ESL CONNECT | First Conditional vs Second Conditional

Explanation: first conditional vs second conditional

Use conditional sentences to talk about a condition and a result. The first conditional talks about real possible future situations. The second conditional talks about imaginary, unreal or unlikely situations.

1. First conditional

Use the first conditional when the situation is possible or realistic in the future.

Structure	Example	Meaning
If + present simple, will + base verb	If it rains, I’ll stay home.	Rain is possible. Staying home is the result.
If + present simple, will + base verb	If I pass the exam, I’ll celebrate.	Passing is a real possibility.

More examples:
If I have time, I’ll call you.
If she studies, she’ll pass the test.
If we miss the bus, we’ll take a taxi.

2. First conditional: important rule

After if, use the present simple, not will.

Correct	Incorrect
If I see him, I’ll tell him.	If I will see him, I’ll tell him.
If it rains, we’ll stay home.	If it will rain, we’ll stay home.

3. Second conditional

Use the second conditional for imaginary, unreal or unlikely situations now or in the future.

Structure	Example	Meaning
If + past simple, would + base verb	If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.	This is imaginary.
If + past simple, would + base verb	If I had more time, I would learn Japanese.	I do not have more time now.

More examples:
If I lived in Paris, I would visit museums every week.
If she knew the answer, she would tell us.
If we had a car, we would drive to the beach.

4. Was or were?

In the second conditional, many speakers use were with all subjects, especially in formal English or advice sentences.

Common / informal	Formal / standard advice form
If I was rich, I would travel.	If I were rich, I would travel.
If I was you, I would apologise.	If I were you, I would apologise.

5. First vs second conditional

First conditional	Second conditional
Real possible future	Imaginary, unreal or unlikely situation
If I study, I’ll pass.	If I studied more, I would pass.
If I have money, I’ll buy it.	If I had money, I would buy it.
Present simple + will	Past simple + would

Remember:
Real future possibility = first conditional: If I see him, I’ll tell him.
Imaginary/unreal situation = second conditional: If I saw him, I would tell him.

First conditional

Choose the correct first conditional form.

1. If it __________, we __________ home.

will rain / stay rains / will stay rained / would stay

2. If you __________, you __________ the exam.

study / will pass will study / pass studied / would pass

3. If we __________ the bus, we __________ a taxi.

will miss / take miss / will take missed / would take

4. If she __________ free, she __________ you.

is / will call will be / calls was / would call

Write the sentence

Complete: If I / have time / I / call you.

Answer: If I have time, I’ll call you.

Second conditional

Choose the correct second conditional form.

1. If I __________ the lottery, I __________ a house.

win / will buy won / would buy will win / buy

2. If she __________ more money, she __________ more.

had / would travel has / will travel would have / travelled

3. If we __________ in London, we __________ museums every weekend.

live / will visit lived / would visit will live / visit

4. If I __________ you, I __________.

am / will apologise were / would apologise will be / apologise

Write the sentence

Complete: If I / have more time / I / learn French.

Answer: If I had more time, I would learn French.

First or second conditional?

Choose the best answer. Think: real possible future or imaginary situation?

1. If it is sunny tomorrow, we __________ to the beach.

will go would go went

2. If I lived near the sea, I __________ to the beach every day.

will go would go go

3. If you ask me, I __________ you.

would help helped will help

4. If I knew the answer, I __________ you.

will help would help help

5. If I __________ early, I’ll come to your house.

finish will finish finished

6. If I __________ early every day, I would have more free time.

finish will finish finished

Common mistakes

Choose the correct sentence.

1. Choose the correct first conditional sentence.

If I will see her, I’ll tell her. If I see her, I’ll tell her. If I saw her, I’ll tell her.

2. Choose the correct second conditional sentence.

If I have a car, I would drive to school. If I had a car, I would drive to school. If I would have a car, I drove to school.

3. Choose the correct sentence.

If it will rain, we won’t go out. If it rains, we won’t go out. If it rained, we won’t go out.

4. Choose the best advice sentence.

If I am you, I will call him. If I were you, I would call him. If I will be you, I call him.

Correct the mistake

Correct: If I will see him, I’ll tell him.

Answer: If I see him, I’ll tell him.

Correct: If I would have more money, I travelled more.

Answer: If I had more money, I would travel more.

B1 contrast practice

Choose the best form. These sentences focus on meaning and tense.

1. Real possibility: job interview next week.

If I got the job, I would move to Milan. If I get the job, I’ll move to Milan. If I will get the job, I move to Milan.

2. Imaginary situation: I don’t speak perfect English now.

If I speak perfect English, I’ll work abroad. If I spoke perfect English, I would work abroad. If I will speak perfect English, I work abroad.

3. Real warning: the train leaves soon.

If you didn’t hurry, you would miss the train. If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the train. If you won’t hurry, you miss the train.

4. Unreal situation: she lives far away.

If she lives closer, we’ll see her more often. If she lived closer, we would see her more often. If she would live closer, we saw her more often.

5. Advice.

If I were you, I wouldn’t buy it. If I am you, I won’t buy it. If I will be you, I don’t buy it.

Mixed practice

Choose the best answer.

1. If we leave now, we __________ on time.

would be will be were

2. If I had enough money, I __________ a new laptop.

will buy would buy buy

3. If she __________ Marco, she’ll give him the message.

will see saw sees

4. If I __________ his number, I would call him.

know will know knew

5. If I were tired, I __________ out tonight.

won’t go wouldn’t go don’t go

6. If you don’t revise, you __________ the test.

wouldn’t pass didn’t pass won’t pass

Final writing practice

1. Write one real future possibility with the first conditional.

2. Write one imaginary situation with the second conditional.

3. Write one advice sentence with “If I were you”.