First Conditional
The First Conditional expresses real, possible situations in the future — things that might genuinely happen. By the end of this page you will know exactly how to form it, when to use it, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Mixed Conditionals
Connect a past hypothetical to its present consequence — or a present unreal situation to its past consequence. After this guide you will understand both types of mixed conditional and know exactly when to use each one.
Second Conditional
Use the second conditional to talk about imaginary situations — things that are unlikely, impossible, or hypothetical right now. After this page you'll be able to describe wishes, give polite advice with "If I were you…", and stop putting "would" in the wrong place.
Third Conditional
Talk about imaginary past situations and their hypothetical consequences. After this guide you will be able to express regret, speculation, and criticism — and avoid the tense errors that trip up most B2 learners.
Zero Conditional
The Zero Conditional expresses facts, scientific truths, and cause-and-effect relationships that are always true. By the end of this page you will know exactly how to form it and when to choose it over the First Conditional.
Understanding the conditional system
The five conditional types are numbered not because one "follows" another, but because each encodes a different degree of reality. The zero conditional describes universal facts. The first conditional describes realistic future possibilities. The second conditional describes hypothetical or unlikely present/future scenarios. The third describes impossible past situations. And mixed conditionals combine these time frames.
Learners moving from B1 to B2 most often struggle with the distinction between second and third conditionals — both use would in the result clause, but the if-clause tenses differ (If I had money vs. If I had had money). At C1 level, learners encounter inversion without if ("Had she known..."), which appears frequently in formal writing.
Each guide on this page covers one conditional type in depth: the rules, the form, typical signal words, common learner mistakes, and examples drawn from academic, professional, and everyday contexts.