Conditional sentences

5. First conditional

Answer A is correct.

Your plane is delayed. You start to think of the possible consequences. What will happen if it’s further delayed? Will you miss your connecting flight? Will the airline hold the flight for you? If you miss your flight and there isn’t a later one, what will happen then?

Use the first conditional to talk about the future, in different circumstances.

Use “if” + present tense and then “will” in the other part of the sentence.

Examples

If it rains at the wedding, we’ll take the photos indoors.

If he stays in that job, he’ll have a nervous breakdown.

We’ll give you your money back if you’re not completely satisfied.

Simple tip

Don’t use “if” + “will” — that’s a common mistake among German speakers.

6. Second conditional

Answer B is correct.

“If we had more money, we would buy a bigger house.” In other words, the speaker doesn’t have more money, so it’s an unrealistic situation — just a dream.

Use the second conditional to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations: how your present life would be different in different possible circumstances.

Use “if” + past tense and then “would” in the other part of the sentence.

“Would” is often shortened to “’d”; e.g. “I’d”, “he’d”, “we’d”.

Examples

If I had a good pension, I’d retire. She’d have more chances in life if she had better qualifications.

You wouldn’t need to check my phone if you trusted me.

Simple tip

Don’t use “if” + “would” — that’s a common mistake among German speakers.

7. Third conditional

Answer A is correct.

You (have) made a mistake with consequences you can’t change. You can only look back and think, “If I had done things differently, this bad situation wouldn’t have occurred.”

Alternatively, you may have been lucky and avoided a problem. Then you can look back and say, “If I’d done things differently, something bad would have happened.” Use the third conditional to look back at the past and say how things would have been different.

Examples

If she hadn’t kicked the police officer, they wouldn’t have thrown her in jail. If I had opened the attachment, the virus would have infected my computer.

I wouldn’t have met my husband if I hadn’t gone to that party.

Simple tip

If it’s too late to change the situation, use the third conditional.