Conditional Sentences — English Bac Sciences Humaines

Dans le programme du Bac Sciences Humaines

English carries a coefficient of 3 in the Bac Sciences Humaines stream — level with Arabic Language, just behind History-Geography, Philosophy and French (coefficient 4). It is a genuine average-mover, and the humanities focus of the stream makes its themes on society, citizenship, culture and development especially familiar territory.

À l'épreuve

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (a guided text of about 180 words, longer at the top of the mark range). Sciences Humaines candidates, used to handling ideas and social questions, can bring real substance to essay prompts on culture, citizenship and development — the discipline needed is to keep the writing in clear, accurate English.

Objectifs d'apprentissage

Apply this grammar point accurately in the Language section and in the guided writing of the Bac Sciences Humaines English exam (coefficient 3)
Form and distinguish the zero conditional (general truth) and the first conditional (real future possibility)
Form the second conditional for a hypothetical or unlikely present situation
Form the third conditional for a regret or a hypothesis about a finished past fact
Never use will in the clause introduced by if

Notions clés

Zero and first conditional

Zero: if + present simple, present simple — general truth: “If you heat water to 100°C, it boils.” First: if + present simple, will + base form — real future possibility: “If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.”

Second conditional (unreal present)

if + past simple, would + base form — a hypothetical or unlikely present / future situation: “If I were rich, I would travel the world.” Were replaces was for all subjects in careful style.

Third conditional (unreal past)

if + past perfect, would have + past participle — a hypothetical situation about a past fact, impossible to change: “If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.”

Erreurs fréquentes

Putting will in the if-clause: “If it will rain” is wrong — use “If it rains”.

Confusing the second and third types: the second is about the present / future (if + past simple), the third about a finished past fact (if + past perfect).

Forgetting have in would have + past participle in the third type: “would passed” is wrong — use “would have passed”.

Exemple corrigé

Énoncé

Put the verbs in brackets into the right form (third conditional): “If he (study) harder, he (pass) the exam.”

Correction

Identify the type. The context suggests a regret about a past fact that has already happened (the exam is over): this is the third type.

if-clause structure. if + past perfect: “If he had studied harder”.

Main clause structure. would have + past participle: “he would have passed the exam”.

Result. “If he had studied harder, he would have passed the exam.”

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3 exercices pour t'entraîner

Exercice 1

Easy

Complete (type 1): “If you (not/hurry), you (miss) the bus.”

Voir la correction

“If you don't hurry, you will miss the bus.” — real future possibility: present simple in the if-clause + will in the main clause.

Exercice 2

Medium

Complete (type 2): “If I (be) you, I (accept) the job offer.”

Voir la correction

“If I were you, I would accept the job offer.” — hypothetical present situation: were (not was, careful style) + would + base form.

Exercice 3

Hard

Correct: “If she would have known the truth, she wouldn't have trusted him.”

Voir la correction

Never put would in the if-clause: “If she had known the truth, she wouldn't have trusted him.”

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Questions fréquentes

How do I recognise which conditional type to use?

Ask first whether the situation is real / likely (first), purely hypothetical in the present (second) or a regret about a past fact that has already happened (third). The tense in the if-clause (present, past simple, past perfect) follows directly from that choice.

Can I mix the second and third conditionals?

Yes, in a “mixed conditional” (outside the strict programme but sometimes accepted): if + past perfect, would + base form, for a past regret with present consequences. The Bac focuses on the four classic types.

was or were after if I in the second conditional?

Both exist in speech, but were (“If I were you”) is the form expected in Bac writing, treated as more carefully correct for all subjects.

How much English revision does a coefficient-3 subject deserve in my stream?

A regular slot, not an afterthought. Fix each chapter's rule or vocabulary with two examples, write a short essay every week, and use the society themes — where your stream gives you ideas — as your strongest material. Keep a reusable introduction and conclusion, and check accuracy as you go.

Is this grammar point actually tested on the Bac Sciences Humaines English paper?

Yes — in the Language section as gap-fill, sentence-joining or error-correction, and indirectly in Writing, where the same structures decide whether a sentence is marked as accurate. One rule, two examples and one typical mistake per point is enough to cover both.