Using Conditionals in the IELTS for Band 7 in Writing and Speaking
The Conditionals for IELTS help boost the Band scores in the Grammar Range and accuracy (GRA) band descriptor, positively affecting the other areas. Thus, students often score high on exams.
For IELTS Writing Task 2, using conditions dramatically improves your GRA (Grammar Range and Accuracy) and helps you to score Band 7 in the writing module.
Students who appear for the General Training (GT) exam often fail to use conditionals to show range in their grammar.
The same is true for Writing Task 1 and also for Speaking.
Have you ever seen someone speaking or writing like Band 4-5? If so, you would understand the importance of using conditionals in your content.
We have designed these Conditionals for the IELTS page so you can understand them best. You will also find a PDF with examples of the conditionals.
| Conditional Type | If Clause (Condition) | Main Clause (Result) | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero Conditional | If + present simple (subject + base verb + object) | Present simple (subject + base verb + object) | General truths, facts, scientific laws | If you heat ice, it melts. |
| First Conditional | If + present simple (subject + base verb + object) | Will + base verb (subject + will + base verb + object) | Real and possible future situations | If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the trip. |
| Second Conditional | If + past simple (subject + past verb + object) | Would + base verb (subject + would + base verb + object) | Hypothetical/unreal situations in present or future | If I had wings, I would fly around the world. |
| Third Conditional | If + past perfect (subject + had + past participle + object) | Would have + past participle (subject + would have + past participle + object) | Hypothetical/unreal past situations (regrets) | If she had studied, she would have passed the exam. |
| Mixed Conditional | If + past perfect (subject + had + past participle + object) | Would + base verb (subject + would + base verb + object) | Mixing past and present/future conditions | If I had worked harder in school, I would be rich now. |
