IELTS Grammar: Conditionals

Conditionals let you discuss possibilities and hypotheticals — very useful in Task 2 and Speaking Part 3.

The rules with examples

• Zero (facts): “If you heat ice, it melts.”
• First (real future): “If governments invest, pollution will fall.”
• Second (hypothetical): “If I were a policymaker, I would raise taxes.”

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing “will” into the if-clause: “If it will rain…” → “If it rains…”.
• Using “was” instead of “were” in second conditionals (formal writing).