B1 · grammar

First Conditional Exercises (B1) — Free

First conditional: real possibilities in the future

Use the first conditional to talk about things that are possible in the future and their likely result. The form is: if + present simple, will + base verb (If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay at home). A common mistake is to put 'will' in the if-clause: we say 'If it rains', not 'If it will rain'. The same rule applies after 'when', 'as soon as' and 'unless': I'll call you when I get there. 'Unless' means 'if not', so the verb after it is affirmative: Unless you leave now, you'll be late. The if-clause can go first or second; when it goes first, we usually put a comma after it, and when it goes second, we don't (We'll stay at home if it rains). 'Be going to' is also possible in the result clause: If you don't hurry, you're going to miss the bus.