There are four common conditional forms. You need to learn them all if you want to improve your English skills. In this post, we will discuss the conditional form for talking about real possibilities.
Use the first conditional to talk about a particular condition in the future and the result of this condition. For example:
1. If it rains, I will stay at home.
2. He will take the train if he misses his flight.
If it rains, I will stay at home.
All conditional forms have two clauses, the conditional clause and the result clause. In the examples above, the conditional clauses are the parts in bold font.
Basically, the first conditional says: If A happens, then B will happen.
To form the first conditional, follow these structures:
1. If it rains, I will stay at home.
[If + simple present], [will + base verb].
2. He will take the train if he misses his flight.
[will + base verb] [if + simple present].
Using the first conditional
The first conditional is used to make statements about real future conditions. This means that the future event has a real possibility of happening.
In place of will, you can also use the following words: going to, can, may, and might.
Here are more examples:
1. If Glen is late again, Sally will be mad.
2. You will miss the bus if you don't hurry.
3. If you visit me, I can take you to the beach.
4. I may bake some cookies if I have time.
5. If we finish class early, I might go to the party.
We’ll discuss the other conditional forms in our next blog posts. In the meantime, remember how to form the first conditional and practice using it whenever you can.
Now, try it out! Complete the following statements using the first conditional.
1. If it rains tomorrow, __________.
2. If I have some extra time tonight, __________.
3. If you visit my city, __________.
4. If I don't practice speaking in English, __________.
5. I will go to the party if __________.
If you want to learn more about the conditional forms, schedule a lesson with us. Our online English teachers can help you practice using the different conditional forms in fun conversational English lessons.
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