Conditionals
Zero, first, second, third and mixed — the structures examiners look for at Band 7.
Why it matters
Conditionals are a standard marker of grammatical range. Task 2 essays often require you to argue about consequences ('If governments taxed sugar…'), and Speaking Part 3 invites hypothetical answers.
The rules
Zero: general truths. If + present, present.
If you heat ice, it melts.
First: real future possibilities. If + present, will.
If the tax is introduced, prices will rise.
Second: unreal or unlikely present/future. If + past, would.
If cities banned cars, the air would be cleaner.
Third and mixed: unreal past, or past cause with present result.
If I had studied harder, I would be at university now.
Model sentences
- If public transport were free, far fewer people would choose to drive.
- Unless action is taken soon, many coastal cities will face regular flooding.
- Had governments acted earlier, the crisis might have been avoided.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: If I will have time, I will help.
Correct: If I have time, I will help.
No will in the if-clause.
Incorrect: If I would be rich, I would travel.
Correct: If I were rich, I would travel.
Past form in the if-clause; 'were' is preferred in formal English.
Incorrect: If they had invested, they would succeed.
Correct: If they had invested, they would have succeeded.
Unreal past needs would have + past participle.
Band tip
Check yourself
If more people ___ (work) from home, traffic ___ (decrease).
worked … would decrease (second) — or work … will decrease (first)
Rewrite with inversion: 'If the government had listened, the strike would not have happened.'
Had the government listened, the strike would not have happened.
___ (unless/if) prices fall, demand will stay low.
Unless