What's the difference between the first and second conditional?

The first conditional describes something that realistically might happen, like "If it rains, I will take an umbrella." The second describes something imaginary or unlikely, like "If it rained money, I would never work again."

How do I form the third conditional for regrets?

Use if + past perfect, would have + past participle: "If I had studied, I would have passed." It's for talking about a past you cannot change.

Should I say "If I was you" or "If I were you"?

Use "were," not "was" — "If I were you..." is the natural form for giving advice.

Grammar

Conditionals — Talking about If

Zero, first, second and third conditionals — how to talk about facts, real possibilities, hypotheticals, and past regrets. Powerful for persuasion.

7 min read · Updated June 18, 2026 · By the Celpip.me editorial team · Free

Quick answer

Updated Sep 16, 2026

English has four conditionals, each tied to a different level of reality: zero for facts (if + present, present), first for real future possibilities (if + present, will), second for hypothetical situations now (if + past, would), and third for past regrets (if + past perfect, would have). On CELPIP, Speaking Task 5/7 and Writing Task 2 reward using the second conditional to argue persuasively about consequences.

What's the difference between the first and second conditional?: The first conditional describes something that realistically might happen, like "If it rains, I will take an umbrella." The second describes something imaginary or unlikely, like "If it rained money, I would never work again."
How do I form the third conditional for regrets?: Use if + past perfect, would have + past participle: "If I had studied, I would have passed." It's for talking about a past you cannot change.
Should I say "If I was you" or "If I were you"?: Use "were," not "was" — "If I were you..." is the natural form for giving advice.

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Key strategies

1.Zero (facts): If + present, present. "If you heat ice, it melts."
2.First (real future): If + present, will. "If it rains, I will stay home."
3.Second (unreal/hypothetical now): If + past, would. "If I had more time, I would travel."
4.Third (past regret): If + past perfect, would have. "If I had studied, I would have passed."

Four conditionals, four jobs

Type	Structure	Use	Example
Zero	if + present, present	facts, always true	If you mix blue and yellow, you get green.
First	if + present, will + base	real future possibility	If I finish early, I will call you.
Second	if + past, would + base	unreal / hypothetical now	If I were rich, I would help others.
Third	if + past perfect, would have + participle	past regret (impossible now)	If I had left earlier, I would have caught the train.

First vs. second — the key difference

First = something that realistically might happen: "If it rains, I will take an umbrella."
Second = something imaginary or unlikely: "If it rained money, I would never work again."

Note the natural form "If I were you..." (not was) for advice.

Third — for regrets

Use the third conditional to talk about a past you cannot change:

"If I had known about the traffic, I would have left earlier."

CELPIP application

Conditionals are persuasive tools. In Speaking Task 5/7 and Writing Task 2 you can argue: "If the city built more bike lanes, traffic would decrease." The second conditional lets you reason about consequences smoothly and sound advanced.

Check yourself

A quick self-check on this lesson — pick an answer, then see the explanation. Not graded.

1. Real future plan: "If it ___ tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic."

2. Hypothetical advice: "If I ___ you, I would apologise."

3. Past regret: "If she had studied, she ___ the exam."

4. A general fact: "If you ___ water to 100C, it boils."

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