Conditional Sentences — English Bac STM

Dans le programme du Bac STM

English carries a coefficient of 2 in the Bac Sciences et Technologies Mécaniques (STM) stream. The core subjects are Mathematics and Engineering Sciences (coefficient 7 each), then Physics-Chemistry (coefficient 5). English and Philosophy (coefficient 2) form the margin where candidate rankings and honours are settled. Mastering the structure of a piece of writing matters more here than memorising it.

À l'épreuve

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (about 180 words). Reading technical drawings and function diagrams builds the same skill an essay needs: breaking an argument into parts and rebuilding it as a coherent plan.

Objectifs d'apprentissage

Apply this grammar point accurately in the Language section and in the guided writing of the Bac STM English exam (coefficient 2)
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.

English is far from my mechanical specialism — how do I approach it?

Treat it as a system with inputs and outputs: the input is a prompt, the processing is analysis then discussion, the output is a conclusion that settles the question. Learn that flow, apply it to the 31 chapters with two examples each, and one weekly session is enough to raise the mark.

Is this grammar point actually tested on the Bac STM 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.