Conditionals & wishes · CEFR A2 · Everyday
First conditional — English conditionals
A real possibility in the future.
The shape
If + present, will + plain verb
Talk about what will happen if something does.
In Hindi
भविष्य की असली संभावना।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
If it will rain, we will stay. | If it rains, we will stay. The "if" half stays in the present. |
First conditional examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
If you are tired, rest.
अगर तुम थके हो तो आराम करो।
also correct: If you are tired, take a rest.
If you are hungry, eat something.
अगर तुम्हें भूख लगी है तो कुछ खाओ।
If you need help, tell me.
अगर तुम्हें मदद चाहिए तो मुझे बताओ।
If it rains, I will stay at home.
अगर बारिश हुई तो मैं घर पर रह{ूँगा|ूँगी}।
If you come, we will eat together.
अगर तुम आओगे तो हम साथ खाएँगे।
If I get time, I will call you.
अगर मुझे समय मिला तो मैं तुम्हें फोन कर{ूँगा|ूँगी}।
If the shop is open, I will buy milk.
अगर दुकान खुली है तो मैं दूध खरीद{ूँगा|ूँगी}।
If the bus does not come, we will walk.
अगर बस नहीं आई तो हम पैदल जाएँगे।
If he comes, I will talk to him.
अगर वह आएगा तो मैं उससे बात कर{ूँगा|ूँगी}।
If you are ready, we can go.
अगर तुम तैयार हो तो हम चल सकते हैं।
Learn these first
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Second conditionalB1Imagine a situation that is not real
- When I arrive, I will callB1Talk about two future things without saying "will" twice
- unless / as long as / providedB2Set a condition without saying "if not"
Questions people ask
- What is the first conditional used for?
- A real possibility in the future. In practice: talk about what will happen if something does.
- How do you form the first conditional?
- If + present, will + plain verb.
- What is the most common mistake with the first conditional?
- Saying “If it will rain, we will stay.” instead of “If it rains, we will stay.”. The "if" half stays in the present.
Where first conditional fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
First conditional is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to conditionals & wishes. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
Practise the first conditional →