Grammar Basics
Conditionals Exercises with Explained Answers
· 4 min read
Choose a conditional by asking how real the situation is. Use the zero conditional for general truths, the first for a realistic future possibility, the second for an imagined present or future, and the third for an imagined past.
The four common patterns
| Type | If clause | Result clause | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | present simple | present simple | If you heat ice, it melts. |
| First | present simple | will + verb | If it rains, we will stay in. |
| Second | past simple | would + verb | If I had a car, I would drive. |
| Third | past perfect | would have + past participle | If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train. |
If you press this button, the light turns on.
💡 This always happens, so the zero conditional fits.
If I were you, I would ask for help.
💡 Giving advice with an imagined situation; were is common with I in this phrase, and was is also used informally.
We will be late if we don’t hurry.
💡 The if clause can come second; then no comma is needed.
Common mistakes to watch
❌ If it will rain, we will stay in.
✅ If it rains, we will stay in.
In a first conditional, the if clause normally uses the present simple for the future.
❌ If I would have money, I would travel.
✅ If I had money, I would travel.
The second conditional uses a past form in the if clause.
❌ If she had studied, she would pass.
✅ If she had studied, she would have passed.
For an imagined past result, use would have + past participle. Would pass can be correct only when the result is in the present or future.
Practice: 10 questions
Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Each sentence tells you whether the situation is general, likely, imagined, or about the past.
1. General truth: “If you mix blue and yellow, you ___ (get) green.”
2. Likely plan: “If I finish work early, I ___ (call) you.”
3. Likely plan: “If it ___ (be) sunny tomorrow, we will go to the beach.”
4. Imagined present: “If I ___ (know) her number, I would text her.”
5. Imagined present: “If we lived by the sea, we ___ (swim) every day.”
6. Past regret: “If I ___ (see) the sign, I would have stopped.”
7. Past regret: “If they had invited me, I ___ (go).”
8. Advice: “If I ___ (be) you, I would take the job.”
9. Likely plan: “You ___ (miss) the bus if you don’t leave now.”
10. Imagined present: “If he ___ (not / work) so much, he would have more free time.”
Answers and explanations
1. get
💡 A general fact uses the zero conditional: present simple in both clauses.
2. will call
💡 A realistic future result uses will.
3. is
💡 The if clause of a first conditional uses the present simple.
4. knew
💡 The speaker doesn’t know the number, so the second conditional uses a past form.
5. would swim
💡 The imagined result uses would + verb.
6. had seen
💡 An imagined past condition uses the past perfect.
7. would have gone
💡 An imagined past result uses would have + past participle.
8. were
💡 This advice phrase uses were; was is also heard in informal speech.
9. will miss
💡 A realistic future result with the if clause second still uses will.
10. didn’t work
💡 He works a lot in reality, so the second conditional uses a past negative.
Can I use other modal verbs in the result clause?
Yes. Can, could, might and may are common: “If it rains, we might stay in.” “If I had time, I could help.”
Are there mixed conditionals?
Yes. A mixed conditional can link a past condition to a present result: “If I had slept more, I wouldn’t be tired now.”
Keep learning
Read the full conditional sentences guide, review the past perfect and modal verbs.
Grammar reference: British Council on conditionals. The lesson explanations and practice questions are original.