Conditionals in Action

Quick Reference Guide

• Zero Conditional (General Truths / Habits): If + Present Simple, Present Simple
  Example: If you brew Moroccan mint tea without sugar, it tastes bitter.

• First Conditional (Real / Likely Future Situations): If + Present Simple, Will + Verb
  Example: If we catch the early ONCF train from Rabat to Casablanca, we will arrive on time.

• Second Conditional (Unreal / Imaginary Present or Future): If + Past Simple, Would + Verb
  Example: If I had 10,000 MAD right now, I would travel to Merzouga for a desert tour.

• Third Conditional (Unreal Past / Regrets): If + Past Perfect, Would Have + Past Participle
  Example: If Morocco had won the semi-final match in 2022, they would have reached the World Cup Final.

Exercise 1: Souk Negotiation (First Conditional)

Complete the dialogue between a tourist and a shopkeeper in the Marrakech Medina. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Shopkeeper: If you (buy) ________ two handcrafted leather slippers, I (give) ________ you a 20% discount.

2. Tourist: If you (lower) ________ the price to 150 MAD, I (take) ________ this ceramic tagine right now.

3. Shopkeeper: If my master (find) ________ out I sold it for that low, he (be) ________ unhappy!

4. Tourist: Well, if we (not agree) ________ on a fair price, I (walk) ________ to the next bazaar.

Exercise 2: Cultural Realities & Habits (Zero vs. First Conditional)

Choose the correct option to make true statements about everyday life in Morocco.

1. If you (visit / visited) a Moroccan home on a Friday, you usually eat delicious couscous with seven vegetables.

2. If the weather is hot in Agadir this summer, families (will head / headed) straight to the beach.

3. If you leave your mint tea out for too long, it (get / gets) cold.

4. If it rains heavily in the Atlas Mountains tomorrow, snow (will cover / covered) the peaks of Oukaïmeden.

Exercise 3: Alternate Realities (Second Conditional)

Rewrite these real-world situations into Second Conditional sentences.

Example: I don't speak Tamazight, so I can't speak fluently with my grandmother.

Answer: If I spoke Tamazight, I would speak fluently with my grandmother.

1. I don't live near the coast, so I don't go surfing at Taghazout every weekend.
   If I ____________________________________________________________________

2. The tickets for the Africa Cup of Nations match are too expensive, so Amina doesn't go to the stadium.
   If the tickets ___________________________________________________________

3. Youssef doesn't have a driver's license, so he doesn't rent a car to visit Chefchaouen.
   Youssef _________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4: Looking Back at the Past (Third Conditional)

Complete the sentences using the Third Conditional to express past regrets or hypothetical past situations.

1. If the students (study) ________________ harder last week, they (pass) ________________ the regional exam with high honors.

2. If Mehdi (not miss) ________________ the Supratours bus to Essaouira yesterday, he (arrive) ________________ in time for the music festival.

3. If we (order) ________________ the pastilla in advance, the restaurant (prepare) ________________ it for our family gathering.

4. If it (not rain) ________________ so heavily last night, the road to the Todra Gorge (not be) ________________ blocked.

Exercise 5: Spot the Mistake! (Error Correction)

Each sentence below contains ONE conditional error. Identify the mistake and rewrite the corrected sentence.

1. If you mix Argan oil with almond paste and honey, you would make Amlou.
   Correction: ______________________________________________________________

2. If I will travel to Dakhla next spring, I will try kitesurfing for the first time.
   Correction: ______________________________________________________________

3. If Karima had more free time, she will learn how to bake traditional Kaab El Ghazal.
   Correction: ______________________________________________________________

4. If Salim saved enough money last year, he would have bought a new smartphone.
   Correction: ______________________________________________________________

Exercise 6: Creative Writing - The Moroccan Dreamer

Finish the following sentences using your own imaginative ideas. Make sure to match the conditional type!

1. If I won a free weekend stay at a luxury Riad in Fes, _______________________________________

2. If you drink too much spicy Harira soup on an empty stomach, _____________________________

3. If our school organizes a field trip to the Ouarzazate Film Studios, ___________________________