Name: …………………………………………………………………...…….

Class:
………………………………. Subject: English

Conditionals
1. Note down the tense of each if-clause and main clause. Circle the type of each conditional
and what it expresses. Fill in the remaining gaps.1

If someone feels comfortable walking home alone at night, s/he takes a step forward.

Present simple + present simple

 Type of conditional: 0/ 1/ 2/ 3
 General/ possible/ unlikely or improbable/ impossible conditional
o Function: To talk about events that can happen at any time and their results. Most
commonly in the present.
 You can use other present tenses in both clauses.
 Use an imperative in the main clause to give a general instruction.

If someone feels comfortable walking home alone at night, s/he will take a step forward.

Present simple + future simple

 Type of conditional: 0/ 1/ 2/ 3
 General/ possible/ unlikely or improbable/ impossible conditional
o Function: To describe possible future events and their results.
 You can use
o Other present tenses in the if clause.
o Other future tenses in the main clause.

If someone felt comfortable walking home along at night, s/he would take a step forward.

Past simple + would/ wouldn’t + infinitive

 Type of conditional: 0/ 1/ 2/ 3
 General/ possible/ unlikely or improbable/ impossible conditional
o Function:
a) To describe an improbable future event. The condition is unlikely to be
fulfilled because the event is unlikely to happen.
b) To describe a hypothetical current event. It is impossible to fulfil the
condition.
 You can use
o Past continuous or ‘was going to’ in the if-clause.
 If there is ‘be’ in the if-clause => use ‘were’ for all persons.

If someone had felt comfortable walking home along at night, s/he would have taken a step
forward.

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Name: …………………………………………………………………...……. Class:
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Past perfect + would/ wouldn’t have + pa.pa.

 Type of conditional: 0/ 1/ 2/ 3
 General/ possible/ unlikely or improbable/ impossible conditional
o Function: To describe a hypothetical situation or event in the past The past situation or
event is an unreal or impossible situation.
 You can use continuous forms in both clauses.
 Can be used to express criticism.
 You can put the auxiliary ‘had’ before the subject and leave out the ‘if’.

2. Think of an example sentence in which you use the second conditional. Then do the same
thing for the third conditional.
Second conditional:

Students’ personal answer.

Third conditional:
Students’ personal answer.

3. Fill in the correct answer using the second conditional. You can use the grammar overview
(p. 1-2) if necessary.2

1. If I were (be) you, I would get (get) a new job.

2. If he were (be) younger, he would travel (travel) more.
3. If we weren’t friends (not / be) friends, I would be (be) angry with you.
4. If I had (have) enough money, I would buy (buy) a big house.
5. If we won (win) the lottery, we would travel (travel) the world.
6. We never would be (be) late again if we bought (buy) a new car.
7. They would have (have) more money if they didn’t buy (not / buy) so many clothes
8. They would go (go) to Spain on holiday if they liked (like) hot weather.
9. You wouldn’t be (not/ be) so tired if you didn’t work (not/ work) so hard.
10. I would join (join) you if I didn’t have (not/ have) a meeting tonight!

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Name: …………………………………………………………………...……. Class:
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4. Turn the conditional in the sentence into a third conditional. You don’t have to copy each
sentence. Only note down the verbs.3

1. I wouldn’t be angry if you ate my chocolate mousse.

Wouldn’t have been – had eaten

2. If he knew you were in hospital, he would visit you.

Had known – would have visited

3. I would understand the film if it was in German.

Would have understood – had been

4. I would marry someone famous if I were a movie star.

Would have married – had been

5. The storm would do a lot of damage if it came this way.

Would have done – had come

6. If you didn’t commit the murder, you wouldn’t be in prison.

Hadn’t committed – wouldn’t have been

7. If she saw an alien, she would run for her life.

Had seen – would have run

8. They would pass the exam if they studied hard.

Would have passed – had studied

9. If I were all alone on an island, I would send a message in a bottle.

Had been – would have sent

10. If we ran faster, we would win the marathon.

Had run – would have won

5. Read the article4 and the select the fitting conditional for each gap. Look at the vocabulary
list when you don’t understand a word that has an (*) next to it.

If you checked out the Jose Antonio Vargas documentary about 1. Would have known/
White people, you (1) that many White people struggle to discuss would know
race. Throw “White Privilege” into the discussion, and the
awkwardness and defensiveness can rise enormously. Everything (2) 2. Would be/ would have
so different if slavery had never started in the first place. been
We would have lived as equals for centuries on end if it (3) for white 3. Had not been/ was not
people’s greediness*.

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Name: …………………………………………………………………...……. Class:
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You would think that people would have come to their senses in
these modern times – this is the 21st century after all.
Yet the number of cases of inequality, underrepresentation* of people
of colour and police brutality is still staggering*. Here are a few
examples.

1. Inequality
Did you know that black children run a higher risk of being
suspended* at school than white kids? If you (4) Seattle’s latest 4. Have read/ read
newspaper, then you would know that black children in Seattle are
four times as likely to be suspended as white children for no reason at
all.

2. Underrepresentation of people of colour

Take a look at all the children’s books in libraries, bookshops or even
at home. If it hadn’t been for those few remarkable authors, black 5. Would have been/
children (5) still (5) devouring* stories that are exclusively about would be
white people. A 2013 study showed that only 8 percent of these
books are either about people of colour or written by a non-white
author. It would make children feel more included in society if their 6. Was/ were
race and ethnicity (6) represented more often in books.

3. Police brutality
You can’t get around it: police brutality towards people of colour is
everywhere in the US. If random passers-by hadn’t filmed the 7. Would have learnt/
countless aggressive police interventions, the world (7) never (7) would learn
about the current situation in the US. These recordings have shown
us that the media is a powerful weapon. Think of George Floyd’s
death, which ignited* the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020.
Having a good relationship with the police is a white privilege, too.

If you’re interested in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement

or want to learn more about it, then make sure to visit
https://blacklivesmatter.com/5.
Vocabulary
to outlaw: to make something illegal or unacceptable.
greediness < greedy: hebzucht
underrepresentation: when there are not enough people or things in an organisation or group, then
these people or things are underrepresented (= ondervertegenwoordiging)
staggering: very shocking and surprising
to devour: verslinden (e.g. devouring a book)
to suspend: schorsen
to trigger: to cause something to start

6. You’re writing an article for the school paper in which you provide arguments for or against
one of the statements below. Your fellow students are your target audience. Tick off the box
of the statement you’re writing about.
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Name: …………………………………………………………………...……. Class:
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- Make sure to use the second and third conditional. You need at least one of both.
- Include one zero or first conditional.
- Your article has to be eight sentences long at least. Max. ten.
- Check the rubric to see if your article is complete.

Even if a baby is the result of rape, it should be against a the law for a
woman to abort a life. Rape is no excuse for child murder.

Violence and racism towards people of quality are unacceptable. The days
of slavery are long past. We need to stand up against any form of injustice
and inequality for as long as necessary.

The level of education of your parents is defining for how your life will be.
If your parents have no college degree for example, then it’s clear that you
won’t get far in life.

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Name: …………………………………………………………………...……. Class:
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Rubric exercise 6

0 1 2 3 4

Content The article is The article is The article is The article is /

not focused on focused on the focused on the focused on the
the student’s student’s student’s student’s
chosen chosen chosen chosen
statements. statements. statements. statements.
The arguments Most arguments Some The arguments
are irrelevant. are irrelevant. arguments are are relevant.
irrelevant.
Vocabular The vocabulary The vocabulary The vocabulary The vocabulary /
y and is limited. The is OK. There is accurate. is appropriate.
spelling pupil repeatedly are 4-5 spelling There are 2-3 There are 0-1
uses the same mistakes. spelling spelling
words. There mistakes. mistakes.
are more than 5
spelling
mistakes.
Grammar The pupil does The pupil The pupil The pupil /
not combine the combines the combines the combines the
correct tenses in correct tenses in correct tenses in correct tenses in
each each each each
conditional. conditional. conditional. conditional.
There are a lot There are a lot There are a few There are no
of mistakes. of mistakes. mistakes. mistakes.
Structure The pupil has The pupil has The pupil has The pupil has The pupil has
not used a used one used one used at least used more than
second and second or third second or third one second and one second and
third conditional, but conditional, but third third
conditional, nor not both. not both. conditional. conditional.
a zero or first The pupil has The pupil has The pupil has The pupil has
conditional. not used a zero used a zero or used a zero or used a zero or
or first first first first
conditional. conditional. conditional. conditional.
Length The article The article
counts less than counts between
8 sentences or 8-10 sentences. / / /
more than 10.

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Name: …………………………………………………………………...……. Class:
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Bibliography
Black Lives Matter. (sd). About. Opgehaald van Black Lives Matter:
https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
Foley, M., & Hall, D. (2018). Conditionals. In M. Foley, & D. Hall, Longman Advanced Learners'
Grammar: a self-study reference & practice book with answers. (20th ed., pp. 120-123).
Harlow: Longman.
Greenberg, J. (2017, July 24). 10 Examples That Prove White Privilege Exists in Every Aspect
Imaginable. Opgehaald van Yes! Magazine: https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-
justice/2017/07/24/10-examples-that-prove-white-privilege-exists-in-every-aspect-imaginable
Seonaid. (2009). Second Conditional Exercise 1. Opgehaald van Perfect English Grammar:
https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/support-files/second_conditional_form.pdf
Wilson, B. (2007). Contents. Opgehaald van Organic Language Acquisition Strategies:
http://www.autoenglish.org/tenses/gr.con3.pdf