Conditionals

What are conditionals in English grammar? Sometimes we call them 'if

clauses'. They describe the result of something that might happen (in the
present or future) or might have happened but didn't (in the past) . They are
made using different English verb tenses.

Download my infographic!

There are four main kinds of conditionals:

 The Zero Conditional:

(if + present simple, ... present simple)
 If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
Click here to learn more.
 The First Conditional:
(if + present simple, ... will + infinitive)
If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the cinema.
Click here to learn more.
 The Second Conditional:
(if + past simple, ... would + infinitive)
If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
Click here to learn more.
 The Third Conditional
(if + past perfect, ... would + have + past participle)
If I had gone to bed early, I would have caught the train.
Click here to learn more.

(Notice we can put 'if' at the beginning, or in the middle. It doesn't matter at
all.)

Click here for conditional exercises

 English Verb Tenses
A lot of students find the English tenses quite difficult, but I promise they're not
that bad! Have a look at all my explanations of the 'form' (how to make the
tense) and the 'use' (when we need to choose that tense) below.

Download all my infographics about the tenses in PDF here.

Download all my explanations of the tenses in PDF here.
How to make the tense: How to use the tense:
Present Simple Form Present Simple Use
Present Continuous Form Present Continuous Use
Present Perfect Simple Form Present Perfect Simple Use
Present Perfect Continuous Form Present Perfect Continuous Use
Past Simple Form Past Simple Use
Past Continuous Form Past Continuous Use
Past Perfect Simple Form Past Perfect Simple Use
Past Perfect Continuous Form Past Perfect Continuous Use
Future Simple Form Future Simple Use
Future Continuous Form Future Continuous Use
Future Perfect Simple Form Future Perfect Simple Use
Future Perfect Continuous Form Future Perfect Continuous Use
What's The Difference?

 How to choose: Future with 'will' or future with 'be going to'?
 How to choose: Present Perfect or Past Simple?
 How to choose: Present Simple or Present Continuous?
 How to choose: Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect
Continuous?

Here are a few more things you might find useful:

 Tenses Cheatsheet

This is a printable PDF of all the verb tenses and how to form them.

 Grammar Exercises

This is a list of all the grammar exercises on this site, about verb tenses and
other things.

 Present Simple Spelling Changes

This is an explanation of how we sometimes need to change the spelling of a

verb with 'he, she, it' in the present simple, for example why 'cry' becomes
'cries' but 'play' is 'plays'.

 Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of Frequency are words like 'often' 'sometimes' 'never'. This page
shows you how to use them with the present tense and where to put them in
the sentence. I also explain about longer phrases like 'from time to time'.

 Irregular Verbs, Lists and Exercises

 How to pronounce 'ed'

How do you pronounce 'stopped'? Many students say 'stop-id' instead of

'stopt'. This page explains the rules of pronunciation for regular past simple
verbs and past participles (verbs that end with 'ed')

 Stative verbs

We can't use some verbs, like 'know' or 'believe' in continuous tenses. This
page has lists and explanations.
 English language PDFs

Here's a list of all the PDFs on the site, for easy downloading!
(Click here to jump to the PDFs of grammar explanations)

Exercises:
Irregular Verbs

 Irregular Past Simple, Part 1

 Irregular Past Simple, Part 2
 Irregular Past Participle, Part 1
 Irregular Past Participle, Part 2

Present Simple Form (with the verb 'be'):

 Present Simple Positive with 'be'

 Present Simple Negative with 'be'
 Present Simple Yes / No Questions with 'be'
 Present Simple 'Wh' Questions with 'be'
 Present Simple Mixed Exercise 1 with 'be'
 Present Simple Mixed Exercise 2 with 'be'

Present Simple Form (with all verbs except 'be'):

 Present Simple Positive 1

 Present Simple Positive 2
 Present Simple Negative 1
 Present Simple Negative 2
 Present Simple Yes / No Questions
 Present Simple 'Wh' Questions
 Present Simple Mixed Forms 1
 Present Simple Mixed Forms 2
 Present Simple Mixed Forms 3
 Present Simple Mixed Forms Be and Other Verbs
 Present Simple Spelling Changes

Present Continuous Form

 Present Continuous Positive and Negative 1

 Present Continuous Positive and Negative 2
 Present Continuous 'Wh' and 'Yes / No' Questions 1
 Present Continuous 'Wh' and 'Yes / No' Questions 2
 Present Continuous Mixed Exercise 1
 Present Continuous Mixed Exercise 2
 Present Continuous Mixed Exercise 3

Present Simple or Present Continuous?

 Choose the Present Simple or Present Continuous Exercise 1

 Choose the Present Simple or Present Continuous Exercise 2
 Choose the Present Simple or Present Continuous Exercise 3

Present Perfect Simple Form

 Present Perfect Positive

 Present Perfect Negative
 Present Perfect Questions
 Present Perfect All Forms Mixed Exercise 1
 Present Perfect All Forms Mixed Exercise 2

Past Simple or Present Perfect?

 Choose the Past Simple or Present Perfect Exercise 1

 Choose the Past Simple or Present Perfect Exercise 2

Present Perfect Continuous Form

 Present Perfect Continuous Positive and Negative

 Present Perfect Continuous Questions

Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous?

 Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous Exercise 1

 Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous Exercise 2
 Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous Exercise 3

Past Simple Form (with the verb 'be'):

 Past Simple Positive and Negative with 'be'

 Past Simple Questions with 'be'
 Past Simple All Forms with 'be' Mixed Exercise

Past Simple Form (with all verbs except 'be'):

 Past Simple Positive Irregular Verbs (exercise 1)

 Past Simple Positive Irregular Verbs (exercise 2)
 Past Simple Negative
 Past Simple 'Yes / No' Questions
 Past Simple 'Wh' Questions
 Past Simple All Forms Mixed Exercise 1
 Past Simple All Forms Mixed Exercise 2
 Past Simple All Forms Mixed Exercise 3
 Past Simple All Forms Mixed Exercise 4

Past Continuous Form

 Past Continuous Positive and Negative

 Past Continuous Questions
 Past Continuous Mixed Exercise 1
 Past Continuous Mixed Exercise 2

Past Perfect Simple Form:

 Past Perfect Simple Positive and Negative

 Past Perfect Simple Questions

Past Perfect or Past Simple?

 Choose the Past Perfect or Past Simple Exercise 1

Future Simple Form:

 Future Simple Positive

 Future Simple Negative
 Future Simple Questions

Future Simple or Present Simple?

 Choose the Future Simple or Present Simple Exercise 1

Will or be going to?

Choose the Future Simple (Will) or 'Be Going To' Exercise 1

Future Continuous (or Future Progressive) Form

 Future Continuous Positive

 Future Continuous Negative
 Future Continuous Questions

Future Perfect Simple Form

 Future Perfect Positive

 Future Perfect Negative
 Future Perfect Questions

Grammar Exercises about Conditionals

 First Conditional Form

 Second Conditional Form
 Third Conditional Form

Reported Speech

 Reported Speech Explanation

 Present Simple Reported Statement Exercise
 Present Continuous Reported Statement Exercise
 Past Simple Reported Statement Exercise
 Present Perfect Reported Statement Exercise
 Future Simple Reported Statement Exercise
 Mixed Tense Reported Statement Exercise
 'Say' and 'Tell'
 Present Simple Reported Yes/No Question Exercise
 Present Simple Reported Wh Question Exercise
 Mixed Tense Reported Question Exercise
 Reported Requests and Orders Exercise
 Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 1
 Reported Speech Mixed Exercise 2

The Passive

 Passive with the Present Simple

 Passive with the Past Simple
 Passive with the Present Perfect
 Passive with the Future Simple
 Passive with mixed tenses
 Passive with verbs with two objects

Questions

 Tag Questions with the Present Simple

Relative Clauses

 Defining Relative Clauses 1

 Defining Relative Clauses 2
 Defining Relative Clauses 3
 Defining Relative Clauses 4
 Gerunds and Infinitives

 Gerunds and Infinitives 1

 Gerunds and Infinitives 2
 Gerunds and Infinitives 3
 Gerunds and Infinitives 4

Modal Verbs

 Modal Verbs of Ability 1

 Modal Verbs of Obligation 1
 Modal Verbs of Probability 1
 Modal Verbs of Probability 2

Adjectives

 Short List of Participle Adjectives (ED and ING Adjectives)

 Long List of Participle Adjectives (ED and ING Adjectives)
 Participle Adjectives (ED and ING Adjectives) Exercise 1
 Participle Adjectives (ED and ING Adjectives) Exercise 2

Prepositions

 Prepositions after Adjectives Exercise 1

 Prepositions after Verbs Exercise 1
 Prepositions after Verbs Exercise 2
 Prepositions of Place Exercise 1
 Prepositions of Place Exercise 2
 Prepositions of Time Exercise 1
 Prepositions of Time Exercise 2

'A' and 'The'

 A Little and A Few Explanation

 A Little and A Few Exercise
 A and The with Bed / Home / Work / Town Explanation
 A and The with Bed / Home / Work / Town Exercise
 Superlatives with The Explanation
 Superlatives with The Exercise 1
 Superlatives with The Exercise 2
 Some, Any And No Article Explanation
 Some and Any Exercise 1
 Some and Any Exercise 2

Explanations
Verb Tenses
 All Tenses Form Summary
 Present Simple Form

What's The Difference?

 Present Simple or Present Continuous?

Verb Patterns

 Let and Make Explanation

 Wish Exercise 1
 Wish Explanation