essay topics using conditionals

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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.

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.


If	I get a car	I will stop taking the bus
If	I get that job	I will stop playing soccer

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.


If	I had money	I would buy a car
If	I had a girlfriend	I would take her out every Friday

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


If	I could have chosen	I would have taken another position
If	I have had enough money	I would have bought a car

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.

Manuel Campos

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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Conditional Sentences | Examples & Use

Conditional Sentences | Examples & Use

Published on March 14, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on September 11, 2023.

A conditional sentence refers to a hypothetical situation and its possible consequence.

Conditional sentences always contain a subordinate clause that expresses a condition (e.g., “If it snows tomorrow”) and a main clause indicating the outcome of this condition (e.g., “school will be canceled ”).

There are four main types of conditionals in English, each of which expresses a specific level of likelihood or possibility.

How to use conditional sentences, zero conditional sentences, first conditional sentences, second conditional sentences, third conditional sentences, mixed conditional, common mistake: adding “would” to the “if” clause, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

Conditional sentences are used to describe a hypothetical scenario and the possible consequences of this scenario. All conditional sentences contain two clauses:

A subordinate clause that describes an unreal condition (e.g., “If you train more”)
A main clause that indicates the result of this hypothetical scenario (e.g., “you will become a better swimmer”)

The subordinate clause of a conditional sentence usually begins with the conjunction “if.”

This is often paired with a “then” at the start of the second clause (e.g., “ if you want to go, then you should go”). However, including “then” is optional.

When the subordinate clause is used at the start of a sentence, it’s always followed by a comma . If the main clause comes first, no comma is needed (and “then” should not be included).

If you ate healthier food, then you would have more energy.
You would have more energy if you ate healthier food.

If you switch the order of conditional clauses, you may also need to switch the order of the nouns and pronouns in the sentence.

If Tom had called earlier, he might have gotten an appointment.
Tom might have gotten an appointment if he had called earlier.

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The zero conditional is used to indicate general truths, scientific facts, or habits. In zero conditional sentences, both the main clause and the conditional clause are normally in the present simple tense .

Zero conditional sentences can also use “when” instead of “if,” because they refer to general truths rather than specific scenarios.

Zero conditionals can also be used to make a command or request or to give advice or instructions. In these instances, the conditional clause is in the present simple tense and the main clause is in the imperative mood .

First conditional sentences refer to a possible action in the present and its realistic future consequence. Sentences using the first conditional contain two clauses:

A subordinate clause with a verb in the present simple tense (e.g., “if you eat”)
A main clause formed using a modal verb (usually “will,” “may,” “can,” or “might”) along with the infinitive form of the main verb (e.g., “run”)

If you don’t practice guitar, then you won’t improve .

Second conditionals are used to refer to an improbable or impossible past or present condition and its unlikely or unrealistic future consequence. Sentences that use the second conditional contain two clauses:

A subordinate clause with a verb in the past subjunctive form (e.g., “looked”)
A main clause using a modal verb (usually “would,” “could,” or “might”) along with the infinitive form of the main verb (e.g., “sing”)

If Bill talked less, he could finish more tasks.

Third conditional sentences are used to refer to an unreal past situation and its past result. Sentences that use the third conditional contain two clauses:

A subordinate clause with a verb in the past perfect tense (e.g., “if I had worked”)
A main clause using a modal verb (usually “would,” “could,” or “might”) along with the auxiliary verb “have” and the past participle of the main verb

If Sander had studied more, then he might have gotten a better grade.

Mixed conditional sentences use a combination of the second and third conditionals. The first type of mixed conditional is used to refer to an unreal past condition and its ongoing consequence. Sentences that use the first type of mixed conditional contain two clauses:

A subordinate clause containing a verb in the past perfect tense (as in a third conditional)
A main clause with a modal verb (usually “would”) and the infinitive form of the main verb (as in a second conditional)

The second type of mixed conditional sentence is used to describe an unreal past condition and its past consequence. It’s formed using:

A subordinate clause with a verb in the past subjunctive form (as in a second conditional)
A main clause containing a modal verb (usually “would”) along with the auxiliary verb “have” and the past participle of the main verb (as in a third conditional)

When using conditional sentences, people sometimes add the modal verb “would” to the subordinate clause. While “would” is often used in the main clause of second, third, or mixed conditional sentences, it’s wrong to add “would” to the subordinate clause.

Instead, subordinate clauses in the second conditional always use the past subjunctive form , while subordinate clauses in the third conditional always use the past perfect form .

If you would drive to work, you would arrive earlier.
If you drove to work, you would arrive earlier.
If he would have asked first, I might have agreed.
If he had asked first, I might have agreed.

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, common mistakes, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Nouns & pronouns

Common nouns
Proper nouns
Indefinite pronouns
Personal pronouns
Uncountable and countable nouns
Verb tenses
Modal verbs
Auxiliary verbs
Subjunctive mood
Imperative mood
Interjections
Determiners
Prepositions

A conditional sentence is a sentence that describes the possible consequences of a hypothetical situation.

Conditional sentences contain a subordinate clause that describes a hypothetical situation (usually starting with the conjunction “if”) and a main clause that describes its possible results (e.g., “If I were you, I’d buy a new phone”).

A conditional clause is one of two clauses in a conditional sentence .

Conditional clauses are subordinate clauses that refer to a hypothetical situation (usually starting with the conjunction “if”). They are used along with a main clause that describes the possible consequences of the hypothetical situation (e.g., “If you’re late again, you will be fired”).

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Ryan, E. (2023, September 11). Conditional Sentences | Examples & Use. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/verbs/conditional-sentences/

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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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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Here is another set of conversation questions, this some for more advanced students as the questions are hypothetical, so it requires a knowledge of conditionals and a certain level of creativity. I’d recommend it for 16+ (B1, B2, C1). The questions for this activity are used with the kind permission…

Role play: Making Polite Requests

Very helpful role plays on polite requests.

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

Updated: Sep 15, 2023

Discussion Questions with Third Conditional

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

Notes and questions on conditionals, topicalization, and related topics

Conditionals.

(1)	a.	RAIN TOMORROW, GAME CANCEL
		It will rain tomorrow, so the game is cancelled.
	b.	________________br
		RAIN TOMORROW, GAME CANCEL
		If it rains tomorrow, the game will be cancelled.

(2)

Will it rain tomorrow? (Then) the game will be cancelled.

(3)	a.		Need help? Just lemme know.
	b.		Questions? Shoot me an email.

Condition > consequence

Consequence > condition

(4)

Three types of "topicalization"

Gap topicalization.

(7)

(8)

. (But) she like .

(9)

, she like ____.

(10)	a.		Guess what?
	b.	#	, Leslie likes ___.

(11)	a.		What kind of vegetables do you like?
	b.		Well, , I like ___ , but , I find ___ .

Left dislocation

(12)	a.		Peas, I like them.
	b.		Bill, I've known him since first grade.

(13)	a.		My sister Linda, can be a bit nuts.
	b.		My friend Danny, neighbor can fix anything.

Hanging topics

(14)

Vegetables, I like peas.

(15)

(16)

As for the circus, I like the elephants best.

(17)

The circus, I like the elephants best.

(18)

A complication: Silent pronouns

(19)	Discussion of cheese between A and B:
	Speaker A:	a.	IX_1 REALLY LIKE CHEESE.
			'I really like cheese.'
	Speaker B:	b.	OH-YES, IX_1 LOVE CHEESE.
			'Oh yes, I love cheese.'
		c.	IX_1 EAT CHEESE DAILY.
			'I eat cheese every day.'
			____________bf
		d.	TYPE IX LIKE?
			'What kind do you like?
	Speaker A:	e.	IX_1 LIKE ALL, ONE IX_1 NOT FOND, GOAT CHEESE, BLEH
			'I like them all, except one (kind), (and that's) goat cheese. Yuck!'
			____________br
	Speaker B:	f.	GOAT CHEESE, IX_1 KISS-FIST!
			Goat cheese, I love (it)!'

(20)	Speaker A:	a.			What kind of cheese do you like?
	Speaker B:	b.	i.		{ } kind, I like ___.
			ii.	*	{ No, every } kind, I like it.

(21)	Speaker B:		*	NONEaltvar TYPE IX_1 LIKE
				Intended meaning: 'No kind, I like.'

(22)	Speaker B:			EVERY TYPE IX_1 LIKE
				'Every kind, I like.'

The correlation between types of topicalization and intonation

(23)

___/

(24)

________/

(25)

(26)

___/

(27)

Leslie likes peas, but

okra, she doesn't like ___.

___\

(28)	Speaker A:	a.			What kind of cheese do you like?
					________/
	Speaker B:	b.	i.	*	Every kind, I like ___.
					________\
			ii.		Every kind, I like ___.

(29)	Speaker B:			EVERY TYPE IX_1 LIKE
				'Every kind, I like.'

A final puzzle

		______________________br
(30)	a.	CHEW-UP POSS_1 SHOES IX
		______________________br
	b.	POSS_1 SHOES CHEW-UP IX
		'The chewed up my shoes.'

(i)	a.		Peas, I like those little suckers.
	b.		Bill, I've known that dude since first grade.

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.

The conditionals | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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

Zero Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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

First Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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 .

Other Connectors First Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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.

Modal Verbs or Imperatives First Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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.

Second Conditional 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona|

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 .

Third Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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:

Mixed Conditional | 4 conditionals in English and when to use them | Oxford House Barcelona

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

Name (required)

Email (required)

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

By: oxfordadmin
Posted on 05/05/2021

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Conditional Questions

Below is a collection of first, second, third, and mixed conditional questions.

First Conditional Questions

If you get a raise, what might you do with the extra money?
Think of a current trend in your field of work. Tell your group about this trend. What will happen if this trend continues?
How will you respond if a coworker asks you to go out after work?
If you are asked to put in overtime this week, will you do it? Why or why not?
If you wake up with a cold tomorrow, what will you do?
If there is a lot of traffic tonight, what will you do?
What are currently working on? What will you do if you run into problems?
What might happen if your department hires more people?

Second Conditional Questions

What would you do if you were independently wealthy and didn’t have to work?
If you started your own business, what would you have to get used to?
If you could change one thing about your current job, what would it be?
If you gave a graduation speech to a group of college graduates, what would you say to them? What advice would you have for people about to enter the workforce?
If you didn’t have your current job, what do you think you might be doing instead?
If you were offered a job in another country, would you accept it? Why or why not?
If you were offered a promotion and a 15% raise but you knew that you’d have to work late every night, would you accept the promotion?
What kind of government regulations does your company have to comply with? What would happen if the company didn’t comply with these regulations? What would happen if these regulations didn’t exist?
Talk about a law that you disagree with. Why would things be better without this law? What would be different if this law didn’t exist?
Talk about a law that you’d like to implement. Why would things be better if we had this law? What would be different?
Who helps you the most at work? What would it be like if you didn’t work with this person?
What do you think might happen if you didn’t get along with the people you work with?
If you had an extra two hours of time every day, what could you do with the time?
What kinds of perks does your employer offer? If your company decided to take away these benefits, how would people feel? What do you think would happen?
What is a skill you don’t have (but would like to have)? What would be different if you possessed this skill?
What is your best character trait? What would be different if you didn’t possess this characteristic?
If you took a career break for a year, what would you do with the time?
If you could eliminate one company policy, what policy would you eliminate? What would the result be? If you could implement one company policy, what policy would you implement? What would the result be?
If you had $1,000,000 dollars to invest, how would you invest it? Why?
If you could have dinner with anyone in your field, who would you have dinner with? What would you ask this person?
Who has always been there and supported you? What might your life be like if you didn’t have this person’s support?
What technology makes your job easier? What would your job be like if you didn’t have these technologies?
If you had fewer meetings, do you think you’d be more or less productive? Why?

Third and Mixed Conditional Questions

Think about an important advancement in your field. What would have happened if this advancement had never happened? What would be different now if this advancement had never happened?
What do you think has been the most important invention of the last 50 years? What would have been different if this had never been invented? How would the world be different now?
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? How might your life be different if you had never received this advice?
What might the world be like now if the internet had never been invented?
If you hadn’t learned English, how would your life be different?
What would the world be like if Bill Gates had never been born?
Think about someone influential in your field. What would things be like if this person had never been born?
What was your major in college? If you hadn’t decided on that major, what would you have studied instead? How would your life be different if you’d taken a different major?
If you had been offered a high-paying, full-time job when you were in college, would you have dropped out of college to take the job?
Think about a major historical event from your country’s history. What would have been different if this event had never occurred? How might your country be different now if this event had never happened?
Do you like to travel? Have you ever taken a trip that changed your life? How would your life be different if you hadn’t taken this life-changing trip?
What is the best decision you have ever made in your professional life? What would have happened if you had made a different decision? How would your life be different now if you hadn’t made that decision?
What is the worst decision you have ever made in your professional life? What would have happened if you had made a different decision? How would your life be different now if you hadn’t made that decision?
What is the best decision you have ever made in your personal life? What would have happened if you had made a different decision? How would your life be different now if you hadn’t made that decision?
What is the worst decision you have ever made in your personal life? What would have happened if you had made a different decision? How would your life be different now if you hadn’t made that decision?

Second Conditional

Questions about hypothetical or imaginary situations.

Business Topics

Advertising , Brands , Building Relationships , Change , Communication , Competition , Consultants , Crisis Management , Cultures , Customer Service , Employment Trends , Ethics , First Impressions , Human Resources , International Marketing , International Markets , Job Satisfaction , Leadership , Management Styles , Marketing , Mergers and Acquisitions , Money , New Business , Online Business , Organisation , Project Management , Raising Finance , Risk , Strategy , Success , Team Building , Training , Travel .

Grammar Topics

Present Simple , Present Continuous , Present Perfect , Present Perfect Continuous , Past Simple , Past Continuous , Used to , Have to , Going to / Pres. Continuous , Going to / Will , Comparatives , Superlatives , First Conditional , Second Conditional , Third Conditional , Mixed Conditionals , Should , Should have , Can , Could , Can / Could / Be able to , Is done / Was done , Being done / Been done .

How to use the second conditional ESL discussion questions

It is recommended that you download the second conditional ESL discussion questions in PDF format using one of the links above. The best way to encourage classroom interaction is to download and print the second conditional discussion questions in the 'pairs' or 'threes' PDF format and then divide the questions by cutting along the dotted lines. This allows students to take turns asking and answering the second conditional discussion questions in groups of two or three. Alternatively, you could use the 'cards' format to distribute the questions to any number of students to ask and share.

It is advisable to prepare students for using these discussion questions by first introducing them to the topic of second conditional in an interesting and engaging way. An anecdote, quiz question or a related image or video could all be used to achieve this. Depending on the level, it may also be necessary to pre-teach any challenging vocabulary related to second conditional contained in the discussion questions.

For more ESL discussion questions, see this site's main page. There are discussion questions on a range of topics including general, grammar and business English topics.

For further information about the site and its author, see the about page.

100+ Conditional Sentences

Conditional sentences.

Conditional sentences are sentences that express a condition and a consequence. The condition is what must happen in order for the consequence to occur. The consequence is what will happen if the condition is met.

Conditional sentences are formed using the word “if”. The condition is placed in the “if” clause, and the consequence is placed in the main clause.

For example:

If you study hard, you will pass the exam.
If it rains, we will stay home.
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a new house.

Conditional sentences can be used to express a variety of things:

Possibility: If I have time, I will help you with your homework.
Necessity: If you want to get into college, you need to study hard.
Regret: If I had known better, I wouldn’t have done it.
Hypothetical situations: If humans could fly, the world would be a very different place.

Here are 100+ Conditional sentences:

Zero Conditional:

If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
If the sun sets, it gets dark.
If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
If you touch fire, it burns.
If you add 2 and 2, you get 4.
If you press the button, the light turns on.
If you drop an object, it falls to the ground.
If it rains, the ground gets wet.
If you plant seeds, they grow into plants.
If you don’t eat, you get hungry.

First Conditional (Real Conditional):

If it rains, I will bring an umbrella.
If she comes to the party, I will be happy.
If you don’t finish your work, you will be in trouble.
If he calls me, I will answer the phone.
If the store is open, we will buy groceries.
If they arrive on time, we can catch the train.
If you water the plants, they will thrive.
If you eat too much, you will feel sick.
If I don’t forget, I will call you later.

Second Conditional (Unreal Conditional):

If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.
If I were a bird, I would fly in the sky.
If she knew the answer, she would raise her hand.
If I had more time, I would read more books.
If it were possible, I would go back in time.
If you studied harder, you would get better grades.
If he had a million dollars, he would buy a sports car.
If they were in Paris, they would visit the Eiffel Tower.
If you weren’t so busy, we would hang out more.
If I had a magic wand, I would make all your wishes come true.

Third Conditional (Unreal Conditional – Past):

If I had known, I would have come to the party.
If they had seen the warning, they wouldn’t have gone swimming.
If he had studied more, he wouldn’t have failed the test.
If she had caught the earlier flight, she would have arrived on time.
If you had told me, I would have helped you.
If we had left earlier, we would have avoided the traffic.
If it hadn’t rained, the picnic would have been perfect.
If they had bought the tickets in advance, they would have saved money.
If you had given me a map, I wouldn’t have gotten lost.
If he had listened to the advice, he wouldn’t be in this situation.

Mixed Conditionals:

If I hadn’t lost my keys (Past), I wouldn’t be locked out now (Present).
If you had called me (Past), I would be with you (Present).
If she hadn’t moved away (Past), we would still be friends (Present).
If I had taken that job offer (Past), I would be earning more money now (Present).
If they had passed the exam (Past), they would have a diploma now (Present).
If he had saved money (Past), he could afford a vacation (Present).
If she had bought the ticket (Past), she would be at the concert now (Present).
If he had repaired the car (Past), it would work fine now (Present).
If I hadn’t missed the bus (Past), I would be at the meeting now (Present).
If they had finished the project (Past), they would have a promotion now (Present).
If you had studied (Past), you would be smarter (Present).
If she hadn’t quit (Past), she would have a stable job (Present).
If I had taken a different path (Past), I would have found a shortcut (Present).
If they had paid attention (Past), they would understand the topic (Present).
If he hadn’t forgotten (Past), he would know the answer (Present).
If I had saved (Past), I would have money (Present).
If she had chosen differently (Past), she would be happier (Present).
If you hadn’t ignored (Past), you wouldn’t be in trouble (Present).
If he had listened (Past), he wouldn’t be lost (Present).
If we had left earlier (Past), we would be on time (Present).

Conditional Sentences with “Unless”:

Unless it rains, the event will go as planned.
We’ll go to the park unless it’s too crowded.
Unless you pass the test, you can’t join the team.
We can swim in the lake unless the water is too cold.
Unless he apologizes, she won’t forgive him.
Unless you have a ticket, you can’t attend the concert.
We can go on a hike unless the weather is bad.
Unless you invite her, she won’t come to the party.
We’ll have dessert unless you’re on a diet.
Unless they finish their chores, they won’t get their allowance.

Conditional Sentences with “As Long As”:

As long as you study, you’ll do well on the test.
We can go camping as long as the weather is nice.
As long as you’re quiet, we won’t wake the baby.
You can stay up late as long as you finish your homework.
As long as you follow the rules, you can play in the park.
As long as you’re respectful, you’re welcome in our home.
You can use my car as long as you fill up the tank.
As long as you’re honest, you’ll have my trust.
As long as the food is good, I’ll try any cuisine.
You can use the computer as long as you don’t break it.

Conditional sentences are an important part of the English language. They allow us to express a wide range of ideas and emotions in a clear and concise way. By understanding how to use conditional sentences correctly, we can improve our writing and speaking skills.

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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

	Dependent Clause(if clause)	Main Clause (then clause)
Zero conditional	Simple Present	Simple Present
First conditional	Simple Present	Simple Future
Second conditional	Simple Past	Modal auxiliary verb should be present
Third conditional	Past Perfect	Modal auxiliary verb
Mixed conditional	i) Past Perfect	Present Conditional
	ii) Simple Past	Perfect Conditional

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Writing Prompt ~ Third Conditional

Writing Prompt: In English we use the third conditional to talk about something in the past that did not happen. There is no possibility for this thing to come true because the past already happened. The result is also impossible because the past is in the past. Review the structure of the third conditional . Then demonstrate your understanding of how to use this structure by writing a paragraph staring with the phrase “If I had known…”.

24 comments

If I’d known I’d run out of time, I would have done so many things. If I’d known that time would stop doing me a favour, I would have flown all over my home and collected my memories with you. If I had known I wouldn’t be able to look at your face, I would have used every second to analyse it and its beauty. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have said those things to you, hurt you or even loved you…

If I Had Known If I had known how stressful school was, I would have lived in the forest. If I had known my grandfather was going to die, I would have spent more time with him. If I had known that school isn’t that important and that you don’t need the best grades to achieve great things, I wouldn’t work so hard to get the best grades. If I had known how much I had to study, I would have started earlier. If I had known there was a tram, I would have taken the bus earlier. If I had known how much it would escalate, I would shut up sooner. If I had known I was going to hurt someone, I would be quiet.

If I had known I was going to Italy, I would have prepared my suitcase earlier. And even though my mum said I had time, I would still have prepared it earlier so I wouldn’t be so stressed. Now I am more stressed and afraid that I will forget something, because if I did I would probably blame myself. If I blame myself, it is more likely that my confidence will go down.

My vacation in Cancun… If I had known that my trip to Cancun would end so quickly I would not have wasted a moment, if I had known it would be cold I would have brought a sweatshirt, if I had known that on the beach They invited me out, I would have brought more changes of clothes, if I had known that I would burn so much I would have put on more sunscreen.

. I would have told them how much they meant to me.

Hi dear Thank you a lot. It was useful for me to get third conditional.you said the past already happen,so it is not throu. So we talk about an unreal condition.if I were you I’d write a text by your own about third conditional,if you do it I’l be really happy. Sincerely yours

Sholeh Raeisdana

We all have our own interests and a career that we want to do. Sometimes, we find it difficult to accept our interests because of some dominance and trauma. Once upon a time, I didn’t know my interests and what I wanted to do. I spent my precious time not doing what I love. If I had known my interests earlier, I would have been able to spend my time doing what I love. If I had accepted my passion and hobbies, I would have learned a lot about that. What fun it would have been.

Very good paragraph it’s interesting thanks

If had known that my grandpa was going to die eating a piece of papaya, I would have bought another fruit more easy to eat, like a guava. But moreover I would have asked to him that teaches me zapoteco with sufficient time together.

If I had known that my grandmother was very mean to her children and very distrustful, I would never have done her so many favors and trusted her.

If I had known the career I chose would be so demanding. I would have studied harder. I would have learned many things before. But I guess that’s the point. You never know what you’re going to face.

If I had know that my mother was cheeated on my dad i would have never trust on her, and never told all my life, and help my dad had a better life with out her

if i had known that the pandemia was going to be so long i would have worked all that time so i could had some money.

If i had known that my father was going to go to work in another state, I would have liked to go to soccer games, baseball, any sport but to be with him more time.

If I had known that the pandemia was going to be so long I could had worked all that time so I could had some money.

if i had known that the pandemia was going to be so long i would had worked all that time so i could had some money.

If I had known that systems engineering pays well, I probably would have studied this. However, I am too old to have any regrets about my career choice. However, I still want to study for this degree to make more money.

If I had known that my best friend betrayed me, I would have never made her best friend in fact, not even my friend. If she had said to me I like to be your friend, I would have definitely said no because I don’t want to add these kinds of people to my friend list. As a very well phrase I remembered that A book is equal to a friend, but a good friend is equal to a whole library.

If I had known this web before, I would not have been so confused. :))

If I had known my grandmother would not have lived longer after I left to USA, I would not have done that. But if my grandmother had known that I postponed my trip because of her, she would have insisted me to pursue my dreams. A real conundrum, if I had a second chance I probably would have made an effort to understand her better or probably considered visiting her often.

If I had understood how fast a week goes by, I would have finished this homework a week ago! 😅

I came here to learn third conditional but I didn’t expect to find that much feelings.

Very Good Paragraph

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Conditionals: First, Second, and Third Conditional in English

Conditionals! Learn conditional definition with examples. There are four types of conditionals in the English language: first conditional, second conditional, third conditional and zero conditional.

Conditional Definition

Conditionals are structures in English that establish what will happen if a certain event takes place or if a certain action is performed. This means that if a certain condition is true, a certain result occurs.

There are four types of commonly used conditionals in the English language that are differentiated on the basis of the degree of possibility implied by each of them. They are the first conditional, the second conditional, the third conditional and the zero conditional.

Types of Conditionals

First conditional.

This conditional is used to talk about future events that might happen. It uses the present tense to discuss the possible future events. For example:

If it rains, we will have to cancel the picnic.
If you come with me, I will make it worthwhile for you.
If I go abroad, I will get something back for you.
If you wait till 1 pm , you can go back with him.
If you visit Paris, you must see the Eiffel Tower.

Second Conditional

This conditional is used to talk about the unreal possibility or impossible events. They establish the course of action that would follow, where something to happen is either hypothetical or surreal. For example:

If I had a million dollars, I would buy a penthouse on Park Avenue.
I could stop working if I won the lottery.
If I were well-versed in the subject, I would help you with your assignment.
If I were you, I would ask her to marry me.
What would you do if it were to rain later?

Third Conditional

This conditional talks about the past, unlike the first and second which discusses events in the real or unreal future. These conditions, too, are therefore impossible, because they have either already occurred or might have occurred but won’t anymore. For example:

If I had studied a little more in college, life would have been easier.
If we had gotten to the airport on time, we would have caught our flight.
I could have asked him about the matter if he had shown up.

Sometimes the ‘if’ clause is merely implied, as in:

I would have done it. (…if you had asked me to)
I wouldn’t have allowed it. (…if it had been tried with me)

Zero Conditional

The zero conditional discusses an absolute certainty; the result of the condition is always true. The most common types of zero conditionals are scientific facts. For example:

If you cool water to zero degrees, it turns into ice.

Zero conditionals, therefore, do not deal with the future or the past; they simply deal with facts. The ‘if’ in these conditionals can be replaced with ‘when’: When you cool water to zero degrees, it turns into ice.

Conditional Sentences | First, Second, and Third Conditional Infographic

Conditional Definition, Conditional Usage & Examples | Image

Conditionals: First, Second, and Third Conditional in English

I really love it

Really helpful

very clear and helpful

IELTS Grammar: Conditional sentences.

How to use zero, 1st, 2nd and 3rd conditionals (if sentences).

There are four kinds of conditional sentences. The zero conditional describes real or specific situations, while unreal Conditionals describe unreal, imaginary situations or hopes for the future. With unreal conditionals there is a difference in the likelihood of them happening, however, they don’t refer to the past. The 3rd conditional is for past regret, how something could be different or a past hypothetical situation.

Conditional sentences are very useful structures in IELTS as they are seen by the examiner as complex sentences and are often included in a natural conversation. This comes in very handy in the IELTS speaking section when talking about your daily life, talking about possibilities and expressing regret or a hypothetical past.

Zero Conditional

This is used to talk about what you normally do in real-life situations or a specific situation.

The structure is: If + Present verb + Present verb (notice we can also use adverbs of frequency such as ‘usually, often, tend to, sometimes’ )
If I go to a friend’s house for dinner, I sometimes take a bottle of wine.
If I have time off, I usually go to the beach.
I f I go to bed late, I wake up feeling tired.
I read books if there is nothing on TV.
If I study too much, I tend to get a headache
If I wake up early, I often go for a run then check my emails.

Both “if” and “when” are used in the zero Conditional. Using “if” suggests that something happens less frequently . Using “when” suggests that something happens regularly.

Compare: When I have a day off, I usually go to the cinema. (I tend to have days off)

If I have a day off, I usually go to the cinema. (I don’t get many days off)

1st Conditional and 2nd Conditional

The 1st Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations but the possibility is stronger .

The structure is: If + Present verb + Will

The 2nd Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations but the possibility is weaker.

The structure is: If + Past verb + Would / Could

1. If I win the lottery, I will buy a new car. (I do the lottery quite often and I expect to win one day )

2. if i won the lottery, i would buy a new car. (i do not expect to win).

In the first sentence above use the 1st conditional to express the stronger possibility and the second sentence expresses the weaker possibility. More examples below.

If I owned a car, I would drive to work. (I don’t own a car)
He would buy a car if he had more money. (He doesn’t have much money)
I would go to Hawaii if I had a vacation. (I don’t have any vacation this year)
If I got a Band 8 in IELTS, I could move to Canada. (I don’t expect to get a high score yet)

Punctuation note: Use a comma after the if-clause when the if-clause comes before the main clause. Compare the sentences below.

I would move to London if I got a high paying job.
If I got a high paying job , I would move to London.

So in a conversation if you are asked a question with a conditional, reply with a conditional sentence:

John: What would you do if you won the lottery? Bob: If I won the lottery I would buy a house in London.

Anne: Where would you live if you could move to Europe? Betty: I reckon I would live in Madrid, it’s a great city.

John: If you could change your job, what would you like to do? Bob: I would like to be a Chef If I had the chance because I love cooking.

3rd Conditional

These are used when talking about how the present moment would be different if things had happened differently in the past. It is also useful when you talk about regrets or wishing something could be different.

The structure is: If + had + past participle + would have / could have + past participle
If I had known you were in hospital, I would have paid you a visit. (I didn’t know you were in hospital)
If I had only backed up my PC , I wouldn’t have lost all my data. (I didn’t back up the PC and I lost my data)
I could have lent you some money if you had told me you were broke. ( I didn’t know you were broke)
I would have taken an umbrella if I had known it was going to rain. ( I didn’t know it was going to rain)
If I had known it was your sandwich, I wouldn’t have eaten it. (I had no idea it was his sandwich)
If I had studied medicine at college, I could have been a Doctor by now. (I didn’t study medicine)

Common mistake:

Wrong: If you would have given me your email, I would have been able to contact you quicker.

Right: if you had given me your email, i would have been able to contact you quicker., using ‘wish’ for emphasis:.

This is commonly used to add emphasis that you have a regret about something. It can replace the word ‘if’ .

I wish I’d know you were in hospital, I would have come to visit you.
I wish I hadn’t bought that car, it’s always breaking down.
I wish I knew his email address, I would be able to let him know I’m visiting London.

Using ‘were to’ in an If sentence.

‘were to’ can be put into conditional sentences if you feel the outcome might be terrible or if it is something you don’t really want to think about.

If there were to be an economic crash, many people would lose their savings.
If he were to commit another crime, the police would send him to jail.
If we were to have been driving on ice, we wouldn’t have been able to stop in time.
If a large meteorite were to hit the Earth, I don’t think we would survive.

Are these sentences right or wrong? (4 of them are wrong)

James was heading for the airport and caught the bus just in time. If he would have missed the bus, he would have missed his flight.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have your email while I was on holiday. If I’d your email address, I would’ve sent you a message.
I wish I hadn’t told him about the situation with John, now he just keeps gossiping to everyone about it.
If I could change my profession, I would like to be a farmer as I love being outdoors and working.
I wish I could bring my camera, this scenery is incredible.
If I go to bed late, I can’t really sleep well.
If we take the 11.14 am train, we will arrive much earlier than we expected.
If you gave that cat too much food, he will vomit.
James was heading for the airport and caught the bus just in time. If he had missed the bus, he would have missed his flight.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have your email while I was on holiday. If I’d had your email address, I would’ve sent you a message.
I wish I hadn’t told him about the situation with John, now he just keeps gossiping to everyone about it. (correct)
If I could change my profession, I would like to be a farmer as I love being outdoors and working. (correct)
I wish I had brought my camera, this scenery is incredible.
If I go to bed late, I can’t really sleep well. (correct)
If we take the 11.14am train, we will arrive much earlier than we expected. (correct)
If you give that cat too much food, he will vomit.

Any Questions? Leave a comment below.

English Discussion on Second Conditional

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THE DISCUSSION ON SECOND CONDITIONAL

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1)	If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be?
(2)	If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
(3)	If you went back in time, what year would you go to?
(4)	If you had a special power, what would you be able to do?
(5)	If you could make one change to the world, what would you do?
(6)	If you could change something about your past, what would you change?
(7)	What would you like to do if you were a member of the opposite sex for one day?
(8)	If you had billions and billions of dollars, how much would you give to charity, and which charities?
(9)	If you could go on a date with anyone in the world, who would it be?
(10)	If you stopped studying English, would your life change?

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1)	If you told me all of your secrets, would I be shocked?
(2)	If you changed your name, what name would you choose?
(3)	If you could speak three other languages. What would they be?
(4)	If you could decide what happens in your life tomorrow, what would you want to happen?
(5)	Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
(6)	If a natural disaster hit your town, what would you do?
(7)	If you became a rock star, what kind of songs would you sing and what image would you have?
(8)	If the world was going to end at 3.37 tomorrow afternoon, what would you do up until that time?
(9)	If you were the world’s best at something, what would you like to be best at?
(10)	If you were a colour, what colour would you be and why?

Conditionals

Perfect english grammar.

What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if clauses'. They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past) . They are made using different English verb tenses.

The Zero Conditional: (if + present simple, ... present simple) If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. Click here to learn more.
The First Conditional: (if + present simple, ... will + infinitive) If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema. Click here to learn more.
The Second Conditional: (if + past simple, ... would + infinitive) If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world. Click here to learn more.
The Third Conditional (if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle) If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train. Click here to learn more.

(Notice we can put 'if' at the beginning, or in the middle. It doesn't change the meaning. When 'if' is at the beginning of the sentence, we put a comma at the end of the 'if' clause. We don't use a comma when 'if' is in the middle of the sentence.)

Click here for conditional exercises

Present Real Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Past Real Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Future Real Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Mixed Real Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Present Unreal Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Past Unreal Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Future Unreal Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)
Mixed Unreal Conditionals: Video Lesson (Subscribers Only)

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First Conditional Conversation Questions

Try to answer the following questions with a first conditional statement (if + present, future). Try to follow your statement with further explanation.

Discussion Questions:

What will you do if the fire alarm goes off?
If someone in this room sees a mouse, what will happen?
What will your family think if you shave your hair off and get a nose piercing?
If your country goes to war with another country, what do you think you will do?
What will you do with your time in bed if you break both your legs?
What will you do if there is no food in your house when you get home tonight?
What will happen if humans keep polluting the environment?
What will happen if you forget your romantic partner’s birthday?
Who will you tell if you win the lottery?
When will you be able to retire if you save and invest wisely?
When will you wake up tomorrow if tomorrow’s schedule is cancelled?

A man, kneeling, proposing to a woman, with the sun setting in the background.

How will you propose if you find a person that you want to marry?
What will you do if you suddenly get a headache?
What will you say if your ex calls you and wants to get back together?
If there is no coffee at your home tomorrow morning, what will you do?
What will you do if a drunk guy challenges you to a fight?
What will you do if you get a poor grade on your next English test?
What will you buy if you go shopping for clothes?
What will you wear if you go on a date?
If someone gives you flowers, what will you do?
What will you do if a restaurant totally messes up your order?
What will you do if aliens suddenly invade earth?
What will you do if you notice half a worm in the apple you are eating?
What will you do if your friend posts a video of you on the internet?
How often will you work out if I pay for your gym membership?

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English Grammar: Conditionals

English Grammar: Conditionals - Essay Example

Subject: English
Type: Essay
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COMMENTS

Writing Prompt ~ Second Conditional
Posted by: Tara Benwell. Writing Prompt: In English we use the second conditional to express things that probably won't happen in the future. These things aren't impossible, but they are unlikely. Review the rules for forming the second conditional. Then write about what you would do if you inherited a zoo.
ESL Conversations: 50 Conditional 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. If. Simple Present. Future with Will. If. I get a car. I will stop taking the bus. If.
Second Conditional Discussion Questions (100+ Questions for English
This page is intended to be a resource for English learners and teachers. You can practice answering these second 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 ...
Conditional Sentences
A subordinate clause with a verb in the past subjunctive form (e.g., "looked") A main clause using a modal verb (usually "would," "could," or "might") along with the infinitive form of the main verb (e.g., "sing") Examples: Second conditional sentences. If I were rich, then I would drive a different car every day.
Conversation Questions Conditionals: ESL Speaking Activity
Download here>>>>> Conditionals Speaking Activity. Other speaking activities: ESL Speaking Activity: Business English Role Plays. No-prep Speaking Activity: Warmer And Filler For ESL Classes. 32 Inspirational And Creative Job Interview Questions For ESL/Business English Students. ESL/EFL Speaking Activity: Role Play Debate.
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. Example.
Third Conditional Discussion Questions (100+ Questions for English
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 ...
How to Use Conditional Sentences in Your Writing
Commas in conditional sentences. The general rule is to use a comma after a conditional clause but not before one. Consider this example again: "If he passes the test, he will be accepted.". In this conditional sentence the conditional clause "If he passes the test" begins the sentence, so a comma is needed at the end of the clause. Now ...
Notes and questions on conditionals, topicalization, and related topics
Hanging topics. Finally, there is a construction closely related to left dislocation called the hanging topic construction. In this construction, illustrated in (14), the clause-initial phrase and its clause-internal counterpart are semantically related, but not in the anaphoric way just described.
4 Conditionals In English And When To Use Them
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. Key.
Conditional Questions
First Conditional Questions. If you get a raise, what might you do with the extra money? Think of a current trend in your field of work. Tell your group about this trend. What will happen if this trend continues? How will you respond if a coworker asks you to go out after work? If you are asked to put in overtime this week, will you do it?
Second Conditional: Grammar Based Questions
This allows students to take turns asking and answering the second conditional discussion questions in groups of two or three. Alternatively, you could use the 'cards' format to distribute the questions to any number of students to ask and share. It is advisable to prepare students for using these discussion questions by first introducing them ...
Using Conditionals in Expressing Arguments
Here it is, our main topic for conditional sentences. This topic is more complicated than it sounds. However, I hope this will help you with your lesson in ...
100+ Conditional Sentences
Here are 100+ Conditional sentences: Zero Conditional: If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils. If the sun sets, it gets dark. If you mix red and blue, you get purple. If you touch fire, it burns. If you add 2 and 2, you get 4. If you press the button, the light turns on.
How To Use Conditional Sentences in Academic Writing
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.
Writing Prompt ~ Third Conditional
Posted by: Tara Benwell. Writing Prompt: In English we use the third conditional to talk about something in the past that did not happen. There is no possibility for this thing to come true because the past already happened. The result is also impossible because the past is in the past. Review the structure of the third conditional.
Conditionals
It's a first conditional: if + present simple, then will + infinitive. That's right. It's for talking about a situation in the future which the speaker thinks is quite possible. If the first condition happens, something will happen as a result. In this conditional sentence, the present tense after if refers to the future, not the present.
Conditionals: First, Second, and Third Conditional in English
This means that if a certain condition is true, a certain result occurs. There are four types of commonly used conditionals in the English language that are differentiated on the basis of the degree of possibility implied by each of them. They are the first conditional, the second conditional, the third conditional and the zero conditional.
Using conditional sentences in IELTS. Complex sentences in IELTS
The 3rd conditional is for past regret, how something could be different or a past hypothetical situation. Conditional sentences are very useful structures in IELTS as they are seen by the examiner as complex sentences and are often included in a natural conversation. This comes in very handy in the IELTS speaking section when talking about ...
ESL Discussions Lesson on Second Conditional
THE DISCUSSION ON SECOND CONDITIONAL. STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.) (1) If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be? (2) If you were an animal, what animal would you be? (3) If you went back in time, what year would you go to?
Conditionals
They describe the result of something that might happen (in the present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past) . They are made using different English verb tenses. Download my infographic! There are four main kinds of conditionals: If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
First Conditional Conversation Questions
Discussion Questions: What will you do if the fire alarm goes off? If someone in this room sees a mouse, what will happen? What will your family think if you shave your hair off and get a nose piercing? If your country goes to war with another country, what do you think you will do? What will you do with your time in bed if you break both your ...
English Grammar: Conditionals Essay Example
Summary. The paper "English Grammar: Conditionals" describes special grammar units that are common for the English language. It used to talk about imaginary or possible situations There are four basic types of conditionals; zero conditional, first conditional, second conditional and third conditionals….

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Conversation Questions Conditionals: ESL Speaking Activity

First Conditional

Second Conditional

Third Conditional

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

Grammar reminder

Let's go!

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

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

If it hadn't been for...

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

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

Giving Reasons and Explanations for Past Decisions and/or Actions

Implied Third Conditionals pt.1

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

Would you have done anything differently?

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

Inverted Third Conditionals

Recent Posts

Notes and questions on conditionals, topicalization, and related topics

Three types of "topicalization"

Left dislocation

Hanging topics

A complication: Silent pronouns

The correlation between types of topicalization and intonation

A final puzzle

The conditionals

1. Zero conditional

Structure & Examples

‘When’ instead of ‘if’

Activity One

2. First conditional

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

Modal verbs or imperatives

Activity Two

3. Second conditional

Were’ instead of ‘was’

Activity Three

4. Third conditional

Past participles

Activity Four

Bonus conditional: mixed conditional

Glossary for Language Learners

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