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First and Second Conditional Guided Discovery

This document discusses the first and second conditional forms in English grammar. The first conditional is used to talk about possible future situations, using constructions like 'if + present, will/can/may + infinitive'. The second conditional talks about unreal or unlikely present/future situations, using 'if + past tense, would + infinitive'.

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1K views4 pages

First and Second Conditional Guided Discovery

This document discusses the first and second conditional forms in English grammar. The first conditional is used to talk about possible future situations, using constructions like 'if + present, will/can/may + infinitive'. The second conditional talks about unreal or unlikely present/future situations, using 'if + past tense, would + infinitive'.

Uploaded by

rusiru_chitrasena7478
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Intermediate 3 Grammar

First and Second Conditional Forms


There are different types of conditions. Some are possible or likely, others are unlikely, and others
are impossible:

If the weather improves, we’ll go for a walk. (It is possible or likely that the weather will
improve.)

If the weather improved, we could go for a walk. (It is not likely that the weather will improve.)

If the weather had improved, we could have gone for a walk. (The weather did not improve –
fine weather is therefore an impossible condition.)

These types of conditions are used in three types of sentences, called first, second and third
conditional sentences.

The first conditional

We use the first conditional to talk about the result of an imagined future situation, when we believe
the imagined situation is quite likely:

[imagined future situation] If the taxi doesn’t come soon, [future result] I’ll drive you myself.

First conditional: form

conditional clause main clause

modal verb with future meaning


if + present simple
(shall/should/will/would/can/could/may/might)

If he gets a job in
he’ll have to get up early. It’s a long drive.
Liverpool,

If Sheila rings, I might ask her to come over for dinner.

Warning:

© The British Council, 2017

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Intermediate 3 Grammar

We use the modal verb in the main clause, not in the conditional clause.

If a lawyer reads the document, we will see if we’ve missed anything important.

Not: If a lawyer will read the document …

The second conditional

We use the second conditional to talk about the possible result of an imagined situation in the
present or future. We say what the conditions must be for the present or future situation to be
different.

If people complained, things would change. (People don’t complain at themoment.)

Second conditional: form

conditional clause main clause

We use a past form in the conditional clause to indicate a distance from reality, rather than
indicating past time. We often use past forms in this way in English.

Warning:
We use would in the main clause, not in the conditional clause:

If you decided to take the exam, you would have to register by 31 March.

Not: If you would decide to take the exam …

© The British Council, 2017

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Intermediate 3 Grammar

First Conditional vs. Second Conditional


Explain the difference between A and B in each of the following pairs of sentences.

1. a) If I have time, I will help you.

b) If I had time, I would help you.

2. a) If she studies well, she will get through her exam.

b) If she studied well, she would get through her exam.

3. a) If he is the owner, he will let us in.

b) If he was the owner, he would let us in.

4. a) He will buy a flat if he has the money for a deposit.

b) He would buy a flat if he had the money for a deposit.

5. a) If I need help, I will go to a professional counsellor.

b) If I were you, I would go to a professional counsellor.

What is the difference between the first and the second conditional? Choose the
correct answer.

a) When we use the first conditional, we think the imagined situation is more likely to
happen than when we use the second conditional.

b) When we use the first conditional, we think the imagined situation is less likely to
happen than when we use the second conditional.

© The British Council, 2017

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Intermediate 3 Grammar

© The British Council, 2017

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.

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