First conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about
situations that are possible or likely to happen.
If he finishes his homework, he’ll go to the
cinema.
Second conditional
We use the second conditional to talk about
situations which are imaginary or unlikely to
happen.
If I met Leonardo DiCaprio, I’d ask him for his
autograph.
Third conditional
We use the third conditional to talk about
imaginary or hypothetical situations in the past.
If she had got up earlier, she wouldn’t have
missed the train.
Exercises
1. Match the two parts of the sentences.
1 If she had more time, …
2 If she has the new Star Wars game, …
3 If I was rich, …
4 He would have phoned the police …
5 If he had a motorbike, …
6 If she had watched the tennis match, …
7 If I find the letter, …
a he’d ride it to school.
b she’ll let you play it.
c I’d buy a sports car.
d she would have known the result.
e I’ll tell you.
f she’d learn another language.
g if he’d seen the robbery.
2. Read the text. Then complete the sentences
in the first, second or third conditional. Use
the correct form of the verbs.
Andrew Chance’s mother was horrified when she
received her son’s Internet shopping bill. Thirteenyear-
old Andrew had spent nearly £1 million on
eMall, an American Internet shopping site.
Andrew used his parents’ password to get into the
site. He then bought a Rolls Royce, a Van Gogh
painting and an antique bed. ‘I’m in big trouble,’
the worried teenager said yesterday.
1 If Andrew’s parents ……………… (not buy) him
the computer, he wouldn’t have shopped on the
Internet.
2 Andrew would make more friends if he
……………… (spend) less time on the Internet.
3 If his parents ……………… (find out) earlier,
Andrew would have spent less money.
4 If Andrew’s mother doesn’t pay, she
……………… (have to) go to prison.
5 Andrew ……………… (not get) into trouble if he
hadn’t used his parents’ password.
6 If I ……………… (be) Andrew’s mother, I’d sell
his computer.
7 If teenagers ……………… (have) a computer,
they’ll want to surf the Internet.
3 Rewrite the sentences in the first, second or third
conditional.
1 In order to lose weight you need to
exercise more.
(First conditional) If you want ………………
………………………………………………
2 He may be late, but he can meet us at the Blue Note
café.
(First conditional) If he’s ……………………
………………………………………………
3 An old woman saw him burgle the house. That’s
why he’s in prison.
(Third conditional) If she hadn’t ……………
………………………………………………
4 He wants to be rich and famous. Then he’ll be
happy.
(Second conditional) If he was ………………
………………………………………………
5 Dave fell asleep so he missed the end of
the film.
(Third conditional) If he hadn’t ……………...
………………………………………………..