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If Clauses (Conditionals)
Primarily Task 2 (also used in Task 1 for future projections)
Conditional sentences allow you to discuss possibilities, hypothetical situations, and consequences — essential for Task 2 essays when discussing solutions and future implications.
Used for scientific facts, general truths, and habits. Both clauses use present tense.
Rules
- Structure: If + present simple, present simple
- Use for: facts, scientific laws, general truths, automatic consequences
- 'When' can replace 'if' in Zero Conditional without changing meaning
Examples
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If temperatures rise, ice caps melt.
Scientific fact
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If governments invest in education, economic productivity increases.
General causal truth
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When air quality deteriorates, respiratory illnesses become more common.
'When' = 'if' in Zero Conditional
Common grammar mistakes — avoid these in your IELTS essays
✕Do NOT use 'would' in the if-clause (NOT 'If governments would invest...' — say 'If governments invested...')
✕Do NOT mix up Zero and First conditional when the meaning requires a specific one
✕Do NOT use First conditional for clearly hypothetical or unlikely scenarios — use Second conditional
✕Do NOT use Third conditional unnecessarily — it is for past hypotheticals only
✕Do NOT confuse 'if' with 'when' — 'when' implies certainty, 'if' implies condition
✕Do NOT overuse conditionals — they should appear naturally, not in every sentence