremos regalos, les compraremos muchísima ropa, tienen que hacerle casi a sus abuelos en todo lo que les digan acostarse temprano comer toda su comida lavarse los dientes, bañarse y todo lo que siempre hacen en casa, trataremos de regresar lo más pronto posible, ya los extrañamos llamen si nos necesitan. Los amamos mamá y papá

Dear Sara and John I have to work in the police office tomorrow. Your aunt Pilar will take of you. If you behave good,I will Take you to burger King. You must do homework with her. If you do it very well,I will give a surprise.

Be good with your aunt, she loves very much. Kisses Love dad.

Dear Claudia and Álvaro: If you don’t sleep, you will be tired.If you don’t sleep, you will be tired. If you study, you will know the exam. Be good and don’t bother dad. I’ll see today in a week. I love you Bye

Dear Lucy and Andrés. Be good for your grandparents this weekend. If you are good we will go to cinema. Brush your teeth every day and eat good. If you do this, dady and I Will buy you a set. If it’s Sunny tomorrow your grandparents will go to the park with you. But if you don’t clean your bedroom you won’t do nothing of this. Call us if you need something. LOVE, mom and dady

Hi guys, This weekend I will go to granada with your father and you will stay at your grandmother’s house, please be good, if you are not bad, we will buy a souvenir for each one. On Saturday grandpa will take you to the park if it snow, but if it rains you will get at home and making biscuits. Please send me photos! Dont’t forget to pay attention go grandma in everything, if you don’t listen to her, I will pick you up right away! Well, I hope you will have a great time, Kisses Mom💋

Dear pablo and María Be good with your ankles if you be good with your ankles we buy succhard,unlees you do your homewoork you will have present Dont forget brush your teeth everyday,i talk with your ankles And he is said that he see you if you brush your teeth be good Love dad 🙂

Hi my little boys.Daddy and I like to say you that,if you be good with the grandparents we,ll buy you the new PlayStation 5.If you be good dont forget.

Dear Sammy,

Your mom and I are going to the States this week,so you will stay at your aunt Meli’house. Please be a good boy, keep your bed in order and your room clean, and you will go play with your cousins to the park after school. If you finish all your homework during the week, your aunt will take you all to the beach on Saturday. Eat all your food, and she will buy you ice cream…your preferred one!

If you help her around the house, we will bring you a surprise from Marvel Studios (hint: he is not the strongest avenger! Jajaja)

We are coming back on Monday, and will pick you up after school. We love you with all our heart and hope you have a great week! Have lots of fun! Dad and Mom!

Dear meme, I am going to Vancouver for this weekend, I have big meeting about my work so if I do good presentation,Iwill be in great position. Meme u gonna be with your grandparents. If you take care good of them, you will get nice surprise of them. Don’t forget grandma medication if she doesn’t get it in time, she will be in trouble. Grandpa likes walking for one hour every day if you don’t make it , he will feel very sad. Meme u know I love u so much and I trust u too and I love my parents if I don’t help them, I won’t be happy. Life it’s a circle if you are honest, you will get good things.

Dear Chacho: I want to you to be good for your grandmother this weekend. If you are good,I will buy you some surprises. Don’t be a bad boy. If your grandma notifies me something bad, I will punish you. If you mess up the house, you will clean it. If Laika bothers you, grandma will punish her. If you bother Laika, I won’t give you any treat. If you eat all your meat, grandma will buy you a special food for dinner. If you are good this weekend, we will go to the park with all your friends. I love so much, xoxo With love, Gaby

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Creative Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers

Conversation Questions Conditionals: ESL Speaking Activity

Conversation Questions Conditionals: First, Second, Third Conditional

First Conditional

• If you don’t go to work tomorrow, what will happen?
• What will you do if it rains tomorrow?
• What will you do if you learn perfect English?
• What will you do if a colleague is rude to you?
• What will you do when you retire?
• What will happen when we continue polluting the Earth?
• What will happen if stop using plastic bags?
• What will happen if______________________?
• What will you do if______________________?

Second Conditional

• What would you do if an alien from outer space landed their spaceship in your
• If there suddenly was no internet, how would the world change?
• How would you spend $100 000 in 12 hours?
• What would you do if you could fly?
• If could go on holiday anywhere in the world, where would you go?
• If somebody hit you in the face, what would you do?
• If you survived a plane crash in the jungle, how long would you survive?
• If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would that be?
• If it was possible, would you like to have your own clone?
• What would you do if_____________________________?
• What would happen if_____________________________?

Third Conditional

• If you had been born in a different country, what would have been different in your life?
• What would you have done if you had found out you were a lost child of a European monarch and a successor to the throne?
• How would your life have been different if you had been growing up with 9 siblings?
• If you could have studied something else, what would that have been?
• How would your life have changed if you had done something different that one time?
• What would have happened last weekend if you had partied all night long?
• If you had been born as a child of a Hollywood celebrity, how would your childhood have been different?
• If you had been born Quasimodo, how would your life have changed?
• If you had been born with 6 fingers on each hand, how would that have changed your life?
• What would have happened if_____________________________________?
• What would you have done if______________________________________?

Download here>>>>> Conditionals Speaking Activity

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ENGLISH WITH ALEX

Language you can use

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• Sep 5, 2023
• 10 min read

Third Conditional Discussion Questions (100+ Questions for English Conversation Practice)

Updated: Sep 15, 2023

This page is intended to be a resource for English learners and teachers . You can practice answering these third conditional discussion questions by yourself or with a partner. You can also write the answers in a notebook, in a digital document, or in the comments section below. To help learners feel more confident and to develop grammatical accuracy, the warm-up questions have some suggested answer beginnings, which make them ideal for beginner or intermediate learners. For more challenging questions, move on to the "Let's go!" section.

Recommended levels: Upper Intermediate / Advanced

Grammar reminder

The third conditional is used to discuss past hypothetical (or "unreal") situations . It has a variety of uses, including expressing past regrets, past wishes, and possibilities.

Typically, the third conditional uses the following structure:

"If" clause + result clause

If + subject + past perfect (had + past participle), subject + would (not) have/could (not) have/might (not) have + past participle

Example: "If I'd known you needed money, I would have lent you some." (In speaking, the "had" part of the past perfect is often contracted, as in "If I'd known," "If we'd left earlier," etc.)

These two clauses can be inverted, and the "if" clause can sometimes be implied, meaning you don't need to directly mention it in some third conditional cases. Oh, and don't forget that you can add adverbs like "probably" and "maybe" before "would have" and "could have" to make it less certain. In short, there are many ways to form third conditional questions and answers, which you will see in the questions below.

So, here we go...

If you'd had more free time yesterday, what would you have done?

If I'd had more free time yesterday, I would have / might have / could have...

What is something that you might have bought if it had been cheaper?

If it had been cheaper, I might have bought...

If you had practiced it more, what is something you think you could've been pretty good at?

If I had practiced more, I think I could've been pretty good at...

If you'd had private teachers when you were younger, do you think your life would have been different in any way?

If I'd had private teachers when I was younger, I would have / might have / could have...

How would your life have been different if you had never started studying English?

If I had never started studying English, I might (not) have / could (not) have / would (not) have...

If you had woken up earlier this morning, what would you have done with the extra time?

If I had woken up earlier this morning, I...

Do you think you would have become a different person if your family had moved to Miami, Florida when you were a child?

If my family had moved to Miami, Florida when I was a child,...

What would you have done differently if you had known about the 2020 pandemic in advance?

If I had known about the pandemic in advance, I...

If you hadn't taken that job offer, where do you think you would've worked instead?

If I hadn't taken that job offer, I probably would've worked (at/for)...

If you had pursued a career in music, what instrument would you have chosen?

If I had pursued a career in music, I probably would've played (the)...

Let's go!

What would you have done if you had discovered that you had a special talent when you were younger?

If a particular person hadn't influenced your life, how would your personal values have been different?

If you had accidentally broken your friend's phone, what would you have said to them?

If you could've ordered any food you wanted as a kid, what would you usually have ordered?

If you hadn't gone to your last vacation destination, where would you have gone instead?

If you hadn't read a particular book or watched a particular movie in the past, how would your interests or perspectives been different?

What would you have liked to do if you'd had one extra hour of free time each day?

If you hadn't chosen your current career path or academic path, what would you have chosen instead?

If you hadn't moved to your current location, where do you think you would've gone instead?

If you hadn't pursued your current interests, what do you think would have captured your interest instead?

Think of a major challenge you had to overcome. If you hadn't overcome that challenge, do you think your character would've suffered as a result?

If you hadn't joined a particular club, organization, or group, what other group might have interested you?

If you had been born 100 years earlier, how would your life have been different?

If you could've helped one person more when you were younger, whom would you have helped?

If you had been in their shoes, what would you have done?

Just like the second conditional, you can use the third conditional for advice. However, since the situation is already finished, you can only imagine what you would've done if you had been in someone else's position.

Imagine these scenarios and answer with "If I had been in his/her/their shoes, I would've/might've..."

Your co-worker was in a car accident because they had drunk alcohol and still decided to drive their car.

Your friend got sick because she went outside in the cold without wearing a jacket.

Your dad yelled at and hit his boss, so he lost his job.

Your friend stayed with their boyfriend/girlfriend for six more months even after they found out that their partner had cheated on them.

Your brother decided to go on an expensive vacation even though he owed his credit card company a lot of money.

How would the world have been different if...?

Just like the second conditional can be used to consider present and future possibilities, we can use the third conditional to consider possible pasts. Think about the following questions carefully. How would the world have been different if these things had happened or hadn't happened ?

How would the world have been different if...

electricity had never been discovered?

the internet had never been invented?

cars hadn't been invented?

Gandhi hadn't led non-violent protests again British rule in India?

Germany had won World War 2?

airplanes had never been invented?

If it hadn't been for...

"If it hadn't been for" means "If this event/person/thing hadn't been a part of my life, things would have been different." Another way to think of this is to say "Without this event/person/thing." For example, "If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have become interested in cinema." This means "Without you, I wouldn't have become interested in cinema." Finish the sentences.

If it hadn't been for the accident,...

If it hadn't been for my parents,...

If it hadn't been for my sixth grade music teacher,...

If it hadn't been for my boss,...

If it hadn't been for my friends,...

If it hadn't been for the internet,...

What would you have done if...? / Do you think you would've...? / If you hadn't...

Visualize the following situations and answer them appropriately. Use your imagination.

What would you have done if your boss hadn't given you a raise last month?

If you had known that your brother was in town, would you have invited him to dinner?

Do you think your team would've won if the star player hadn't gotten injured in the first half of the game?

If your sister hadn't been allergic to dogs, do you really think your parents would've got you one for a pet?

If you hadn't discovered that you really enjoy jogging, what other activity do you think you would've started doing?

What would you have done if you hadn't had to go to work last week?

What would you have done if you had found out sooner that (your friend) Jack had lied to you?

Do you think you would've done anything differently if you had known that your decision would be this important?

What would you have done if the weather had been nicer last week?

What would you have done if someone had bought you a dog instead of a cat?

If you had missed your flight, what would you have done?

What would you have done if your house had been burned down by the fire?

What would your sister have done if you hadn't lent her money to pay her rent?

Do you think you would've won the race if you hadn't twisted your ankle?

What would you have done if the company had offered you a million dollars to work in another country for 5 years?

If you hadn't met him, do you think your life would've been better?

Do you think you would've stayed single if you hadn't married your current spouse?

Do you think you would've been happier if your family had had more money when you were a kid?

If you hadn't taken that public speaking course, do you think you still would've been a good public speaker?

If you hadn't been so introverted when you were a kid, do you think you would've made more friends? Would you have wanted to?

If you'd had the chance,... / Do you wish you'd had the chance...

We can use the third conditional to talk about past regrets or things we wish we had done differently. Sometimes, we did not have the resources or opportunities to make things happen. In these cases, we can consider what we would have done if we had had the chance or opportunity to do something. Answer the questions below with your own ideas.

If you'd had the chance, would you have...

traveled more when you were younger?

moved to another city, town, village, or country?

gone to a different school / college / university?

signed up for more activities or classes? (Ex. music lessons, martial arts, public speaking, etc.)

spent more time on a particular interest? (Ex. swimming, art, reading, etc.)

gone to more parties?

It would've been nice if...

You can use "It would've been" + an adjective to express past regrets or wishes. For example, "It would've been great if you'd been able to attend my graduation." Complete the sentences below. Use the past perfect after the "if" clause. If you're working with a speaking partner, take turns.

It would've been unfortunate if...

It would've been great if...

Things would've been different if...

It would've been sad if...

Giving Reasons and Explanations for Past Decisions and/or Actions

Finish the answers with your own ideas.

Why didn't you call me last night? I was free.

If I had known you were free, I...

Hey, sorry to hear that you quit your job. Why didn't you stay?

Well, if they hadn't frozen my salary, I...

Why did you miss your dental appointment? It was at 8 a.m.

If I hadn't slept through my alarm, I... (to "sleep through one's alarm" means to continue sleeping even though your alarm activated at its programmed time)

I thought you really wanted that car. Why didn't you buy it?

The price after tax was just too much. If they had lowered the price a bit, I...

Why are you so tired today?

I couldn't fall asleep. I think that if I hadn't had a coffee at 6 o'clock, I...

Why were you and Max late?

We took too long to get ready in the morning. If we'd left the house earlier, we...

Implied Third Conditionals pt.1

You don't always need an "if" clause to be directly stated to use the third conditional. For example, you can say "You could've told me sooner" if someone gives you information that would have been helpful at an earlier time. In this case, the implied conditional in this case could be "if you had wanted my help" or "if this had been truly important to you."

Another common structure is making past wishes with the past perfect. For instance, "I wish we had gone camping," "I wish we could've gone camping," or "I wish we would've gone camping." In this case, the implied conditional could be "if it had been an option" or "if we'd had more time."

What's a place that you would've liked to go to when you were younger?

I would've liked to go to... / I would've liked to have gone to... (both are possible)

Who's someone that you would've loved to meet when you were a kid? (Implied: "if it had been possible")

I would've loved to meet... / I would've loved to have met...

Why didn't you go on vacation last year?

I would've gone on vacation last year, but...

Could you have gone to see a movie last night? (Implied: "if you'd had the time/money/etc.")

Yeah, I could've gone to see a movie last night, but...

What's something that you wish you hadn't or had done?

I wish I hadn't... / I wish I had...

Imagine... (Implied Third Conditionals pt.2)

Imagine that a waiter served you a bland meal at a restaurant. What could the chef have done to make your dish more flavourful?

Imagine that you lost your job because you were always late for work. How could you have prevented this from happening?

Imagine that you got a speeding ticket. What could you have done to prevent this?

Imagine that you need to ask your family to lend you money because you were irresponsible with your finances. What could you have done to prevent this situation?

Imagine that your best friend told you that they stole food because they had no money. Would you have done the same thing in their shoes? ("In their shoes" means "in their situation/position/etc.")

Would you have done anything differently?

"Would you have done anything differently?" is one of the most common third conditional questions. It is synonymous with "Do you wish you had done anything differently?" Think about different moments and events in your life. Looking back, would you have done anything differently ? Or, when you really think about it, would you say "I wouldn't have changed a thing." Think about things like:

past job decisions

past relationship decisions

past socializing decisions

past purchase decisions

past time management decisions

past moving decisions

If you're satisfied with the decisions you made in the past, justify them by using this structure: "If I had(n't) X, then I would(n't) have Y." For example: "If I hadn't quit my old job, I wouldn't have met my wife."

If you had known then what you know now....

This is a continuation of the "Would you have done anything differently?" questions above. "If you had known then what you know now" is another common third conditional question structure. It asks about an impossibility: If you'd had your PRESENT knowledge IN THE PAST, would you have done anything differently? So...

If you had known then what you know now,...

would you have taken a different academic or career path?

would you have spent your free time differently?

would you have made different friends?

would you have taken more risks?

would you have continued living where you were living?

would you have changed your diet or exercised more?

would you have spent less time arguing with people?

Inverted Third Conditionals

You can make third conditionals more formal by changing "If you had" into "Had you." For example, instead of saying "If you hadn't made that decision, the company would have suffered," you can say "Had you not made that decision, the company would have suffered." These are called inverted conditionals. Answer the questions with this form.

Had you woken up earlier last Sunday, what would you have done?

Had I woken up earlier last Sunday, I...

Had you found this website earlier, how would it have affected your English learning?

Had I found this website earlier,...

Had you known that sooner, would you have told me? (Imagine a scenario for this one)

Had I known that sooner, I...

Had you been aware of the news, would you have made the same decision? (Imagine a scenario)

Had I been aware of the news, I...

Had you known it was going to rain, would you have brought an umbrella?

Had I known it was going to rain, I...

That's it! Thank you for learning and practicing your English with me. To continue improving your English, and to support my work, consider purchasing a PDF, e-Book, or paperback version of one of my books . All of them are written with English learners in mind. In particular, 300 Practical English Words and Phrases is full of useful language, including detailed explanations of how to use filler and transition words such as "anyway," "so," and "well." Check it out!

Until next time, I wish you success, and I hope to see you again soon!

• Advanced English

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Posted on 13th October 2017

Writing a Three-Paragraph Essay

By Elise Barbeau

Sally Baggett holds a master’s in literature. She enjoys inspiring students, cooking with her family, and helping others achieve their dreams.

Just like there is more than one way to skin a cat (or so they say), there is more than one way to write an essay. One is not required to produce a perfectly formatted five-paragraph essay every time one composes a piece of writing. There is another type of essay you can write that may just be simpler than the traditional style: the three-paragraph essay. This type of essay might be beneficial for beginning writers as it offers the organizational structure of a longer essay without requiring the length. It also offers a challenge to more advanced writers to condense their points.

The Parts of the Essay and Its Benefits

As with most essays, the three-paragraph essay has three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Yet with this type of essay–unlike its five-paragraph counterpart–each one of these sections has only one paragraph. The three-paragraph essay, therefore, might be ideal for young writers or those who are currently mastering the English language.

Another benefit to the three-paragraph essay could be that it requires you to condense your supporting points into just one, which can be a good exercise. If you had to choose only one point to convince a reader to agree with you, what would it be?

After performing some light prewriting, such as brainstorming or writing an outline, students can move right into composing the essay. While this process is similar across the board for writing academic papers, the three-paragraph essay is unique in that the body will take up less space in the finished product.

An outline for this essay might look like this :

• Background Points
• Thesis Statement
• Supporting fact 1
• Supporting fact 2
• Transition Sentence
• Re-statement of Thesis
• Summary of Main Point
• Challenge to the Reader

Paragraph One: Introduction

As with most formal essays, the three-paragraph essay begins with an introduction paragraph. Such paragraphs must, obviously, introduce the reader to your idea and, in most cases, convince the reader that this essay is worth reading. To craft a strong introduction, be sure to open with a solid hook. You want to draw in readers so they are compelled to engage with your writing.

A hook can be something compelling such as a question, a powerful quote, or an interesting fact. Introduction paragraphs also usually contain background information that assists the reader in understanding your topic, perhaps defining it or explaining an important part. Finally, you want to include a thesis statement. Even though your essay only has three paragraphs, there still needs to be a purpose to the writing.

You could structure your introduction paragraph according to this outline :

• Hook: Is there no solution for dumping waste in the ocean?
• Explain why trash is dumped in the ocean
• Statistics about dumping trash in the ocean
• Thesis Statement: Dumping waste in the ocean is a problem because it spells disaster for the ecosystem, leading to problems on land.

This structure is not mandatory, though it might be useful in the long run for organizing your thoughts.

Paragraph Two: Body

The second paragraph, as we have discussed, is the one and only body paragraph. This paragraph bears the burden of communicating support for the thesis statement all on its own. As such, it may take more than one rough draft to get this paragraph to communicate everything you want it to.

Your body paragraph needs to underscore the thesis statement. Create a topic sentence for this body paragraph that communicates this and also transitions from the introduction into the body. For example, your body paragraph topic sentence based on the outline above could be:

One of those problems might play itself out as food scarcity where humans live.

This topic sentence reiterates the thesis and moves the reader into a body paragraph that contains a supporting point: that damage to the ocean’s ecosystem could lead to food scarcity. Within the body paragraph, you can quote different sources that support this point.

Again, this paragraph does not have room to contain everything that a full five-paragraph essay might. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fit in some strong evidence to convince your reader to see your perspective, such as is accomplished through quotes and analysis. Don’t forget to end with a strong transition sentence to move the reader seamlessly into the conclusion.

Paragraph Three: Conclusion

The final paragraph in an essay is usually the conclusion. The three-paragraph essay is no exception. In this essay, the conclusion can be just as long as the other two paragraphs, and it can drive home the point made in the thesis statement and body paragraph. As with most conclusion paragraphs, this paragraph ought to restate the thesis in different words. It should then summarize what was stated in the body paragraph before challenging the reader in some way, whether in thought or action.

Editing Before Turning It In

One thing to be sure of in this type of essay (as in any other) is to polish it. Make it flow well. In other words, revise it!

Before beginning the revision process, take a break from your writing so that you can look at it with fresh eyes. Once you start revising, hunt not only for grammar and punctuation errors but for ways to make the writing flow better. Take a look at the sentences at the beginning and end of each paragraph. Do these sentences contain transition words? Do these paragraphs link to each other? Transition words or phrases like “Likewise,” “In spite of,” or “In addition to” can ensure that your paragraphs are coherent. There are also other services that will automatically proofread you paper.

If you used any sources (i.e. websites, books, videos, etc.) to help support your points and write your paper, you need to cite them! Most teachers will ask you to create a bibliography in MLA format . Others may have you one in APA format , or create references in Chicago style. Ask your teacher for guidance on what citation style they prefer.

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget that you aren’t limited to using this type of essay for just persuasion. You can also use it to relate a narrative tale, using the three parts as the beginning, middle, and end of a story. You can use this to craft an informative essay. See if other types of essays–such as a process analysis or an evaluation–will fit inside the three-paragraph essay format.

In many ways, the three-paragraph essay is similar to the five-paragraph essay. They both make a solid point using an introduction, body, and conclusion. This simpler essay only requires that you condense your points into one body paragraph, perhaps only one supporting point, before reaching a conclusion. Again, this can make a good exercise for beginning English writers, but can also make a challenge for a more advanced writer to select their strongest supporting points.

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Are You Good at Apologizing?

Do you know how to say “I’m sorry” and really mean it? Or do you have a hard time admitting you did something wrong?

By Jeremy Engle

When was the last time you gave or received an apology?

How successful was it? Did the apology soothe hurt feelings or remedy the situation? Or was it defensive, halfhearted and insincere — only making things worse?

In “ How to Apologize Like You Mean It ,” Jancee Dunn shares six steps for making amends:

Most of us can remember receiving an unsatisfying apology. A friend of mine recently got a text message after a Bumble date stood her up: “Sry,” it read. (“He didn’t even spell out the whole word,” she told me.) When my kid was in preschool, an email arrived in my inbox. “Sorry your daughter was bitten,” it said. (The sender’s child had done the biting.) Why is it so hard to apologize? Why do so many of us get it wrong? Saying you’re sorry involves vulnerability, said Lisa Leopold, a researcher who studies apologies. “We also have to admit our own wrongdoing, our own failings,” she added, “and that requires tremendous humility.” But it’s worth making the effort, Leopold said. A meta-analysis of 175 studies found that apologies did, indeed, influence forgiveness. Other research suggests that apologies can benefit the giver as well as the receiver by reducing guilt, fostering self-compassion and strengthening relationships . But not all apologies are equal. For a show of remorse to be truly effective, it should be focused on the other person’s feelings and needs, not your own, said Karina Schumann, an associate professor of social psychology and head of the Conflict Resolution Lab at the University of Pittsburgh who researches the topic .

Ms. Dunn says that while the ingredients of a successful apology can vary, there are six that many experts agree on, such as “acknowledge any harm you’ve caused” and “offer to repair."

Here are the first two tips:

Express regret. Do not say “I want to apologize,” or “I would like to apologize,” Leopold said. “A lot of people use that language,” she explained, but expressing a desire isn’t as effective as apologizing. Instead, simply say “I apologize,” or “I’m sorry,” she said. Using an “I” statement strengthens your apology by taking responsibility, Leopold said. “I’m sorry for my outburst this morning,” for example, is more effective than saying “that shouldn’t have happened.” Explain — but keep it brief. Being specific about what you’ve done can make the other person feel understood, said Beth Polin, an associate professor of management at Eastern Kentucky University, who studies apologies. But, she added, you should keep it sincere and short. Skip justifications and excuses, she said, because an apology “should not be to make us feel better or defend our actions.” And while you are explaining, Leopold said, avoid conditional words like “but,” which can weaken the apology (“I apologize for the delay, but I had multiple deadlines to meet”). “If” is another conditional that helps us dodge responsibility. “‘I apologize if I offended anybody’ implies that there may have been no victims and hence, no transgression,” Leopold said.

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

How good are you at apologizing? Do you feel comfortable saying sorry? Or do you usually give self-serving, defensive and excuse-filled apologies? Have you ever given one when you didn’t really “mean it”?

What makes a “successful” apology? What’s the best one you have ever given or received? How did it help to repair or remedy the situation?

What makes an “unsatisfying” apology? What’s the worst one you have ever given or received? Why was it so bad?

What do you think of the six tips for a successful apology offered in the essay? Which, if any, would you like to incorporate into your own future acts of contrition? What are your dos and don’ts for saying sorry?

Ms. Dunn writes that apologies can benefit the giver as well as the receiver by “reducing guilt, fostering self-compassion and strengthening relationships.” Do you agree? What value do you see in genuine apologies?

After reading the article, do you think you are more likely to give a sincere and meaningful apology in the future?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle