START UP 2: Unit 10.

CONDITIONALS

CONDITIONALS:
Conditional forms are used to speak about past, present,
and future situations that depend on other events
happening. For example:
Peter will buy a car if he gets a raise.
Buying a car depends on Peter receiving a raise.
If Carla studied more, she would pass the exam.
Passing the exam depends on Carlas studying.

There are four types of conditional sentences. These are:

ZERO CONDITIONAL
FIRST CONDITIONAL
SECOND CONDITIONAL
THIRD CONDITIONAL

CONDITIONALS:
Conditional sentences consist of two parts the situation
and the result.
If demand grows, well increase production.
SITUATION
RESULT
If I won the lottery, I would travel to Europe.
SITUATION
RESULT
We can change the order of the sentence without changing
the meaning.
Well increase production if demand grows.
RESULT
SITUATION
I would travel to Europe if I won the lottery.
RESULT
SITUATION

ZERO CONDITIONAL:

Situations that are always true if something happens. For

example:
If you heat ice, it melts (derretirse).
SITUATION
RESULT
If there is a shortage of any product, prices for that
product go up.
I take a taxi if I miss the bus in the morning.

In zero conditional sentences, IF can be replaced with

WHEN. For example:
When you heat ice, it melts.

Uses the present tense.

YOU refers to people in general.

Zero Conditional match the

sentences to thier functions.
1.
2.

3.
4.

5.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

If water is heated to 100 degrees, it boils.

If you click on the blue button, the answers appear
If the weather is nice, I cycle to work.
If the traffic light changes to red, drivers have to
stop.
If you are out of work, you are entitled to
unemployment benefits.
Facts/general truths
Scientific laws
Rules
Habits and routines
Instructions

___
B
___
E
___
D
C
___

___
A

FIRST CONDITIONAL:

FIRST CONDITIONAL:

Used for real or possible situations which will occur if a

certain condition is fulfilled/occurs.
=
If it rains, I will stay home.
Well increase production if demand grows.

Form: IF + PRESENT TENSE, WILL/WONT + VERB

SITUATION

RESULT

If the morning flight is full, I will travel in the

afternoon.
I will complain to the manager if it is necessary.

FIRST CONDITIONAL:

SHOULD, CAN, COULD MIGHT, MAY, MUST AND

GOING TO can be used instead of WILL
If it rains, I will stay home.
Staying home is a good
If it rains, I should stay home.
idea
If it rains, I might stay home. Maybe I will stay at home
Im not able to leave home
If it rains, I cant go out.
If it rains, Im going to stay home. I plan to stay home
I have an
If it rains, I must stay home.

obligation/necessity to stay
home (ie. Im very sick)

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF

YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDE TO
THE FIRST CONDITIONAL. LOOK AT THE
PHOTOS AND SAY WHAT WILL HAPPEN

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF HE EATS

TOO MANY HAMBURGERS?

IF HE EATS TOO MANY HAMBURGERS,

HE WILL GET FAT.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF HE BITES

THE WIRE?

IF HE BITES THE WIRE, HE WILL GET A

SHOCK.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU LISTEN

TO LOUD MUSIC TOO MUCH?

IF YOU LISTEN TO LOUD MUSIC TOO

MUCH, YOU WILL GO DEAF.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE BOAT

LEAVES?

IF THE BOAT LEAVES, THE CAR WILL

FALL INTO THE WATER.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF HE

TOUCHES THE PAN?

IF HE TOUCHES THE PAN, HE WILL GET

BURNT.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN YOU DRIVE

TOO FAST?

IF YOU DRIVE TOO FAST, YOU WILL

GET A SPEEDING TICKET.

WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF YOU DONT

WEAR SAFETY BOOTS?

IF YOU DONT WEAR SAFETY BOOTS,

YOU MIGHT GET HURT.

WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF YOU DONT

USE EAR PROTECTION?

IF YOU DONT USE EAR PROTECTION,

YOU MIGHT GO DEAF.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DONT

PUT ON SUN CREAM?

IF YOU DONT PUT ON SUN CREAM,

YOU WILL GET SUNBURNED.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THEIR

PARACHUTE DOESNT OPEN?

IF THEIR PARACHUTE DOESNT OPEN,

THEY WILL DIE.

LOOK AT THE PICTURE. HOW MANY

DANGERS CAN YOU SEE?
If someone opens the door, the lady will fall off the chair.

SECOND CONDITIONAL:

Used when we imagine what might happen in the future.

Often called the unreal conditional because it is used for
unreal impossible or improbable situations. The
conditional provides an imaginary result for a situation.
If I were the president, I would lower taxes.
Form:

IF + PAST TENSE, WOULD/WOULDNT + VERB

IMAGINARY SITUATION

RESULT

If I taught this class, I wouldnt give tests.

They would buy a new house if they had enough
money.

SECOND CONDITIONAL:
Complete the sentences with the second conditional.
1.
2.
3.

4.

5.

6.

7.
8.

were
would get (get) a new job.
If I ________
(be) you, I __________
were
would travel (travel) more.
If he ________
(be) younger, he __________
If we ________
werent (not be) friends, I __________
would be (be) angry with
you.
had
would reinvest
If we ________
(have) more resources, we ____________
(reinvest) them in employee development.
If I ________
spoke (speak) perfect English, I ________
would be (be) a
director.
would have (have) more money if she __________
didnt buy
She ____________
(not buy) so many clothes.
would call (call) her if he ________
had
He ___________
(have) her number.
didnt eat (not eat) so much junk food, you
If you __________
__________
would lose (lose) weight quicker.

FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE 2ND

CONDITIONAL:
Did you hear about that guy who won 180 million dollars
in the lottery? If I (win) _______
won that much money, I (quit)
would quit my job the next day. I (travel) __________
__________
would travel
aound the world and (stay) __________
in the most
stay
luxurious hotels. If I (want) __________
wanted anything, I (buy)
__________
a beautiful
would buy it. If I (see) __________
saw
would buy it. If I
Mercedes that I wanted, I (buy) __________
wanted to stay in a beautiful hotel and the hotel (be)
________
was full, I (buy) __________
would buy the hotel. I (can do)
could do
had 180 million
_________anything
if I (have) _______
dollars. I could do good things with the money too. If
needed help, I (give) __________
would give
anybody (need) _________
them some money and I (donate) ____________
would donate money
to charities.

If you found a suitcase with

$1,000,000, what would you do?

If I found a suitcase with $1,000,000, I

would

If you could live anywhere, where

would you live?

If I could live anywhere, I would live in

If you could change one thing in the

world, what would it be?

If I could change one thing in the world,

I would

If you could date a celebrity, who

would you choose?

If I could date a celebrity, I would date

If you could travel back in time,

where would you go?

If I could travel back in time, I would go

to

If you were offered a good job with good

pay in another part of the country, would
you take the job?

If I were offered a good job in another

part of the country, I

If you bumped your car into a parked car,

would you leave your name and address?

If I bumped my car into a parked car, I

FIRST OR SECOND CONDITIONAL?

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the
first or second conditional.
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.

If they go to Washington, they _________

WILL SEE (see) the White
House.
HAD (have) a hamster, she would call him Fred.
If she _______
If he gave her a candy, she _____________
WOULD STOP (stop) crying.
ARRIVES (arrive) later, he will take a taxi.
If he __________
SPOKE (speak) slowly.
We would understand him if he _______
Andy ____________
WILL COOK (cook) dinner if we buy the food.
If you hate walking in the mountains, you ____________
WONT ENJOY (not
enjoy) the tour.

THIRD CONDITIONAL:
Yesterday

THIRD CONDITIONAL:

Used when we imagine doing or changing something in the

past.
If it had been sunny yesterday, I would have gone
to the beach.
Form:

IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD/WOULDNT + HAVE + VERB

TENSE
IMAGINARY SITUATION
IN THE PAST

RESULT

If you had told me about the problem, I would have

helped you.
I wouldnt have broken my arm if I hadnt slipped
on the stairs.

THIRD CONDITIONAL:

We can could instead of would. Compare:

If I had had enough money, I would have bought a
car.
If I had had enough money, I could have bought a
car.
WOULD expresses a desired result, COULD
expresses a possible result (it was possible to buy
other things)
We can also use I wish and If only.
I wish I had
money for a
new car.

If only I had
money for a
new car.

Fill in the gaps to make sentences with

the third conditional:

had
been
If I ______
______
alive 2000 years ago,
would _____
have _____
been
I _____
a Roman

If / the thief / run faster /

the police / not catch him

If the thief had run faster,

the police wouldnt have
caught him.

If / the Titanic / miss the

iceberg / it / not sink

If the Titanic had missed

the iceberg, it wouldnt
have sunk..

He stayed in the sun too long and got

sunburned.

If he hadnt stayed
in the sun too long,
he wouldnt have
got burned.

He arrived late and missed the train.

If he had arrived
earlier, he
wouldnt have
missed the train.

He forgot his umbrella and got wet.

If he hadnt
forgot his
umbrella, he
wouldnt have
got wet.

She drank so much coffee yesterday

that she couldnt sleep last night.

If she hadnt
drank so much
coffee she would
have been able
to sleep last
night.

She got a virus on her laptop becuase

she didnt install an antivirus.

If she had
installed an
antivirus, she
wouldnt have
got a virus.

Make a third conditional sentence with

the information given.
For example: I wasnt late for work yesterday.
If I had been late for work yesterday, I
would have missed the morning meeting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Tom asked my permission before he borrowed my car.

I dont have enough energy today.
Ocean water is salty.
People dont have wings.
You didnt ask for my opinion.
Most nations support trade agreements.