First Conditional vs. Second Conditional

First Conditional	Second Conditional
is used
to describe a probable or possible situation If / take ski lessons, I'll be able to ski with you.	to describe an improbable, impossible, or unreal situation If I were you, I would go to university.

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences with the words in brackets. Decide if the situation is possible/probable or impossible/improbable.

Example: If the weather were fine, we would go (we/go) to the beach. (the situation is impossible/improbable.)

If Jane leaves (leave) at 7 o'clock, she will arrive at 9.30. (The situation is possible/probable.)

1. I ___ (take) a trip around the world if I were her.

2. Will you phone me if there ___ (be) any problems?

3. If he ___ (come) on time more often, he wouldn't get in trouble.

4. I would go out with you if I ___ (not feel) so tired.

5. If you don't phone me first, I ___ (phone) you.

6. If it ___ (snow) a lot this winter, we'll go skiing.

7. What will you do if the taxi ___ (not/come)?

8. If you drove more carefully, you ___ (not/have) so many accidents.

Third Conditional

IT IS USED

to talk about unreal or untrue situations in the past.

If the weather had been nice yesterday, we would have gone to the beach. (But the weather was not nice.)

If I'd ¹ studied harder, I'd ¹ have passed the exam.

What would you have done if I hadn't lent you the money?

to criticize past actions.

If you hadn't missed the bus, you wouldn't have been late for school.

_____

¹The contraction of both had and would is 'd.

IF-CLAUSE			MAIN CLAUSE
If +	Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect		would might + could		Perfect Infinitive
If we had got to the cinema earlier,			we wouldn't have missed the start of the film.
If she had taken the exam,			she might have entered the institute.
If my car hadn't broken down,			I could have given you a lift.
If I had been watching my steps,			I wouldn't have fallen.
MAIN CLAUSE			IF-CLAUSE
would could + might		Perfect Infinitive	If +	Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous
She could have bought the shoes			if she had had enough money.
We would have gone out			if it hadn't been raining all morning.

Exercise 4. Write these sentences in full using the words in brackets. Put the verbs into the correct tense.

Example: I/visit/you/in hospital/if/I/know/you were there.

I would have visited you in hospital if I had known you were there.

1. If/you/see/the film/you/enjoy/it.

2. I/not/marry/him /if/I know/what he was like.

3. If/ he/be/more careful/he/not/have/the accident.

4. If/ you/ask/me/I/lend/you/my car.

5. If/ he/go/to university/he/get/a better job.

6. I/not/go/to London /if/I/ know/ what was going to happen.