Can, Should and Imperatives in Conditionals — Exercises
Practice result clauses that do not use will: can for permission, should for advice, might for uncertainty and imperatives for instructions.
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If you're free on Saturday, ___ me a message.
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send
You're telling someone what to do, not predicting — so the second half is an imperative. Not every conditional ends in 'will'.
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If you finish the report early, you ___ go home.
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can
'Can' gives permission — going home is allowed. 'Would' doesn't go with a real 'if' + present simple, and 'must' never takes 'to'.
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If you're not sure which size to buy, you ___ ask a shop assistant.
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should
'Should' makes this advice rather than a prediction. The 'if' half never changes — it's the second half that carries the speaker's attitude.
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If you see Daniel at the conference, ___ him I said hello.
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tell
An instruction, not a prediction — so the second half is an imperative.
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If the weather's bad on Sunday, we ___ always go to the cinema instead.
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can
'We can always...' offers a fallback option. 'Will' would announce it as already decided.
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If you're still feeling dizzy tomorrow, you ___ see a doctor — don't leave it any longer.
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should
'Don't leave it any longer' makes this advice, so 'should'. 'Can' would only give permission, and 'will' would predict it.
Not Every Conditional Ends in 'Will'
Conditionals are usually introduced with a single template — if + present simple, will + infinitive — and learners reasonably conclude that the second half must contain will. It need not, and treating the template as a rule produces stiff, inaccurate English.
The if-clause is fixed. The result clause is where the speaker's attitude is expressed, and swapping the modal changes what the sentence does. If you finish the report early, you can go home grants permission. If you're not sure which size to buy, you should ask offers advice. If the roads are busy, we might be late admits uncertainty. If you see Daniel, tell him I said hello gives an instruction, using a bare imperative with no subject at all.
None of these is a separate structure to memorise. They are ordinary conditionals with a different word after the comma, and recognising that reduces four apparent rules to one.
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