Grammar tool
Conditionals & modals — band 7+ moves
Conditionals and modals signal sophistication. A correctly used third conditional or a well-placed "would" can move a Grammar score by half a band.
IELTSTOEFL
The four basic conditionals
| Type | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | If + present, present | General truths | If water reaches 100 °C, it boils. |
| First | If + present, will + V | Real / likely future | If she practices daily, she will pass. |
| Second | If + past, would + V | Unreal / hypothetical present | If governments invested more in education, literacy would rise. |
| Third | If + past perfect, would have + V3 | Unreal past | If I had started earlier, I would have scored higher. |
Mixed conditionals (band 7+)
- Past condition → present result: If I had studied medicine, I would be a doctor now.
- Present condition → past result: If she were more confident, she would have asked for a higher band.
Modals of probability (high to low)
| Modal | Certainty | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | ≈95% sure | She must be exhausted after the test. |
| should | ≈75% | The results should arrive within 13 days. |
| may / might / could | ≈40–60% | The increase may be linked to lockdown habits. |
| can't | ≈99% not | He can't have failed — he was the top of his class. |
High-band moves
- Use "would" in Task 2 to soften claims: "This would suggest …".
- Use "may well" to hedge probability: "This trend may well continue."
- Use "had it not been for …" instead of "if it wasn't for …" in formal writing.
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