Fill in the blank with most appropriate tense:
If you study hard, you _ the exam.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
will pass
Explanation
The sentence is an example of a First Conditional sentence, which is used to talk about a possible future condition and its probable result.
In a standard First Conditional structure, the sentence is divided into two clauses: the "If-clause" (the condition) and the "Main clause" (the result). The rule states that the "If-clause" must be in the Simple Present Tense, while the "Main clause" must be in the Simple Future Tense ($will + \text{verb}$).
Looking at the given sentence, the condition part ("If you study hard") is already written in the simple present tense (study). Therefore, the result clause must use the simple future tense, which makes will pass the only grammatically correct choice.
Key Points
The exact mathematical formula for a First Conditional sentence is: If + Simple Present, Will + Base Verb.
The wrong options "pass" (simple present), "passed" (simple past), and "passing" (continuous) fail to satisfy this specific future-result rule.