The First Conditional

The First Conditional is a conditional for talking about something like it’s possible. Maybe I’ll go to China.

If I go to China, I’ll buy some Chinese food for lunch.

If I eat it, maybe I’ll like it.

If I like it, I’ll probably buy some more for supper.

If I don’t like the Chinese food, I’ll probably just have a hamburger for supper.

If you go to China, will you meet me for supper?

Okay, but if we’re in China, I won’t eat hamburgers. I’ll have rice.

Will you eat a hamburger if I do?

If there’s a hamburger with rice on it, maybe I’ll have that (with soy sauce instead of ketchup).

The two parts of the First Conditional are a Present tense part and a future part. The part with “if” is called the if clause. Sometimes the if clause is first. Sometimes it’s not. It’s the same idea with a different order.

I’ll buy some Chinese food if I go to China.

Sometimes when the if clause is first we add a comma (,). You don’t always have to, especially if the if clause is short, but you can. But if the if clause is second, normally we don’t add a comma. Also, sometimes we use “then” for the future part. You don’t have to, but sometimes we do.

If you call me I’ll answer my phone. (Short if clause — clear without a comma.)

I’ll answer my phone if you call. (No comma here!)

If you call me tomorrow night at 3 AM, I won’t answer my phone. (A comma helps here — longer if clause.)

I won’t answer my phone if you call me tomorrow night at 3 AM. (No comma here!)

Questions and Negatives

The order can be both ways in questions and with “no”, too.

If you go to China, will you learn Chinese?

Will you learn Chinese if you go to China?

No. If I go to China, I won’t learn Chinese — I already know Chinese.

No, I won’t learn Chinese if I go to China. That’s too difficult for me, because I’m a horse.

Quick Exercise

Here are some verb ideas we can use in the First Conditional. Try to make a sentence, a question, and a negative for the verbs in the example, then reveal the answer.

Verbs: I paint my face blue / people laugh at me

This practice can be boring, but it helps you to see how to use the First Conditional, and you’re also learning about painting your face blue.

Let’s try something more exciting. Maybe orange paint. Maybe something different. Paint can be expensive.

• Sentence, “if” first — (I see a snake) / (I run away)
  
  Answer

  If I see a snake, I’ll run away.
• Question, “if” second — (you come with me) / (I go to the balloon party)
  
  Answer

  Will I go to the balloon party if you come with me?
• Negative, “if” first — (you give me a plastic apple) / (I try to eat it)
  
  Answer

  If you give me a plastic apple, I won’t try to eat it.
• Sentence, “if” second — (I give you a dollar) / (you kiss that tree)
  
  Answer

  You’ll kiss that tree if I give you a dollar.
• Question, “if” first — (you come with me) / (I go to the balloon party)
  
  Answer

  If you come with me, will I go to the balloon party?
• Negative, “if” second — (I not kiss that tree) / (you give me 100 dollars)
  
  Answer

  I won’t kiss that tree if you give me 100 dollars.
• Question, “if” second — (you kiss it) / (I give you 99 dollars)
  
  Answer

  Will I give you 99 dollars if you kiss it?
• Sentence, “if” second — (I laugh at you) / (you paint your face blue)
  
  Answer

  I’ll laugh at you if you paint your face blue.
• Sentence, “if” first — (I paint my face orange) / (you laugh at me)
  
  Answer

  If I paint my face orange, you’ll laugh at me.

Which order is correct? Both ways can be correct.

If I need to go to China for more rice hamburgers, I’ll fly there.

I’ll fly to China if I want more rice hamburgers with soy sauce.

I don’t know whether Chinese people REALLY eat hamburgers with rice. Probably not. But if I go to China this year, I’ll see what they have there.

Quiz: Correct or Incorrect?

Pick only the correct uses of the First Conditional. There can be more than one correct answer in each set.

Set 1

• ✓ If the banana soup is too cold, I won’t eat it.
• ✗ I won’t eat that banana soup because it’s too cold! (Correct English, but not a conditional — no “if”. “I won’t eat that banana soup if it’s too cold.”)
• ✓ Will you eat it if I warm it up?
• ✓ If you don’t say that you’ll eat it, I won’t warm it up.
• ✗ OK, I eat it if you warm it up. (“I eat it” needs a future form: “I’ll eat it” or “I will eat it”.)

Set 2

• ✗ Will your dog bite me if I will kiss him? (No “will” in the if clause. “...if I kiss him?”)
• ✓ No. If you kiss him, he’ll lick you.
• ✓ If he licks me, my boyfriend will be jealous.
• ✓ Maybe he won’t be jealous if my dog licks him, too.

Set 3

• ✗ I’m going to a movie. Will you join me? (Not a conditional — no “if”.)
• ✓ I’ll join you if it’s a good movie.
• ✗ I think that it is, but what will you do if it won’t be? (The if clause should be in the present: “...if it isn’t?”)
• ✓ If it’s not good I’ll talk on my phone.
• ✗ If you do that, they tell us to leave. (“they tell” should be “they’ll tell”.)
• ✓ If they tell us to leave because I was talking on my phone, we’ll leave a bad movie.

Notice that in the last example, there are many words, but it’s an if clause (“If they tell us...”) and a future idea (“we’ll leave”). It’s the First Conditional.

Story Exercise: My Husband’s Birthday

Complete the conversation using the First Conditional. The verb ideas in (parentheses) show what each blank is about.

A woman walks into a bakery.

“Hello, ma’am. How can I help you?”

“My husband’s birthday is this weekend and I want to give him a cake which looks like me.”

(make a cake that large) / (it be expensive)
“__________________________________________.”

(it cost) / (it only look like my head)
“How much _____________________, _______________?”

“Your head is large, but it will be cheaper.”
(it be okay) / (I make it smaller)
“_______________________?”

“Yes, that’s okay. My head is huge. Can it be ice cream?”

“This week is very sunny.”
(the weather be warm) / (it melt)
“__________________, maybe ___________. But it will still be delicious.”

(it melt) / (he think)
“But _________, maybe _________________ that it’s another woman’s head.”

(you not want that) / (I make a carrot cake)
“Hmm, yes. Well, ______________, _____________.”

“Oh, that sounds good.”

(I use apricots for your ears) / (that be alright)
“__________________, ___________?”

“Yes, yes. And for the eyes?”

(I use blueberries) / (they look nice and blue)
“______________, ______________. And gummy worms for your lips.”

(the lips not be the wrong color) / (use gummy worms) (Hint: start with “Won’t”.)
“_________________, _____________?”

“No, they’ll be fine. I have several colors of lipstick I can use.”

“Oh, great! When will it be ready?”

(I start now) / (it be ready this afternoon)
“__________________, ______________.”

“That sounds good. I’ll come back this afternoon.”
(it look like my face) / (I buy it)
“...and ______________, __________.”

(you not buy it) / (I throw it at your face)
“That’s fine. And __________________, ____________.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll see you this afternoon!”
“See you then, ma’am.”

Is this like buying birthday cakes in your country?