Unit 10: Conditionals


1 Read through the following sentences. Decide whether the events in them are likely or imaginary,
and put the verbs in brackets into the right tense.

1 If everyone ___________ (contribute) 10% of their salaries to charity, there would ________ (be)
no poverty.

2 I am sure we ______________ (meet) our targets if we _______________ (maintain) our current level
of sales.

3 Please have a seat. If you ______________ (wait) a couple of minutes, I ______________ (give) you
a lift.

4 I’m expecting a fax from Grayson’s. If it ___________ (come) today, please __________ (let) me
know at once.

5 I ___________ (apply) for the job if I ____________ (have) a degree, but unfortunately I don’t.

6 What laws ___________________ (you/change) if you ________________ (be) in Parliament?

7 I’m leaving now; I ___________ (be) back at 8.30 if the traffic ____________ (not/be) too bad.


2 Complete the sentence for each situation.

1 Emma didn’t leave early, and so she missed her flight.

If Emma _______________________, she ______________________ her flight.

2 I forgot to bring your map, so I went to the wrong building.

If I __________________________ your map, I ____________________ to the wrong building.

3 They didn’t invest in new technology, so they didn’t survive the recession.

If they ___________________ in new technology, they _____________________ the recession.

4 The Government didn’t collapse, so there wasn’t a crisis.

If the Government ________________________, there _____________________ a crisis.

5 They didn’t bring out their new model on time, so they lost market share.

If they __________________ their new model on time, they __________________ market share.


3 Rewrite the sentences using mixed conditionals.

1 We didn’t order the parts at the end of June. They aren’t here now.

If we had ordered the parts at the end of Tune, they would be here now.

2 We felt we could trust each other. Now we are partners.

____________________________________________________________________________

3 He lost his driving licence. Now he has to take taxis everywhere.

____________________________________________________________________________

4 You didn’t go on the course. You don’t know how to operate the new equipment.

____________________________________________________________________________

5 I went to school in France. Now I am bilingual.

____________________________________________________________________________