Two high-value A-Level structures that examiners love: the conditional "si" sentence ("if…, then…") in its three types, and reported speech — turning what someone said into an indirect account, with its trademark tense backshift.
Si + tense → matching result tensereported speech: present → imperfect · future → conditional
Work through each screen and answer the questions — some ask you to recognise the pattern, some to produce it. Collect ⭐ and press Start.
Conditional sentences · Type 1
The real condition
Type 1 is about a real, likely condition. After si you use the present indicative, and the result clause takes the present, future or imperative:
Si + present indicative → present / future / imperativeSi tengo tiempo, iré — "If I have time, I'll go"
Si llueve, me quedo en casa. — "If it rains, I stay at home."
Si estudias, aprobarás. — "If you study, you'll pass."
Golden rule: after si you never use the present subjunctive and never the conditional.
Quick check
A real condition
?Complete (Type 1): Si ___ tiempo, iré. ("If I have time, I'll go.") — from tener, yo.
Conditional sentences · Type 2
The hypothetical condition
Type 2 is hypothetical / unlikely ("if I were to…"). After si you use the imperfect subjunctive, and the result clause takes the conditional:
Si + imperfect subjunctive → conditionalSi tuviera tiempo, iría — "If I had time, I would go"
Si fuera rico, viajaría. — "If I were rich, I would travel."
Si estudiaras más, aprobarías. — "If you studied more, you would pass."
Contrast:Si tengo tiempo, iré (real, likely) vs Si tuviera tiempo, iría (hypothetical). The imperfect subjunctive signals "this probably won't happen".
Sort it
Subjunctive or indicative after "si"?
Quick check
A hypothetical condition
?Complete (Type 2): Si ___ dinero, viajaría. ("If I had money, I would travel.") — from tener, yo.
Type it
Your turn — a Type-2 protasis
1Write the Spanish for "if I had money" (use si + imperfect subjunctive of tener).
Hint: si + tuviera + dinero.
Conditional sentences · Type 3
The impossible past
Type 3 looks back at what could not now change ("if I had…, I would have…"). After si you use the pluperfect subjunctive, and the result takes the conditional perfect:
Si + pluperfect subjunctive → conditional perfectSi hubiera tenido tiempo, habría ido — "If I had had time, I would have gone"
Si hubiera sabido, habría venido. — "If I had known, I would have come."
Si hubieras estudiado, habrías aprobado. — "If you had studied, you would have passed."
Quick check
The impossible-past condition
?Complete (Type 3): Si ___ sabido, habría venido. ("If I had known, I would have come.") — yo.
Sort it
Which "si" takes the subjunctive?
Sort each opener: does this si take the subjunctive (Types 2/3) or the indicative (Type 1, real)?
Si + subjunctive (types 2/3)
Si + indicative (type 1, real)
Type it
Your turn — a Type-3 protasis
2Write the Spanish for "if I had known" (use si + pluperfect subjunctive of saber).
Hint: si + hubiera + the participle sabido.
Reported speech · the backshift
Turning direct speech indirect
When you report what someone said after a past reporting verb (dijo que…), the tense shifts back a step:
direct (present) →
reported (past)
present →
imperfect (estoy → estaba)
preterite / perfect →
pluperfect (fui → había ido)
future →
conditional (iré → iría)
In use:"Estoy cansado" → Dijo que estaba cansado. — "He said he was tired."
Quick check
Reporting the present
?Report it: "Estoy cansado" → Dijo que ___ cansado. ("He said he was tired.")
Game · Match
Match the direct form to its reported form
Tap a direct-speech tense or time-word on the left, then its reported version on the right.
DIRECT
presente
futuro
pretérito
mañana
hoy
aquí
REPORTED
pluscuamperfecto
imperfecto
aquel día
condicional
allí
al día siguiente
Reported speech · time & place
The words that shift too
When you backshift, time and place words move with the tenses:
hoy → aquel día ("today" → "that day")
mañana → al día siguiente ("tomorrow" → "the next day")
aquí → allí ("here" → "there")
Full example:"Vendré mañana" → Dijo que vendría al día siguiente. — future shifts to conditional, mañana shifts to al día siguiente.
Type it
Your turn — report the present
3Report it (from "estoy"): Dijo que ___. ("He said he was [tired].") — give the reported verb.
Hint: present estoy backshifts to the imperfect.
Quick check
Reporting the future
?Report it: "Vendré" → Dijo que ___. ("He said he would come.")
Type it
Your turn — report the future
4Report it (from "iré"): Dijo que ___. ("He said he would go.") — give the reported verb.
Hint: future iré backshifts to the conditional.
Type it
Your turn — a Type-1 protasis
5Write the Spanish for "if it rains" (Type 1: si + present indicative of llover).
Hint: llover is a boot verb → llueve.
The three types at a glance
Pair the tenses correctly
Type 1 (real):Si llueve, me quedo / me quedaré.
Type 2 (hypothetical):Si lloviera, me quedaría.
Type 3 (impossible past):Si hubiera llovido, me habría quedado.
Never after si: the present subjunctive or the plain conditional. Match the pair and you're safe.