Page 89 - BASIC GRAMMAR PRACTICE

Verbs

60 First and second conditional

CONTRAST
Some students get confused by the difference between the first and second
conditional. Look at these two sentences;
a) If she works harder, she'll pass her exams.
b) If she worked harder, she'd pass her exams.
The difference between the two sentences can be found by asking the question,
'Is she going to work harder?' In sentence a) the answer is, 'Maybe - and maybe
not'. The answer to sentence b) is, 'Probably not'. The difference is the idea in
the speaker's mind of what is going to happen. The if-event in a first conditional
sentence is more likely to happen than the if-event in a second conditional.

Check

Circle the correct answer to the questions below.
1 'If Mary found out what was happening, she'd be very angry.'
Is Mary going to find out what's happening?
A Maybe (B)Probably not

2 'If Mary finds out what's happening, she'll be very angry.'
Is Mary going to find out what's happening?
A Maybe E Probably not
3 'If they sacked him, the factory would go on strike.'

Are they going to sack him?
A Maybe B Probably not
4 'If they sack him, the factory will go on strike.'
Are they going to sack him?

A Maybe B Probably not
5 'What would you do if someone told us to leave?
Is someone going to tell us to leave?
A Maybe B Probably not

6 'What will you do if someone tells us to leave?'
Is someone going to tell us to leave?
A Maybe B Probably not
7 'If they don't agree with me, I'll go to the director.'

Are they going to agree with me?
A Maybe B Probably not
8 'If they didn't agree with me, I'd go to the director.'
Do they usually agree with me?

A Maybe B Yes C No
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