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Issue — August 2026
First and Second Conditional

First and Second Conditional

B1 Grammar 61 sentences
First and Second Conditional 0 / 61

If it rains vs If it rained — real and unreal futures explained.

Explanation

English has two common conditional structures for talking about the present or future: the First Conditional and the Second Conditional.

First Conditional = real or possible situations. We use if + present simple in the if-clause, and will + base verb in the main clause.

Form: If + present simple, … will + base verb.

  • If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home.
  • If she studies hard, she will pass the exam.

Second Conditional = unreal, imaginary, or unlikely situations, often in the present or future. We use if + past simple, and would + base verb in the main clause.

Form: If + past simple, … would + base verb.

  • If it rained tomorrow, we would stay at home.
  • If she studied harder, she would pass the exam.

Quick tip: if is not a tense — it only joins the two clauses. The verb form after if tells you which conditional you have.

Examples

First Conditional — real or possible:

  • If I finish work early, I will call you.
  • If the weather is nice, we will go to the beach.
  • If you don't hurry, you will miss the bus.
  • If she doesn't feel better tomorrow, she will see a doctor.

Second Conditional — unreal or unlikely:

  • If I won the lottery, I would buy a house by the sea.
  • If he had more free time, he would learn to cook.
  • If we lived in Paris, we would walk to work.
  • If I were you, I would talk to the manager.

Notice: in the Second Conditional we often use were instead of was with I/he/she/it after if — this is common in formal and written English.

First and Second Conditional — image 2

Common mistakes

1. Using will in the if-clause.

❌ If it will rain tomorrow, we will stay home.

✅ If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.

2. Using the past simple after would in the Second Conditional.

❌ If I had more time, I would went to the gym.

✅ If I had more time, I would go to the gym.

3. Mixing the two conditionals in one sentence.

❌ If it rains, we would stay home.

✅ If it rains, we will stay home. (real) / If it rained, we would stay home. (unreal)

4. Using will or would at the start of the sentence.

❌ Will if you study more, you will pass?

✅ If you study more, will you pass? / If you study more, you will pass.

In real life

A short dialog between two friends, Tom and Sara, planning the weekend.

Tom: What are your plans for Saturday? Would you like to go hiking?

Sara: I'd love to, but only if the weather is good. If it rains, I will stay home and read.

Tom: That's a good idea. And if the sun shines, we will walk to the lake.

Sara: Perfect. If I were free next weekend, I would travel to the mountains, but I have to work.

Tom: No problem. If we get tired, we will stop for a coffee.

Sara: Deal! If you bring snacks, I will bring drinks.

Quiz

0/5

  1. 1Which tense follows 'if' in the First Conditional?

    In the First Conditional, the if-clause uses the present simple (e.g., 'if it rains').

  2. 2In the sentence 'If I had more free time, I would learn to cook', what kind of situation is described?

    The Second Conditional (if + past simple, would + base verb) is used for imaginary or unlikely situations.

  3. 3Which sentence is correct?

    After 'if' we use the present simple, not 'will', in the First Conditional.

  4. 4What does the Second Conditional usually express?

    The Second Conditional describes unreal, imaginary, or unlikely situations in the present or future.

  5. 5In the dialog, Sara says: 'If I were free next weekend, I would travel to the mountains.' Why does she use 'were' instead of 'was'?

    In the Second Conditional, formal and written English often use 'were' for I/he/she/it after 'if'.