English Tip · 07 — Conditionals — If, When, and Why It Matters

First conditional = real future possibility. Second = unreal present or future. Third = unreal past. The verb in the if-clause tells you which one you’re in.

Examples

• ‘If it rains, I’ll stay in.’ (possible — first)
• ‘If I won, I’d buy a house.’ (unreal — second)
• ‘If I had studied, I’d have passed.’ (past, too late — third)

Practice

Write one sentence for each conditional type. Make them personal: a real possibility, a hypothetical wish, and one past regret.

Takeaway: Which conditional tells a wish? Which tells a regret? Knowing that unlocks the grammar.

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