The Real and Unreal Conditional
Grammar

The "Real" Conditional

Conditional sentences include a clause that begins with the word "if" and a verb in the present tense (Review the present tense). The other clause uses a verb in the future tense with the auxiliary verb "will" (Review the future tense with "will"). If the clause with "if" comes first, a comma is used (as after "If it rains" in the example below). It is called the "real" conditional because it is generally used with very probable (real) situations. For example, in the sentence below, it is likely to rain.

If it rains, I will use an umbrella.
I will use an umbrella if it rains.

Exercise - The Real Conditional

Instructions
Write a sentence in the real conditional using the information given. Don't forget to use a comma if the "if" clause comes first. Although you can write real conditional sentences with contractions, for this exercise please write the sentences without contractions as in the example below. Make sure you use correct capitalization and punctuation (period or question mark) at the end of the sentence.

exercise
If/it/rain/I/use an umbrella

The "Unreal" Conditional

Sentences in the "unreal" conditional have one part of the sentence that begins with the word "if" and a verb that looks like the past tense (Review the past tense). The other part of the sentence contains the verb in the conditional with "would" (Review the conditional). If the part of the sentence with "if" comes first, use a comma as in the first example below. These sentences are known as "the unreal conditional" because they contain conditions that are not very likely to happen (they are unreal). For example, in the sentences below, it's not very likely that I will win the lottery.

If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car.
I would buy a new car if I won the lottery.

As we explained, the verb in the part of the sentence that begins with "if" is conjugated in the past tense (but the grammatical form is called the subjunctive). The only exception is with the verb "to be". Traditionally, it has been considered grammatically correct to use "were" in the subjunctive even with the first person singular ("I") and the third person singular (he/she/it).

If I were rich, I would travel around the world.

NOTE: Many people now use "was" (instead of "were") in these cases, and it even occasionally appears in books as an alternative that is considered correct.

If I was rich, I would travel around the world.

Exercise - the unreal conditional

Instructions
Write a sentence in the "unreal" conditional using the information given. Don't forget to use a comma if the "if" clause comes first. Although you can write conditional sentences with contractions, for this exercise please write the sentences without contractions, as in the example below.

exercise
If/we/have/a private airplane/we/travel/around the world

Find the Mistake

Instructions
Identify the error in the following sentences and write the corrected version.

example
He are a teacher. → He is a teacher.

Writing

Write one sentence in the real conditional and one in the unreal conditional.

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