Conditionals

English Grammar Basic (A1) · 10 lessons

If you are tired, _____ to bed early.

  • go
  • goes
  • going
  • gone
Why:

A. go is correct because the sentence structure is "If you are tired, _____ to bed early." This is an imperative (command) form, which uses the base verb without any endings. You're telling someone what to do.

B. goes is wrong because "goes" is third-person singular (he/she/goes), but imperative commands don't use this form.

C. going is wrong because this is a gerund/participle form that doesn't work in this sentence structure—you need the base verb for a command.

D. gone is wrong because this is past participle and doesn't fit the meaning or grammar of an imperative sentence.

If it rains, I _____ an umbrella.

  • bring
  • brings
  • brought
  • bringed
Why:

A. bring ✓

  • This is a conditional sentence ("if it rains") that describes a general habit or routine, so you need the simple present tense.
  • "Bring" is the correct base form for the first-person subject "I."

Why the others are wrong:

  • B. brings — This is third-person singular (he/she/it brings), but "I" requires the base form.
  • C. brought — Past tense doesn't fit; you're talking about what you do when it rains, not something that already happened.
  • D. bringed — Not a real word; "bring" is irregular, so the past tense is "brought," not "bringed."

If you eat too much, you _____ sick.

  • get
  • gets
  • got
  • getting
Why:

Why A is correct:
"Get" is the base verb form that matches the subject "you" (second person). In present tense, "you" always uses the base form without an -s ending.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (gets): The -s ending is only for third person singular (he/she/it), not "you"
- C (got): This is past tense, but the sentence describes a general fact/present situation
- D (getting): This is a gerund/participle form; it doesn't work as the main verb here

If it snows, I _____ a snowman.

  • make
  • makes
  • made
  • maked
Why:

A. make is correct because this is a conditional sentence ("If it snows..."). The main clause uses the simple present tense to match the present tense in the if-clause, following the first conditional pattern.

B. makes is wrong because "makes" is third person singular (he/she/it makes), but "I" is first person and needs "make."

C. made is wrong because this is past tense, but the conditional describes a future possibility, not something that already happened.

D. maked is wrong because "make" is irregular—the past tense is "made," never "maked."

If you don't study, you _____ the exam.

  • fail
  • fails
  • failed
  • failing
Why:

A. fail ✓

This sentence uses the second conditional structure: "If + present tense, + will + base verb." The correct form is "will fail" (though "will" is implied here). Fail is the base verb form needed after "will."

Why the others are wrong:
- B. fails — This is third-person singular (he/she fails), but "you" always uses the base form "fail"
- C. failed — Past tense doesn't fit; we're talking about a future consequence
- D. failing — This is a gerund/present participle, not the verb form needed here

If you are ill, what should you do?

  • Go to the doctor
  • Stay at home
  • Call your friend
  • Play video games
Why:

A. Go to the doctor ✓
A doctor can diagnose what's wrong and give you proper treatment to get better. They have medical training and can prescribe medicine if needed.

Why the others are wrong:
- B. Stay at home — While rest helps, you need professional medical advice to know what's actually wrong and how to treat it.
- C. Call your friend — Friends can offer support, but they can't diagnose or treat illness.
- D. Play video games — This doesn't address the illness at all and might make you feel worse.

What happens if you mix red and blue?

  • You get purple
  • You get green
  • You get orange
  • You get black
Why:

Why A is correct:
Red and blue are primary colors that mix together to create purple, a secondary color. This works with both light (additive color) and paint/pigments (subtractive color).

Why the others are wrong:
- B (green): Green comes from mixing blue and yellow, not red and blue.
- C (orange): Orange comes from mixing red and yellow, not red and blue.
- D (black): Black results from mixing all colors together or removing all light—not just two primary colors.

If it rains, what should you do?

  • Take an umbrella
  • Go for a swim
  • Wear sunglasses
  • Play soccer
Why:

A. Take an umbrella ✓
Rain makes you wet, so an umbrella protects you by blocking the water from falling on you.

B. Go for a swim ✗
While rain is water, going swimming in rain isn't a practical response to rain itself—you'd get wet anyway and it could be unsafe.

C. Wear sunglasses ✗
Sunglasses are for bright sunlight, not rain. Rain actually blocks the sun, so sunglasses wouldn't help and might make it harder to see.

D. Play soccer ✗
Rain makes surfaces slippery and unsafe for sports, so this is the opposite of what you should do.

What do you do if you are hungry?

  • Eat some food
  • Take a nap
  • Go for a walk
  • Watch a movie
Why:

Why A is correct:
When you're hungry, your body needs fuel, so eating food is the direct solution to satisfy that need.

Why the others don't work:
- B (Take a nap): Sleep doesn't address hunger; you'd just wake up still hungry.
- C (Go for a walk): Exercise might make hunger worse, not better.
- D (Watch a movie): Entertainment is a distraction but doesn't actually feed you.

If you don't study, what happens?

  • You fail the exam
  • You get a good grade
  • You become a genius
  • You win a scholarship
Why:

• A is correct: Not studying means you lack the knowledge and preparation needed to answer exam questions correctly, so you'll likely fail.

• B is wrong: Good grades require learning the material, which studying provides. Without it, your performance drops.

• C is wrong: Genius is innate intelligence, not something that develops from *not* studying. Even naturally smart people need to study to do well on exams.

• D is wrong: Scholarships are awarded for strong academic performance or achievements, which require studying and good grades.

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