FIRST CONDITIONAL IN ENGLISH - EXERCISE 1

GRAMMAR REVIEW: The First Conditional — Formation & Use

The first conditional describes a real, possible future situation and its likely result. It's used when we believe the condition could actually happen.

Structure: If + present simple, will + base verb

If it rains, we will cancel the picnic.
If you study hard, you will pass the exam.

Key rules:
- The if clause always uses the present simple — never will. This is the most common mistake learners make.
❌ If it will rain...   ✅ If it rains...

- The result clause uses will + base verb for positive statements, and won't + base verb for negatives.
If you don't hurry, you won't catch the bus.

- The if clause can come first or second — the meaning is the same. When it comes first, use a comma.
If I see him, I'll tell him. = I'll tell him if I see him.

DID YOU KNOW? The first conditional across languages

The first conditional structure — if + present simple, will + base verb — feels unnatural to many ESL learners because their native language handles future conditions differently. In Spanish and Italian, for example, both clauses can take a future form: Si vendrás, te veré (literally "If you will come, I will see you") — which is why Spanish and Italian speakers often incorrectly say "If you will come..." in English.

In French, the pattern is closer to English — the si (if) clause also takes the present — but the result clause uses a different future form, so the underlying logic still differs enough to cause confusion.

The first conditional is one of the earliest B1-level structures tested in Cambridge B2 First and appears in IELTS Writing Task 2 essays whenever candidates discuss future consequences: "If governments invest in renewable energy, carbon emissions will fall significantly." Mastering it at this level sets you up well for the second and third conditionals later.