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Activities: “Conditional sentences in English: What are they and how to use them?”

By: Anna Classing
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our English Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Activity 1: Monica’s birthday gift

Two friends, Steve and Chuck, are in a mall choosing a birthday gift for their friend, Monica. What will they decide to buy?

Part 1: The conversation

In the conversation below, fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

Steve: What about this set? These are always useful.

Chuck: Hm, maybe, but she (use) only them if they (be) dishwasher safe. Are they?

Steve: I don’t think so. And you’re right, I’ve never seen Monica doing the dishes.

Chuck: What about this? It is classy.

Steve: She (kill) us if we (buy) that! She hates strong smells.

Chuck: Really? I didn’t know that! I guess I am a bad friend.

Steve: No, you (learn) that if you (come) with us on that trip to Boston last month. She found it so hard to be in the duty free area at the airport because of all those smells.

Chuck: I see. You know, I (join) you on that trip, if my mom (not get sick) that week. Oh! You know, now that Monica is a new mom, she might need one of those! That way she can keep all of her memories in one place!

Steve: True, but (not be) it more appropriate if we (buy) it for the baby shower?

Chuck: You’re right. How about these then? If her mortgage (get) approved and she (move) to a bigger house, she (need) to decorate it, right?

Steve: I actually love that idea! She can hang them on the walls, or put them on the shelves, and change pictures whenever she likes!

Part 2: The gift!

Use the conversation above to determine which gift they decided to buy:

Activity 2: Write a conditional sentence

Write sentences based on the given facts.

Example:
We don’t have any flour. We can’t make cookies.
→ If we had flour, we could make some cookies.

  • She didn’t answer the phone. I didn’t warn her.
    →

  • I don’t remember his address. I can’t tell you where he lives.
    →

  • “The Beatles” broke up. They didn’t write any more songs together.
    →

  • Maria lives downtown. She doesn’t spend a lot of time commuting.
    →

  • My laptop doesn’t have an SD card-reader. That’s not convenient.
    →

  • You studied Spanish at university. You found this job.
    →

Activity 3: Tell us and ask us using conditionals

Part 1: Answer the questions below in complete conditional sentences:

  • What would you do if you saw someone dressed exactly like you in the street?
    →

    e.g. If I saw someone dressed exactly like me on the street, I would just make eye contact and smile.

  • How would you feel if you were the first human to step on Mars?
    →

    e.g. If I was the first human to step on Mars, I would be really excited and a bit anxious.

  • How would your life be different if you had been born 10 years later?
    →

    e.g. If I had been born ten years later, I would have gotten a cell phone as a teenager and I wouldn’t have spent so much time in libraries.

  • What is one class you would have taken in school if could go back in time?
    →

    e.g. If I could go back in time, I would have taken an art class in school.

Part 2: Write conditional questions suitable for these answers:

  • I would open a cafe with an open-air terrace and sell coffee, tea, pastries, and cakes.
    →

    e.g. What kind of business would you start if you could?

  • I’d probably just run away as fast as I could, though I am not sure that would help.
    →

    e.g. What would you do if you saw a tiger in the street?

  • I wouldn’t believe my eyes, so I would probably keep pinching myself trying to wake up.
    →

    e.g. How would you feel if you saw a dinosaur on a hike?

  • All communications would have been much slower, and globalization wouldn’t have happened.
    →

    e.g. What would have happened if the Internet hadn’t been invented?

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