Second Conditional Exercises PDFSet 4: First vs Second Conditional: Real or Imaginary?
20 questions·15 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.If it ___ tomorrow, we'll take an umbrella. (The forecast says rain is likely.)
a) rainedb) rainsc) would raind) will rain
2.If I ___ taller, I would join the basketball team. (I'm only 160 cm.)
a) amb) will bec) growd) were
3.If you ___ your homework now, your teacher will be pleased.
a) finishb) finishedc) would finishd) will finish
4.If I ___ the president, I would change the education system.
a) amb) will bec) wered) become
5.If she ___ hard, she'll pass the exam. (She's a good student.)
a) studiedb) would studyc) will studyd) studies
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.rains
2.were
3.finish
4.were
5.studies
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."rains"(b)
The context says rain is likely (real possibility), so we use the first conditional: 'If it rains' (present simple). The second conditional ('If it rained') would suggest rain is unlikely or imaginary.
2."were"(d)
The speaker IS 160 cm — being taller is an unreal situation that can't easily change, so we use the second conditional: 'If I were taller'. The subjunctive 'were' signals an imaginary condition.
3."finish"(a)
This is a real possibility — you can finish your homework. Use the first conditional: 'If you finish' (present simple) + 'will be pleased'. The speaker believes this will probably happen.
4."were"(c)
The speaker is NOT the president — this is an imaginary situation. Use the second conditional: 'If I were the president'. Becoming president is extremely unlikely for most people.
5."studies"(d)
The context says she's a good student — studying hard is a real expectation. Use the first conditional: 'If she studies' (present simple, third person -s) + 'she'll pass'.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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