1. Conditional Sentences: First and Second Conditional
B. Troeva, New Bulgarian University

2. The Conditional Conditional means that you have:
1. a possible/impossible situation – the condition, introduced by ‘if’ or ‘unless’ (‘if not’)
2. and the result from it.
For example:
If you read books in English, the condition
you will learn more words the result

3. First Conditional The situation:
We are talking about the present and the future. There is a real possibility that this condition will happen.
An example:
It is morning. You are at home. You plan
to play tennis this afternoon. But there
are some clouds in the sky.
Imagine that it rains. What will you do?

4. First Conditional Use Form
There is a real possibility that the situation will happen! IF
condition
result
Present Simple
will + infinitive If
it rains,
I will stay at home.

5. Second Conditional The situation:
We are thinking about the future. But there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen.
An example:
You do not have a lottery ticket.
Is it possible to win? No! No lottery
ticket, no win! But maybe you will
buy a lottery ticket in the future.
So you can think about winning in
the future, like a dream. It's not
very real as the chances to win
are very little.

6. Second Conditional Form UseIf
Condition
Result
Past Simple
would
(could)
I won the lottery,
I would give you half the money!
There is an unreal possibility that the situation will happen!

7. More examples of the Second Conditional
If I had lots of money, I would travel more. If I knew, I would tell you but I don’t know. Important In the Second Conditional you may use ‘were’ instead of ‘was’: If he was/were the president… If I was/were your brother,… But you always say: If I were you,…