Zero Conditional
General facts when the situation is real and possible
Proposición “if” Proposición Principal
If + simple present Simple present
If this thing happens That thing happens
If you mix red and yellow You get orange
If it rains The grass gets wet.
First Conditional
Possible condition and probable result
Proposición “if” Proposición Principal
If + simple present Simple future
If this thing happens That thing will happen
If you don’t hurry up You will miss the train
If I eat this cake I will feel sick
Second Conditional
1) It is used to talk about facts that are NOT likely to happen in the future:
If I saw Madonna, I would scream.
2) It is used to talk about things that are NOT true in THIS MOMENT:
If I had more time, I would play tennis.
3) It is used to give advice with “If I were you” (Si yo fuese tú):
If I were you, I wouldn’t invite her.
How to form it?
Proposición “if” Proposición Principal
If + sujeto + Past simple Sujeto + would + infinitive
I would play tricks on my
If I were invisible,
friends.
If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.
If I became president, I would change many things.
The word order can be changed. If we start with “if”, it is separated by a comma. If we start
with the sentence that express the result, we don’t need the comma.
If I ate less, I would lose weight / I would lose weight if I ate less.
But… how is this different from the first conditional?
First conditional: If I have the money, I will buy new shoes
(Es probable que tenga dinero en un futuro para comprarme zapatos)
Second conditional: If I had money, I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms, a swimming
pool, and a duck that is my friend.
(Probablemente no voy a tener el dinero para comprar una casa así, es un sueño poco “real”).
1. Practice the second conditional:
a) If we (buy)…bought… the house, we (lose) would lose all our savings.
b) If I (live).......lived.............. on a lonely island, I (die) .....would die......
c) My brother (drive).... would drive...................... a sports car if he (be) …
was………. less scared.
d) If you (go).......went........ cycling more often, you (lose) …would lose………. some
weight.
e) If I (make) made…… a cake, my grandma (be) would be… very proud.
f) If her hair (be)…was.. black, she (look) would look very different.
g) If dolphins (talk) …talked…., we (learn) would learn a lot from them.
h) If I (be) ……were……. you, I (be) would be…. angry with him.
2. Complete the sentences with the correct tense: Zero, First or Second conditional.
a) If I were rich, I ............would travel...................... (travel) a lot.
b) If it rains, I .................will not go.............................. (not go) out.
c) If you are ready, you ...can........(can) go home.
d) If people don’t eat well, they.....will get............... (get) sick.
e) I would be happy if my friend ........remembered.....(remember) my birthday.
f) If Peter ..........had...........(have) a test, he would study hard.
g) If you don’t hurry up, you (miss) …will miss……. the train.
3. Answer these questions using the second conditional:
-If you woke up suddenly because your house was on fire, which three things would you save as
you ran outside?
If my house was on fire, I would save my teddybear, my tablet, and a picture
- If you had no need to sleep at all, how would you spend all your nights?
If I had no need to sleep at all, I would watch series and eat food and invite your friends over.
- If you had to spend 100 days on a desert island, what five things would you take with you and
why?
If I had to spend 100 days on a desert island, I would take my teddybear, a knife, food for a 100
days, colors, and a portable TV
-If you were rich, what would you buy first?
If I were rich, I would buy first a computer/PC
4. Give advice using the second conditional:
a) Most of my friends can meet on weekends, but I can’t because of my bad marks.
If I were you, I would escape and meet with my friends of Scandinavia.
If I were you, I would study a lot, so I can meet my friends.
b) I want to go to the beach, but the weather is very bad.
If I were you, I would travel with Dora la Exploradora to Miami.
If I were you, I would go to the camp/countryside/pool
c) Caracoli is sick, but she has an English test.
If I were you, I would take medicines to get better, so I could feel better.
If I were you, I would take a covid test.
d) Pepinillo wants to study in France, but he hasn’t got money.
If I were you, I would work another job so I get money. Consequently, I could study in France.
If I were you, I would sell things that I don’t use so I get money. Consequently, I could study in
France with my friend Armando from Norway.
e) I am very sad because my friends are going to travel together for the weekend, but they didn’t
invite me.
If I were you, I would travel to this place with other friends like Pepinillo and Armando.
If I were you, I would be angry at them.
5. Read the texts:
Allan, 17
If I ruled the world, I would delete the
borders! We would live in a world without
countries. If we don’t have any countries, we
won’t have any wars. If I had enough money,
I would spend it on education and new
technologies. People would live in a better
world if every child went to university and
learned about other cultures and
traditions. Finally, I would also finance new
scientific projects like a journey to Mars!
Bob, 41
I would do a lot of great things if I ruled
the world! I would prohibit men to cut
down trees. If we don’t respect the
environment, we will have a lot of
problems in the future! I would also give
1000€ per month to every family in the
world because poverty is the enemy
number one of humanity. Finally, I would
start economic projects to help the
African continent.
6. What would you do if you ruled the world?
If I ruled the world, I would delete all the plastic waste in the water, so the oceans would be
clean/more healthy. If I ruled the world, I would finish the war between Ukraine and Russia. If I
ruled the world, I would delete animal torture because we are all equal!
