THE FIRST CONDITIONAL (possible and very likely to happen) IF + PRESENT SIMPLE + FUTURE PRESENT PERFECT IMPERATIVE If it rains, we’ll stay at home. If you have finished, go home. You won’t pass the exam if you don’t revise. What will you do if you don’t find a job?

THE SECOND CONDITIONAL (possible but not very likely, hypothetical) IF + PAST SIMPLE + WOULD + INF COULD MIGHT If he were rich, he wouldn’t have to work. I could buy some new clothes if I had some money. I wouldn’t do this job if I didn’t like it. What would you do if you saw someone shoplifting?

THE THIRD CONDITIONAL (impossible) IF + PAST PERFECT + WOULD + HAVE + PAST PART. If I had seen you, I would have said hello. I would have gone out if I hadn’t been so tired. What would you have said if you had seen her?

Put the verb into the correct form If you ___ (found) a wallet in the street, what would you do with it? I must hurry. My friend will be annoyed if I ___ (not/be) on time. If the phone ___ (ring), can you answer it? I can’t decide what to do. What would you do if you ___ (be) in my position? What shall we do tomorrow? – Well, if it ___ (be) a nice day, we can go to the beach. Let’s go to the beach. – No, it’s too cold. If it ___ (be) warmer, I wouldn’t mind going. Did you go to the beach yesterday? – No, it was too cold. If it ___ (be) warmer, we might have gone. If you ___ (have) enough money to go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I’m glad we have a map. I’m sure we would have got lost if we ___ (not/have) one. The accident was your fault. If you ___(drive) more carefully, it wouldn’t have happened. Why do you read newspapers? – Well, if I ___ (not/read) newspapers, I wouldn’t know what was happening in the world.

UNLESS We’re going unless the weather gets much worse. Unless you drive more slowly, I’ll be sick. UNLESS = IF NOT Unless is used with the present tense to talk about the future (in the same way as if). Unless can usually be replaced by if not: We’re going if the weather doesn’t get much worse. If you don’t drive more slowly, I’ll be sick.

Rewrite these sentences using unless instead of if not Sam will pass his driving test if he doesn’t drive too fast. They’ll be here soon if their plane isn’t delayed. If you’re not in a hurry you could take the bus. I won’t be able to come to see you tomorrow if my brother can’t give me a lift. If the factory doesn’t increase its production, it will close down. If you don’t write your address down for me, I’ll forget it. I won’t stay in that hotel if it hasn’t got a good restaurant. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll meet you at six.

I WISH and IF ONLY I wish I had lots of money. (but I don’t) If only he could drive. (but he can’t) I wish I was/were clever like you. (but I’m not) WISH/IF ONLY + THE PAST SIMPLE is used when we express a wish about a PRESENT SITUATION. She wishes she had never met him. (but she did) If only I hadn’t said that. (but I did) WISH/IF ONLY + THE PAST PERFECT is used when we express a wish or regret about THE PAST. It’s like the third conditional – the event can’t be changed.

Write sentences with I wish You don’t know many people and you’re lonely. You don’t have a mobile phone and you need one. You’ve eaten too much and now you feel sick. It’s cold and you hate cold weather. There was a job advertised in the newspaper. You decided not to apply for it. Now you think your decision was wrong. When you were younger, you never learned to play a musical instrument. Now you regret this. You have to work tomorrow, but you’d like to stay in bed. You are walking in the country. You’d like to take some photographs, but you didn’t bring your camera. You don’t know anything about cars and your car has just broken down. Helen isn’t here and you need to see her.