complete your homework on time which type of sentence

Every Type of Sentence, Explained

Every sentence is unique. That’s a declarative sentence. 

But what makes every sentence unique? That’s an interrogative sentence. 

When you understand each unique type of sentence, you’ll become a stronger writer. That’s a conditional sentence. 

Understanding the different sentence types and how they function together in your writing is more than just recognizing them. Read on to learn more about how the different sentence types operate, how to structure them, and how to make sure you’re using them correctly. 

That last one was an imperative sentence. 

Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines? Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. It even proofreads your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write.

Your writing, at its best Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

Types of sentence based on function 

Sentences can be classified in two ways: based on their function and based on their structure. When you describe a sentence based on its function, you’re describing it based on what it does. 

Declarative sentences

A declarative sentence is a sentence that:

• Makes a statement
• Provides an explanation
• Conveys one or more facts

Declarative sentences are among the most common sentences in the English language. You use them every day. They end with periods.

Here are a few examples of declarative sentences: 

• I forgot to wear a hat today.
• Your pizza is doughy because you didn’t cook it long enough.
• Spiders and crabs are both members of the arthropod family.

Interrogative sentences

An interrogative sentence is a sentence that asks a question, like:

• How many pet iguanas do you have?
• May I sit here?
• Aren’t there enough umbrellas to go around?

One hallmark of interrogative sentences is that they usually begin with pronouns or auxiliary verbs. When this kind of sentence does start with the subject, it’s usually in colloquial speech. For example:

• He went there again?
• Rats can’t swim, right?

Exclamatory sentences

Much like an interrogative question ends with a question mark, an exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation mark. These sentences communicate heightened emotion and are often used as greetings, warnings, or rallying cries. Examples include:

• High voltage! Do not touch!
• This is Sparta!

The only difference between a declarative sentence and an exclamatory one is the punctuation at the end. But that punctuation makes a big difference in how the reader or listener interprets the sentence. Consider the difference between these:

• It’s snowing.
• It’s snowing!

Imperative sentences

An imperative sentence is a sentence that gives the reader advice, instructions, a command or makes a request. 

An imperative sentence can end in either a period or an exclamation point, depending on the urgency of the sentiment being expressed. Imperative sentences include:

• Get off my lawn!
• After the timer dings, take the cookies out of the oven. 
• Always pack an extra pair of socks.

With an imperative sentence, the subject is generally omitted because the reader understands they’re the one being addressed. 

Conditional sentences

Conditional sentences are sentences that discuss factors and their consequences in an if-then structure. Their structure is:

Conditional clause (typically known as the if-clause) + consequence of that clause. 

A basic example of a conditional sentence is: 

• When you eat ice cream too fast, you get brain freeze.

Getting more specific, that sentence is an example of a zero conditional sentence. There are actually four types of conditional sentences, which we cover in detail (and explain which tense to use with each) in our  post on conditional sentences . 

Types of sentence based on structure

The other way to categorize sentences is to classify them based on their structure . Each of the types of sentences discussed above also fits into the categories discussed below. 

Simple sentences

A simple sentence is the most basic type of sentence. This kind of sentence consists of just one independent  clause , which means it communicates a complete thought and contains a subject and a verb.

A few examples of simple sentences include:

• How are you?
• She built a garden.
• We found some sea glass.

A simple sentence is the smallest possible grammatically correct sentence. Anything less is known as a  sentence fragment . 

Complex sentences

In contrast to a simple sentence, a complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. While an independent clause can be its own sentence, a dependent clause can’t. Dependent clauses rely on the independent clauses in their sentences to provide context.

Dependent clauses appear after a conjunction or marker word or before a comma. Marker words are words like whenever, although, since, while, and before. These words illustrate relationships between clauses. 

The following are complex sentences:

• Before you enter my house, take off your shoes. 
• Matt plays six different instruments, yet never performs in public. 

Compound sentences

Compound sentences are sentences that contain two or more independent clauses. In a compound sentence, the clauses are generally separated by either a comma paired with a  coordinating conjunction or a  semicolon . In some cases, they can be separated by a colon. 

Examples of compound sentences include:

• I was thirsty, so I drank water.
• She searched through her entire closet; she could not find her denim jacket.

How can you tell if you have a compound sentence? Swap out your semicolon, colon, or coordinating conjunction for a period. If you now have two distinct, complete sentences, you’ve got a compound sentence. 

Compound-complex sentences

When a sentence has two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause, that sentence is a compound-complex sentence. These are long sentences that communicate a significant amount of information. The clauses don’t need to be in any specific order; as long as you’ve got at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause, you’ve got a compound-complex sentence. 

Here are a few examples of compound-complex sentences:

• I needed a new computer, so I got a laptop because they’re portable.
• The students were excited; they could go home early because of the power outage. 

Make every one of your sentences stronger

All sentences are not created equally. And that means some types of sentences are a little bit harder to get just right. Before you send that next email or submit your next paper, have  Grammarly give your writing a once-over and suggest ways to make every one of your sentences as strong as it can be . 

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

"you should make on your homework on time" is this sentence grammatically correct?

I want to specify a condition which is "make homework on time. don't postpone".

Can I use "make on" to describe this situation?

I'm open to suggestions.

• No, you cannot. You don't use make this way. You'd use another verb like complete, finish, submit, depending on what your purpose was. –  FeliniusRex - gone Commented May 14, 2021 at 20:34

No, that is not grammatical.

The usual form is "You should submit your homework on time." or "You should turn in your homework on time."

Even if it were proper grammar, at least to me, 'making' homework speaks only to completing it but says nothing about actually giving it to the instructor.

• 1 Or simply ' Do your homework'. –  Kate Bunting Commented May 14, 2021 at 18:38
• Again, "Do your homework", at least to me, speaks only of completing the work not giving it to the instructor. The latter is the real point to the time limit (you of course have to complete it before handing it over but completing the work is only part of the task). –  SoronelHaetir Commented May 14, 2021 at 18:44
• 1 I assumed the OP to mean "Do your homework now, don't put it off." –  Kate Bunting Commented May 14, 2021 at 18:46

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged word-usage ..

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• How can I address my colleague communicating with us via chatGPT?
• Short story involving a dystopian future, suspended animation, and a dumbing of society solution
• Do cities usually form at the mouth of rivers or closer to the headwaters?
• What is the difference between ‘coming to Jesus’ and ‘believing in Jesus’ in John 6:35
• Cannot find where \IfPackageLoadedTF described
• Miracle Miracle Octad Generator Generator
• Did US troops insist on segregation in British pubs?
• Reduce String Length With Thread Safety & Concurrency
• Rocky Mountain Bee-plant
• Invalid coefficients in Quantum Process Tomography of the Hadamard gate
• In the US, can I buy iPhone and Android phones and claim them as expense?
• Which cards use −5 V and −12 V in IBM PC compatible systems?
• When a submarine blows its ballast and rises, where did the energy for the ascent come from?
• How to determine if a set is countable or uncountable?
• concrete slab for shed base
• Melee Opportunist--making opportunity attacks have some bite for melee characters
• Is it possible to approximately compile Toffoli using H and CSWAP?
• High CPU Usage by Unknown Process with Garbled Command Name on Linux Server – Potential Trojan?
• Distribute realized geometry based on field values
• How is the grammar of this sentence explained?
• When was this photo taken?
• Are automorphisms of matrix algebras necessarily determinant preservers?
• Help Identify SMD Part Marking ATPJ
• Picture inside the proof environment

Sentence Checker

Free online spell and grammar checker based on  LanguageTool an open source proofreading software. To check the text please type or paste it into the field below and click Check text.

• 0 spelling errors
• 0 grammar errors
• 0 style issues

Check text to get stats

No mistakes were found

Check your text for errors, choose the best possible corrections from the suggested ones, and learn with the help of our service. The algorithm will detect syntactic, grammatical, and stylistic errors, suggest replacement options, and explain its decision in detail. On SentenceChecker.com you can check the text of any complexity, because our databases contain a large number of rules. We have made sure that working with the text is convenient and fast for you. Here’s how to use our tool...

Paste or Enter Text

There is a field for your text on the website. You can enter your own text into it or paste it by copying it from another location. You can use keyboard shortcuts to undo and revert changes:

• Windows, Linux: Ctrl+Z (undo), Ctrl+Shift+Z, and Ctrl+Y (redo);
• macOS: Cmd+Z (undo), Cmd+Shift+Z (redo).
• iOS, iPadOS: tap with three fingers on the input field, left arrow (undo), right arrow (redo);
• Android: native implementation, depends on the manufacturer.

Select the Language to Check the Text

Our site offers a large number of languages, as well as different dialects, if any. Choose the appropriate language for your text. The language selection field is located to the left above the input field. We also recommend that you take into dialect, because the rules between them often differ.

Languages supported by our service: Arabic, Asturian, Belarusian, Breton, Catalan, Catalan (Valencian), Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English (Australian), English (British), English (Canadian), English (New Zealand), English (South African), English (US), Esperanto, French, Galician, German (Austria), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Greek, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Angola), Portuguese(Brazil), Portuguese (Mozambique), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Ukrainian.

Run the Text Validation Algorithm

Click on the «Check text» button on the right under the input field, this action will start the algorithm. The text will be sent to our server, where the algorithm will check it for errors and return the result. We do not store your text on our servers. During the verification process, the input field becomes unavailable. After the server returns the result, the service will select the sections of text where the algorithm detected some issue. Now you can proceed to correction.

Correct Errors in the Text

Information about the errors is displayed to the right above the input field. You can click on any of the items and start correcting errors of this category, or click on the highlighted areas in the text and follow them.

When you see the text «No mistakes were found» instead of the number of errors, it means that the text is checked and contains no errors. If «Check text to get stats» is displayed instead, then you need to perform an additional check by clicking on the «Check text» button.

In some cases, the algorithm does not provide options for replacing errors, but offers to ignore them. This is due to the type of error or unfamiliar situations. Usually, this does not happen. If you think that everything is correct, then you can ignore the error.

Ignoring the Error

Ignoring the error means excluding this rule from the list for text checkup. This error will not be detected throughout the text and it will not be brought to your attention later in the course of work. This feature is necessary when you want to leave the writing as it is and do not want to be distracted by it in the future.

Types of Sentences

Written by tutor nevin b..

There are four types of sentences that are used in writing – declarative, exclamatory, imperative and interrogative. Each type is used in a specific situation and each has its own punctuation mark.

Declarative

Declarative sentences make a statement and they are punctuated by a period. Some examples include:

I went to the store yesterday. The brown dog jumped over the fence. Ms. Jones wore a red shirt.

Exclamatory

Exclamatory sentences contain a strong emotion and end with an exclamation mark. Some examples include:

I love you so much! I am excited to watch this movie! It’s a great day!

Imperative sentences make a command or request. They typically end with a period, but sometimes end with an exclamation mark. Some examples include:

Take out the trash. Please be quiet. Give me your wallet!

Interrogative

Interrogative sentences ask a question and they end with a question mark. Some examples include:

Where did you go yesterday? What is the capital of Maine? Did you finish your homework?

In verbal English, we use the four types of sentences frequently. It is just as important to include different types in your writing. Let’s take a look at an example of a paragraph that only uses declarative sentences.

Last week my family and I went to the amusement park. We had a lot of fun. We went on many rides including the roller coaster and Ferris wheel. I was scared to go on the roller coaster at first but I’m sure glad I went on it. At the end of the day, I was happy but ready to go home.

Now let’s take a look at a similar paragraph that utilizes all four types of sentences.

Last week my family and I went to the amusement park. It was a blast! Have you been on a roller coaster before? It was my first time and I loved it. I was scared at first but I told myself, “Just do it!” and I’m sure glad I did. I had a great day with my family but by the end of the day I was tired and ready to go home. Now tell me about a fun time you’ve experienced!

As you may notice, using different types of sentences makes the paragraph more engaging and entertaining.

Types of Sentences Practice Quiz

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge on types of sentences!

Choose the sentence that has correct punctuation:

This is an interrogative sentence, which means it ends with a question mark.

This is an imperative sentence, because it is a request. Therefore, it should end with a period.

This is a declarative sentence, because it states a fact. Therefore, it should end with a period.

This is an exclamatory sentence, because it expresses an enthusiastically strong emotion. Therefore, it should end with an exclamation point.

• Language Learning
• Which British TV shows do you think come closest to capturing the essence of modern, everyday English?
• What is the difference between narrative past? What is the difference between progressive progressive and active present tense?
• present, past or it is a family language!!??

Subjunctive Quiz

You can do this grammar quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on the Subjunctive page.

1. It is essential that she _____ at the meeting.

2. If I _____ you I would call her tonight.

3. It is necessary that every student _____ a uniform.

4. I hope that he _____ his homework on time.

5. The doctors recommended that she _____ a holiday.

6. The boss asks that you _____ early for your first day of work.

7. If he _____ feeling better we would go.

8. It is important that we _____ home as soon as we arrive.

9. The landlord requested that John _____ out of the apartment.

10. We want the windows _____ washed before Friday.

Your score is:

Correct answers:

4 Tips for Completing Your Homework On Time

• Study Skills
• Test Prep Strategies
• SAT Test Prep
• ACT Test Prep
• GRE Test Prep
• LSAT Test Prep
• Certifications
• Homework Help
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning

• B.A., English, University of Michigan

Homework, a necessary evil according to many teachers, has a lot of students tied up in knots. Some students can never seem to get things turned in on time. In fact, many students do not even realize that they  have  homework until a friend from class texts them or they overhear someone in the halls talking about Ms. So-and-so's terrible, no-good, awful, horrifying worksheet for Chemistry that is due the next day. These five tips for completing your homework on time, however, should help you get that homework finished on time. 

Tip 1: Rely On a Planning System

Most of you by now are well acquainted with a homework planner. It has the dates, the school subjects you are taking, and a whole lot of blank space to write down your homework assignments. Use these planners if you have them. Writing with an actual pencil or pen may seem almost archaic what with technology virtually doing everything for us, but the kinesthetic movement of writing down an assignment into one of those little squares (Language Arts test tomorrow - STUDY TONIGHT), will actually help solidify that homework in your brain.

Plus, when you are packing up to go home at the end of the school day, all you have to do is open up that planner to see which books, folders, and binders need to go home with you so you will not miss out anything that you need to do that evening.

Some people  hate  using planners. They'd rather walk on a pile of crushed glass than actually write something down in a planner. That's quite all right. One student kept a wadded up piece of paper in his pocket where he'd scrawl his assignments. It worked for him, so it was fine. For those of you not keen on planners or crumpled up notes, your phone can come in really handy. Just download a productivity app and type your assignments in there. Or, keep track of all the work due in the notes section of your phone. Or, snap a picture of the homework board in each teacher's class before you head out into the hallway. Or, if you are really dead-set against anything planner-related, then just send yourself a text after each class with your homework assignments for the night.

No matter which planning system you prefer, use it. Check off each item once you get it in your backpack. Your brain can only process so much information at a time, so you absolutely must write your homework down if you plan to complete it on time. 

Tip 2: Prioritize Your Homework Assignments

All assignments are not created equal. It's strongly recommended you use a prioritizing system when you sit down at home with your homework. Try a system a little something like this:

• Examples: Studying for a major test coming up tomorrow. Finishing a major project due tomorrow. Writing an essay worth a LOT of points that is due tomorrow. 
• Examples:  Studying for a quiz coming up tomorrow. Completing a homework sheet that is due tomorrow. Reading a chapter that is due tomorrow. 
• Examples: Studying for a spelling test that will occur on Friday. Writing a blog and posting it on the class board by Friday. Finish a book upon which you will take a quiz on Friday.
• Examples: Reviewing chapters for the midterm exam. Working on an on-going project, research paper, or long assignment due at the end of the quarter. Completing a packet that isn't due for two weeks. 

Once you've prioritized the work you have to do, complete all the 1's first, then the 2's, moving down as you go. That way, if you find yourself pressed for time because Great-Grandma decided to stop over for family dinner and your mom insisted you spend the evening playing bridge with her despite the fact that you have hours of homework ahead of you, then you will not have missed anything vitally important to your grade. 

Tip 3: Get the Worst Assignment Over With First

So, maybe you absolutely hate writing essays (But, why, though when all you have to do is follow these essay tips? ) and you have a major essay staring you in the face that  must  be completed before tomorrow. You also have to study for a major math test, complete a social studies blog by Friday, study for the ACT  next month, and finish up your science worksheet from class. Your "1" assignments would be the essay and the math test. Your "2" assignment is the science worksheet, the "3" assignment is that blog, and the "4" assignment is studying for the ACT. 

Ordinarily, you would start with the science worksheet because you  love  science, but that would be a big mistake. Start with those "1" assignments and knock out that essay first. Why? Because you hate it. And completing the worst assignment first gets it off your mind, out of your homework cache, and makes everything that comes after it appears to be really, really easy. It will be an absolute  joy  to complete that science worksheet once you have written the essay. Why rob yourself of joy? 

Then, once you've completed the stuff due first, you can focus on putting in a little bit of time on the ACT. Easy peasy.

Tip 4: Take Planned Breaks

Some people believe that sitting down to complete homework means that you literally park your behind in a chair and you don't move it for the next four thousand hours or so. That is one of the worst study ideas in history. Your brain only has the capacity to stay focused for about 45 minutes (maybe even less for some of you) before it goes on the fritz and starts wanting to make you get up and dance the Roger Rabbit. So, schedule your study time with breaks actually built in . Work for 45 minutes, then take a 10-minute break to do whatever it is people your age like to do. Then, rinse and repeat. It looks a little something like this:

Homework Time:

• 45 minutes: Work on "1" assignments, starting with the absolute worst.
• 10 minutes: Get a snack, play Pokemon Go!, surf Instagram
• 45 minutes: Work on "1" assignments again. You know you didn't finish.
• 10 minutes: Do some jumping jacks, dance the Macarena, polish your nails.
• 45 minutes: Work on "2" assignments and maybe even finish with any 3s and 4s. Put everything in your backpack.

Completing your homework on time is a learned skill. It requires some discipline and not everyone is naturally disciplined. So, you have to practice checking that you have everything you need for homework when you are still at school, prioritizing your work, plunging into the assignments you loathe, and taking planned breaks. Isn't your grade worth it?

You bet it is. 

• Tips for Studying for a Midterm Exam
• How to Take Notes with the Cornell Note System
• 8 Study Tips To Prepare for a Test
• 7 Study Tips Smart Students Use
• What's Your Learning Language?
• Effective Reading Strategies
• How To Take Notes
• 10 Ways to Maximize Your Study Time
• 5 Tips for Studying for Final Exams in College
• 6 Steps for Self-Discipline When You Study
• How to Create a Rubric in 6 Steps
• How to Study for a Vocabulary Quiz
• 20 Creative Study Methods
• 7 Motivational Quotes to Memorize Before the Big Exam
• How to Use Multiple Intelligences to Study for a Test
• Learn About the Top 9 Places to Study

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

"In time" versus "on time"

Which one is correct:

Submit your work in time. Submit your work on time.

• word-choice
• grammaticality
• prepositions

• One sense of 'in time' answers seem to have missed is the 'after a [considerable] time' usage: 'Nietzsche foresaw that in time men would devolve into what he called ...'. I'll not add this as more than a footnote as this sense isn't relevant for your example sentence. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Feb 8 at 13:36

7 Answers 7

"In time" usually has an implicit "for (some event)", whereas "on time" means "before some deadline".

The "event" could be a deadline, but in that case "on time" is much more common.

"I got there in time for the parade"

"I delivered the report in time for him to read it before the meeting"

"I got to town in time (for)/(to catch) the last train"

"I got there in time" - meaning "in time for some event which is assumed to be known".

"I got there on time" - meaning "before the deadline" - which may be known to the hearer, but does not need to be, because the phrase itself implies a deadline as opposed to some other event.

On time means at a particular designated time, i.e. neither especially early nor late. The train is scheduled to arrive on time at 13:36.

In time means early enough , i.e. before a deadline or another cutoff. Passengers were required to be at the gate by 3:05pm; we didn't get to the airport till 3, but there was no line at security, so we still made it in time.

• There is usually another reference to 'in time' as in "at this point in time". Here 'point in' suggests a specific/designated time, doesn't it? –  Fr0zenFyr Commented May 5, 2012 at 6:28
• On time can also mean: before a particular designated time (a deadline). –  reinierpost Commented Jul 31, 2018 at 9:28
• 'In time' often has a sense of 'inconvenience ... problem ... disaster averted'. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Feb 8 at 13:31

In this case, "on time" is the proper choice.

More details about the differences:

"In time" is used to suggest that I was able to perform an action before another event occurred:

I was able to reach you in time.

The difference between "in time" and "on time" would be deadlines or schedules that revolve around very specific date or hour:

The train was on time. The project was completed on time.

Of note, the phrases can also be used in other unrelated contexts:

(in music) Step in time. Dorian Gray was stuck in time.

• 1 I am a teacher and i have given my students an assignment and i asked them to submit that tomorrow .how to remind them "submit your work on time "or "in time" –  aliya Commented Mar 22, 2011 at 18:10
• 1 "On time" is correct. –  MrHen Commented Mar 22, 2011 at 18:14
• @aliya: The first sentence says, "In this case, 'on time' is the proper choice." –  Ullallulloo Commented Mar 22, 2011 at 18:16
• @aliya: No problem. It is a tricky, subtle difference between the words. Don't forget to check Robusto or my answer as accepted to help other people who have the same question. –  MrHen Commented Mar 22, 2011 at 18:22

Without further reference, on time is probably a better construction. A time has been set (a deadline) and the task will be done by then.

The project was scheduled for three months and it came in on time.

In time is usually used to refer to being completed in relation to something else.

I arrived at home in time to see my children before they left for school.

It seems to be the prepositional phrase for xxx that makes the difference. If I say,

Please submit your paper in time.

You may ask

In time for what?

But if I say

Please submit your paper on time.

You might ask

When is it due?

• That's a nice way to sort out which one to use. –  cram2208 Commented May 25, 2019 at 5:18

The two are both proper grammar. However, they carry different meanings. "Let the task be done on time." implies it to be completed by a certain time (usually a scheduled deadline) and no later. "Let the task be done in time." implies the task should be completed by the specified time.

Let's use different verbs: "Let the task be started on time." implies it to be started at a certain time and no earlier. "Let the task be started in time." implies the task should be started by the specified time and no later.

Because of limited context, it is hard to say which would fit this case better.

• 1 I was just writing that. –  Kit Z. Fox ♦ Commented Aug 1, 2012 at 17:35
• 1 You beat me to another answer earlier today. Sweet revenge... –  Luke_0 Commented Aug 1, 2012 at 17:36
• @downvoter Could you please leave a comment to explain? –  Luke_0 Commented Aug 1, 2012 at 18:15
• 1 I'm not your downvoter, but in your example these are incredibly likely to mean the exact same thing. People usually don't complain about early completion of a task. A better example would be the start of scheduled maintenance; people would care if that started early. –  Chris Commented Aug 1, 2012 at 18:37

You would use "on time" to mean by a certain specific date an time. "In time" describes an event in which the chronology may not be that explicit.

Papers are due on 11/15 by noon. All students are expected to submit their papers on time. Do you think we can get help on this project in time for it to be useful?

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged word-choice grammaticality prepositions time in-on or ask your own question .

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• Miracle Miracle Octad Generator Generator
• In the US, can I buy iPhone and Android phones and claim them as expense?
• How to ensure a BSD licensed open source project is not closed in the future?
• Asymptotic consistency of the Clopper-Pearson interval
• A short story about a SF author telling his friends, as a joke, a harebrained SF story, and what follows
• Submitting a paper as a nonacademic practitioner in a field
• What is the difference between ‘coming to Jesus’ and ‘believing in Jesus’ in John 6:35
• Do mini-humans need a "real" Saturn V to reach the moon?
• The hat-check problem
• Metrisability of Adele ring
• If physics can be reduced to mathematics (and thus to logic), does this mean that (physical) causation is ultimately reducible to implication?
• Will this be the first time, that there are more People an ISS than seats in docked Spacecraft?
• Time dilation with variable time scale
• Dual-555 servo controller: how to "stabilize" without two separate voltage regulators?
• Picture inside the proof environment
• High CPU Usage by Unknown Process with Garbled Command Name on Linux Server – Potential Trojan?
• R Squared Causal Inference
• Is there anything that stops the majority shareholder(s) from destroying company value?
• Rocky Mountain Bee-plant
• How can I draw water level in a cylinder like this?
• Relation linking pairs of non-negative continuous or integer variables
• Is there any reason for the ark that holds the Torah to be vertical?
• Flight left while checked in passenger queued for boarding
• concrete slab for shed base

• Student Login:

English Conditional Sentences — Zero and First Conditionals with Examples [Updated]

Nov 11, 2020 | Conditionals in English , Grammar , Modal Verbs

This lesson on the Zero and First Conditional in English has been updated. The original lesson on this topic was published in November 2015.

Have you memorized the formulas for English conditional sentences but still feel confused about how and when to use them?

That’s understandable. Learning the formulas is a good start but to use them easily (and correctly) it’s important to understand exactly how we use conditionals in English conversation.

That’s what you’ll get in today’s Confident English lesson.

With today’s focus on Zero and First Conditionals, you’ll get practical examples of how to use English conditional sentences to share:

Probabilities

Future Consequences

Promises and Warnings

Most English classes and grammar books teach you the basic rules of conditionals, such as: If + present simple + will + infinitive

Again, that can be useful. But it doesn’t help you understand how to really use conditionals in your daily English life. This lesson will.

Don’t forget to review the other lessons in this series:

• Part 2: Second Conditionals in English

Zero vs. First Conditional in English

• When I’m too tired to cook, I order take-out. (zero conditional)
• If I’m too tired to cook tonight, I’ll order some take-out. (first conditional)

These two sentences are very similar but there is a difference in meaning between the two – can you identify the difference?

Read the sentences again and answer:

• Which one is a general truth?
• Which one is a likely probability?

If you’re not sure, let’s take a closer look at the Zero and First Conditional to help you answer those questions.

How to Use the Zero Conditional in English

Expressing General Truths

We can use the Zero Conditional to show or express a general truth. To do this, we use the Present Simple in both clauses. For example:

• If you heat ice, it melts.

That is a truth. Plain and simple.

Tip: With the Zero Conditional, we often replace “if” with “when.” For example:

• When/If I drink too much coffee, I get a headache.

Talking About Routines

We can also use this Zero Conditional structure to talk about our routines. Routines are things that we do regularly. For example:

• When I wake up, I always drink coffee first.
• When he goes to work, he rides his bicycle.
• When I arrive in the morning, I check my email first.

Can you think of some similar examples? Share them in the comments below.

How to Use the First Conditional in English

Can you predict – with 100% certainty – what will happen tomorrow? Do you always know exactly what will happen in the future? Probably not (but if you can – please tell me! I’d love to know the future!). 🙂

Okay. So we can’t tell the future with 100% certainty but we can express that we think something is very likely to happen or is probable.

And for this, we use the First Conditional. This form shows us something is likely in the future or very likely in the future based on a present situation or event.

Another helpful way to think of this is a REAL situation or event. Sometimes we refer to the First Conditional as the Real Conditional. Let’s look at an example:

• If it snows a lot tomorrow (present situation), the city will cancel school (future probability).

We are not 100% certain that the city will cancel school, but it is likely. We use the future tense (-the city will cancel school) to show that we are talking about a probable result in the future and it is a real. Here are two more examples:

• If it rains tomorrow, I will not go on my hike.
• If we complete this project under budget, the customer will be thrilled.

Sometimes a present situation or event can have a future consequence. These consequences may be positive or negative, for example:

• Pizza sounds amazing for dinner! But if I eat it, I’ll feel terrible about it in the morning. → the future, negative consequence is I’ll feel terrible about it
• Sure, salads seem boring sometimes. But if I eat something healthy, I’ll sleep better. → a future, positive consequence.
• If you develop an effective self-care routine , you will be able to manage stress and anxiety better.
• If we don’t complete this project on time, the boss will be furious. → no one likes to make her boss angry… definitely a future, negative consequence.
• If you cook dinner tonight, I will do the dishes. (promise)
• I will do all my homework now if you let me stay up late. (promise – imagine a child saying this to a parent)
• If you do that one more time, I won’t let you go to the party tomorrow night! (warning — imagine a parent upset with her child about something)
• If you don’t pay your invoice immediately, we will cancel your subscription. (warning)

The First Conditional is great for making promises to others or giving a warning.

Above I used the example warning: If you don’t pay your invoice immediately, we will cancel your subscription. This is warning to a client or customer. It is also a much more professional way to say: Pay now!

Here are more workplace examples:

• If the apartment becomes vacant, the owner will (likely) lose 2-3 months of payment. (warning)
• If we don’t complete this project on time, we will lose our client to our competition. (warning)
• If you reduce your price by 7%, we will sign the contract. (promise – could be used in bargaining or negotiating)
• We will compromise on the costs if you agree to our terms of service. (promise – again this could be used in bargaining or negotiating)

After you’ve watched the video and reviewed the lesson, I’d love to hear from you!

Think about your daily life – either your personal life or business life – and answer these questions.

• What truths or routines can you share using the Zero Conditional?
• What probabilities, consequences, promises or warnings can you use for work or for your daily life with the First Conditional?

Write down a couple examples in the comments section to practice. I will be sure to provide you with feedback.

Have a great week! – Annemarie

Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English

Follow my 3-step solution to speak English with clarity, fluency, and freedom so you can say what you want with confidence.

You'll also get my Confident English lessons delivered by email every Wednesday and occasional information about available courses. You can unsubscribe any time.

More Like This

#318: Collocations with Situation | Advanced Vocabulary [+ Free Worksheet]

Searching for a smart method to build up vocabulary in English? In this lesson, you’ll discover how to master English collocations—a key strategy to make your English sound more natural and fluent.

#317: When to Use Rather Than and Instead Of | Accurate English Grammar

Confused about when to use “rather than” and “instead of”? 😕 These two phrases might seem similar, but they have distinct meanings and usages that can make a big difference in your English communication.

#316: Alternatives to ‘I Understand’ for Daily Conversations | Upgrade Your English

Using alternatives to ‘I understand’ enhances your vocabulary for daily conversations and helps you communicate more effectively and confidently.

#315: Think in English and Speak Faster in Conversations (How to Stop Translating in Your Head)

If you’ve ever struggled to translate your thoughts quickly, learn to transform how you think in English so you can speak faster in conversations.

#314: Master English Networking: How to Network with Coffee Chats

English speakers love creating new words, and we do it regularly with word blends such as glamping, hangry, bromance, and more. Discover current popular word blends in English.

#313: How to Understand English TV Without Subtitles

© Copyright 2014-2024 Speak Confident English  |   Privacy Policy  |   Terms & Disclaimer  | Online Class Policies

Zero conditional: when the winter season turns into the spiring, all the ice covering on the rivers melts. wnen I start traveling, I always reserve hotels in advance.

First conditional: If my sister comes and stays with mom, I will go back to my own home. If the pandemic gets worse, everyone will be required to wear mask at anywhere.

If someone parks his or her car out of a park lot, he or she will get ticket.

Bravo! These are wonderful examples of the Zero and First Conditional forms.

• Zero Conditional: When I get to work, I switch my computer on and enter the password for the safe.
• First Conditional: If I develop a successful self-care routine, I will be in a fit form and maintain healthy weight.
• FC – promise/ warning: If you help me with the household chores, I will buy you an ice cream./ If you do not help me with the household chores, I will not buy you an ice cream.

When I reach office, I say hello everyone there one by one. If I don’t finish plot in its dedicated time, I will get a deficeincy in ISO survey. I said my niece, If you dont sleep soo, you will not wake up early, so you will loose chance of camp experience with your friends.

1) If You _____ what ____ You ____? 2) Daniel _____ his homework if he_______ it now. 3) what _____ Richard _____ ir the _______ to college 4) If I ______ tonight, I _____ TV instead

Great website! Thank you for an easy to understand lesson on conditionals. Here are my examples.

When I go to bed late at night, it is difficult for me to wake up on time and feel rested. If it rains tomorrow, I will skip my morning walk. If I am tired after work, I will stay in and order dinner. If I don’t do laundry today, I will not have clean clothes to wear for work tomorrow.

I look forward to your feedback!

Hey, Annemarie , I’ve just finished the three videos on using conditional in real life . But I have a question about it . “There could be no doubt that if she were to speak, she would say nothing complimentary to Anna Mihalovna” Does this sentence indicates she isn’t likely to speak ?

When I do homework, I listen my favorite music like Queen or Dire Straits or Alex Baroni. If I drink too coffee in the afternoon, I don’t sleep tonitht. If the client will be late, the session will be too short for optimize our results.

Good examples, Cinzia. With example 2, there’s one little change we want to make. We have two options: 1. “If I drink too much coffee in the afternoon, I ____ sleep tonight.” Because of the word ‘tonight’ we’re talking about the future. In that case, we need to make a change to the negative form. Do you know what it might be? 2. If we want to keep ‘don’t’ then we have to remove the word ‘tonight’ to show that this is something that happens consistently. So it would be, “If I drink too much coffee in the afternoon, I …  Read more »

-When I come home after work, I take a shower. -If the crisis of covid continue, I will lose my job. -If you don’t clean your room, you will be punished.

Good examples with the zero and first conditional forms, Zeinab.

Zero Conditional… 1. When I wear face mask, I get skin irritation. 2. When I arrived home from work, I prepare our dinner right away.

First Conditional… 1. If the Covid cases increases, the government will implement a lockdown. 2. If we create a systematic approach, it will be easier for us accomplish the task faster. 3. If you graduate with honour, I will buy you a new car. 4. If you come home late again, you will be grounded.

Wow, wonderful examples for both zero and first conditionals, Cez! Nicely done.

how is the negative form from… If I´m late for dinner, start eating without me. Please, somebody help me.

Hi Karla, your sentence “If I’m late for dinner…” works perfectly well. However, if you want to tell them not to eat before you arrive, you could say, “If I’m late for dinner, please don’t start without me.”

1. When I bake snacks,I make it for the next whole week. 2. If I am all done with my work before evening, we will go for a walk. 3. If you do yoga everyday for few minutes, you will have healthy body and mind. 4. If you finish your lunch early, I will let you watch your favorite TV show.

Wonderful examples, Joya! Nicely done.

1) When I get enough sleep, I generally feel more energized and productive the next day. 2) If I don’t prioritize and organize my tasks, I wont be able to meet any deadlines.

Hi Siti. Thank you for your comment. I love your examples, and the first one is so true about me. If I don’t have enough sleep or poor quality of sleep, I’ll feel tired and unfocused. Well done!

Hi Annemarie! As always, I compliment you on this great lesson!! 👏 About my routine: When I start my workday, I always check my “to do list” so as not to forget anything important. About consequences: If we don’t stick to anti-covid regulations, the amount of infections won’t decrease. About probability: If I spread myself to thin, I will be really worn out in the evening About promises (for my child 😊): If you will play nice, there will be a great surprise for you tonight!!

Hi Vania. Thank you for sharing your examples with us. We’re glad to hear the lesson was useful for you. And your kid is lucky. I still love surprises!

1)When our children come to see us, we always sit down for a cup of coffee at first. 2) If the anti- corona vaccination gets on the market quickly, we’ll be able to have a more care-free life again. 3) If I tidy up the house immediately, I will have more time for reading.

Oh, fantastic examples, Marianne! You used the zero and first forms perfectly. Nicely done. More time for reading is certainly a good motivation to get things cleaned up. 😊

Thank you Annemarie very much for your excellent lessons, they’re very educational and helpful. -If you continue your school, you see your progress. (General truth) -When I get your weekly lessons, I always feel thrilled. (routine) -If the weather is good tomorrow, I will go to the park for a walk. (probability) -If you follow your trainer’s advice, you will get benefits from it. (Positive consequence) If you don’t work hard on your goal, you will not get better results. (negative consequence) -If you vacuum, I will do the laundry. (Promise) -If you don’t care about your school, I will …  Read more »

Great work, Nasrin! I love these examples and you got them exactly right. Just for a challenge, in this example can you think of another way or a synonym to use for the words ‘not get better’: “If you don’t work hard on your goal, you will get ____________ results.”

Thanks Annemarie for the feedback, that’s so good to understand my mistakes and redo it. How about this sentence: “If you don’t work hard on your goal, you will get minimum results.”

Hi Annemarie,

If I wake up late, I haven’t breakfast. If I go to work tomorrow, I’ll not go to the party with you.

Great, Deise. Thanks for sharing your examples. There’s one change we want to make in the first sentence. In the second part, there is a negative and for that we need a helping verb in English: “If I wake up late, I _____ not have breakfast.”

• When I connect my laptop in the morning to telecommuting the first thing I do is clock in.
• If I read more in English, I will learn more vocabulary and expressions
• If I finish my project by Friday, my boss will be thrilled

Wonderful examples, Marta! And I hope you get your project finished. 😊

I will join you in the park if I finish my homework / when I finish my homework I will join you in the park. If she explains the situation well I will let her go with her boyfriend If I do 30 min. Exercises everyday, I will have a better health If you finish your homework on time I will allow you to watch your favorite show on TV for 30min If you don’t finish the vegetables in your plate, you won’t allowed to eat ice cream later for dessert If you don’t do your chores you won’t get …  Read more »

When I wake up early I join the 6am yoga class online.

When I finish my goals I feel satisfied

Hi Annemarie, here it is my homework……

If I don’t run early in the morning, I become angry and nervous When I listen to ANnemarie’s lessons with more concentration, I’ll improve my English rapidly If I don’t do the simple things well, I won’t be able to get the world better

Best Tommaso

If you finish succesfully the project on time, you will be promoted as Project Director.

Hi Annemarie, me too hated math, my mind was more creative than rational, so i imagined the numbers like little spiteful goblins 😉 Anyway,these are my examples: 1) When fall comes, the leaves fall 2) If I cook lasagna for dinner, my husband will be happy 3) If you go out without your coat, you will get a cold

Thank you so much for this possibility to understand and put into practice these two types of conditional <3

If I apply all that you teach in English, I will be easily fluent in speaking English.

Okay! If I don’t finish my homework today, I can’t have my relaxtime tonight! When I wake up in the morning, I have meditation time. If it will raining again, I will not go to visit Central Park in this afternoon.

Great examples, Cinzia! One little note, “If it will raining…” For the first conditional we want to use “If + present simple” so what adjustment could make to the verb?

Great, but there’s a mistake in the second example:

• “If I’m too tired to cook tonight, I’ll some take-out. (first conditional)”

Zero Conditional: When the climb is hot, i like to go to the beach First Conditional: If i don’ t go to the job tomorrow, i will study english and watch some series.

Thanks for this great post. I think, in your last example: “We will compromise on the costs if you will agree to our terms of service.”, there is an extra will

Thank you! you helped me alot

We are so glad to hear that! You are very welcome!

Hi ! thanks a lot for your help . I would like to know if it’s possible to say “If I put water on fire it may stop burning . Instead of will can we put ” may” or “can” . Here , I mean just a cup of water on a fire

Hellooooo!!! I am very sorry. I got problem with my smart phone, but, “better late than never”. Sorry to me.

According to this amazing lesson, this is what I can share with you: – If I get money, I will travel to England. – If you go slowly, you will arrive safely – If he takes care of this car, he will go to India

Thanks so much for sharing your examples, Felix! I’m glad the lesson was useful to you. Well done!

Dear Annemarie, Thank you for your great job about how we can use conditionals in our daly English practise. I’m happy to repeat some grammar too. Here are my sentences. General truth: If the architect makes mistakes, the hause collapses. If the teacher places higher expectations on students, they will rise in occasion and excell in school. Talking about routins: If time permits, I go to work by bike. First conditional-probability: If it hails tomorow, all the sidewalk will slide. If it real happens, some of the passengers will meet with accident, and the casualty wards will be crowded. Future …  Read more »

Thanks so much for sharing your examples, András. And I’m glad the lesson was useful to you!!

Could you clarify what you mean by “If it real happens…” –> I’m not sure what might happen here.

Best, Annemarie

If it hails tomorow, all the sidewalk will slide. If it really happens, some of the passengers will meet with accident, and the casualty wards will be crowded. So is better? The second sentence refers to the first eventuality. 🙂 Andras

Ah, that you for clarifying. As sidewalk cannot slide, but people can slide on a sidewalk. We would say, “If it hails tomorrow, people might slide (we more often use the word “slip”) and fall on the sidewalk. It is the fall that may cause an injury.

Dear Annemarie, thank you a lot for great lesson and especially for workplace examples. My zero conditional is: When I get up early in the morning I make a cup of cofee When I work hard I receive better result My first conditional is: If you send me full package of documents we will receive the products on time If I take into account all requests I will make a profitable deal

Excellent. It seems like you’ve understand the difference between the Zero and First Conditionals with your examples. Well done. And thank you for sharing! ~ Annemarie

Hello Yulia,

Excellent examples using the zero and first conditionals. Just one note: don’t forget to use the comma. That is an important punctuation to use in conditionals. Where would you put a comma in your examples?

If you sit up very late, you feel sleep-deprived next day.

When my uncle break his leg, he has cast put on.

Anna will go to work earlier if her mother dismisses her from some of the morning assignments.

Their acquaintances will go through a rough patch if they change their attitude to certain issues.

I won’t help you if you don’t stop being so mean.

Hello Anetta, Thank you for sharing your examples! I love the last example as a warning. A few notes: 1. With sentences 3 and 4, I understand that you feel these situations are likely since you’re using the first conditional. Is that correct? If you feel they are unlikely, then we would switch to the second conditional. 2. The phrasal verb “sit up” means to sit with your back very straight. I think you might mean to “stay up” which means to stay up past one’s normal bedtime. 3. With sentence 2, this sounds like something that happened only one …  Read more »

your generosity is uncountable, you are doing really great job. You have taken the level of my english to another stage, I am smitten to your leasons. Thanks abundanly keep up the great job……..

Zero conditionals: if i dont play football, i get bored if i sleep long, i became very tired…

First conditionals: If I struggle hard, I will be successful in life. If I read your leasons always, I will be great in english language like I wish.

Thank you for your lessons, first of all 🙂

I would like to share some sentences from my daily life 🙂

Zero sentences maybe could be these:

I sleep more, when Saturday comes. If I come sleep late, I am tired in the morning.

First sentences:

If I work harder, I will earn more money. I will got with you to the theater, if you ask me. 🙂

Dear Rasa – Thank you so much for your comments. I am thrilled you enjoy the online lessons. Great examples of the zero and first conditional! For “If I come to sleep late, I am tired in the morning.” –> We use the verb “go to” with sleep. We can say, “If I go to sleep late, I am tired in the morning.” This is a good example of a personal truth. Great job! Your examples for the first conditional are perfect. These are great examples of: Truth: If I work harder … Promise: I will go with you to …  Read more »

What you are doing here is amazing!!! Your effort and your way to teach are incredible. Thanks a lot!!! It works, perfectly works for me! What I want to learn is -hopefully you have in next sessions- that “how to be kind to your friends and also to professional connections.” For me it is a bit challenging to express myself as a kind person in English in a casual way and in a professional way. Because it is enough just to change the tone of voice to be king in my native language (Turkish). I am looking forward to seeing …  Read more »

Not to be king but to be kind 🙂

Dear Bahar –

What a kind and generous comment! Thank you so much. I am really happy to know you find these lessons useful.

I love your suggestion! It is a very interesting topic for many people I think. How we express kindness or politeness can be very different among languages and cultures. I will certainly add it to my list for future lessons! Would it be ok to email you with some questions to make sure I provide the best answer for you?

Thanks so much Bahar!

Join Annemarie for an English Fluency Breakthrough starting September 2.

Pin It on Pinterest

• Rules/Help/FAQ Help/FAQ
• Members Current visitors
• Interface Language

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• English Only

Do your homework on or in time.

• Thread starter Kadjar
• Start date Oct 22, 2021

Senior Member

• Oct 22, 2021

Hello, A teacher to his/her students: Do your homework on time. Do your homework in time. Which one is correct? If both, is there a difference between the two?  

Kadjar said: Which one is correct? Click to expand...

Learn Vocabulary

Learn English Vocabulary Through Pictures with 150 Topics

Vocabulary Exercises A1

English Vocabulary Exercises for A1 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises A2

English Vocabulary Exercises for A2 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises B1

English Vocabulary Exercises for B1 with Answers.

Vocabulary Exercises B2

English Vocabulary Exercises for B2 with Answers.

FULL Grammar Exercises

FULL English Grammar Exercises with Answers

Verbs and Tenses Exercises

English Verbs and Tenses Exercises with Answers and Explanations

Grammar Exercises A1

English Grammar Exercises for A1 with Answers

Grammar Exercises A2

English Grammar Exercises for A2 with Answers

Grammar Exercises B1

English Grammar Exercises for B1 with Answers

Grammar Exercises B2

English Grammar Exercises for B2 with Answers

Listening Exercises Beginner

English Listening Exercises for Beginner with Answers

Listening Exercises A1

English Listening Exercises for A1 with Answers

Listening Exercises A2

English Listening Exercises for A2 with Answers

Listening Exercises B1

English Listening Exercises for B1 with Answers

Listening Exercises B2

English Listening Exercises for B2 with Answers

Listening Tests A1

Practice Listening Tests for A1 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests A2

Practice Listening Tests for A2 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests B1

Practice Listening Tests for B1 with Answers & Transcripts

Listening Tests B2

Practice Listening Tests for B2 with Answers & Transcripts

Word Skills Exercises A1

English Word Skills Exercises for A1 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises A2

English Word Skills Exercises for A2 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises B1

English Word Skills Exercises for B1 with Answers

Word Skills Exercises B2

English Word Skills Exercises for B2 with Answers

Reading Exercises Beginner

English Reading Exercises for Beginner with Answers

Reading Exercises A1

English Reading Exercises for A1 with Answers

Reading ExercisesC A2

English Reading Exercises for A2 with Answers

Reading Exercises B1

English Reading Exercises for B1 with Answers

Reading Exercises B2

English Reading Exercises for B2 with Answers

Speaking Exercises A1

English Speaking Exercises for A1 with Answers

Speaking Exercises A2

English Speaking Exercises for A2 with Answers

Speaking Exercises B1

English Speaking Exercises for B1 with Answers

Speaking Exercises B2

English Speaking Exercises for B2 with Answers

Writing Exercises A1

English Writing Exercises for A1 with Answers

Writing Exercises A2

English Writing Exercises for A2 with Answers

Writing Exercises B1

English Writing Exercises for B1 with Answers

Writing Exercises B2

English Writing Exercises for B2 with Answers

Business Listening A1

Business English Listening Exercises for A1 with Answers

Business Listening A2

Business English Listening Exercises for A2 with Answers

Business Listening B1

Business English Listening Exercises for B1 with Answers

Article Level 1

Improve your ability to speak English

Article Level 2

Article level 3, article level 4, conversations.

Listening Practice Through Dictation with Transcripts

English Grammar Exercises for A2 – Zero conditional

• English Grammar Exercises for A2

1. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets. Use the zero conditional.

1   I …………………. (feel) better if I …………………. (do) some exercise every day.

2   If Dave …………………. (be) thirsty, he always …………………. (drink) water.

3   I …………………. (get) very tired at school if I …………………. (go) to bed late.

4   My dad …………………. (not sleep) well if he …………………. (drink) coffee before bed.

5   If you …………………. (buy) an ebook reader, you …………………. (can) download hundreds of books.

6   …………………. your teacher …………………. (get) annoyed if you …………………. (not do) your homework?

7   If you …………………. (switch off) the lights, you …………………. (save) electricity.

8   If you …………………. (use) your mobile to surf the Net, the battery …………………. (run out) quite quickly.

1 feel, do   2 is, drinks   3 get, go   4 can’t sleep/ doesn’t sleep, drinks

5 buy, can   6 Does, get, don’t do   7 switch off, save

8 use, runs out

2. Write zero conditional sentences using the prompts.

1   you / say ‘sit’ / my dog / sit down

     If you say ‘sit’, my dog sits down.

2   you / record / a programme on the hard dish recorder / you / can / watch it later

     ……………………………………………………….

3   It / not matter / you / be / late

4   He / get / bad-tempered / he / not have / enough sleep

5   I / always / feel / happy / I / listen to / reggae music

6   I / be worried / about something / I / talk / about it / with my friends

     ……………………………………………………….

2   If you record a programme on the hard disk recorder, you can watch it later.

3   It doesn’t matter if you are late.

4   He gets bad-tempered if he doesn’t have enough sleep.

5   I always feel happy if I listen to reggae music.

6   If I’m worried about something, I talk about it with my friends.

3. Look at the pictures and complete the sentences with may, might or could . Use the verbs in the box.

1   It ………………………… soon.

2   He ………………………… a mobile.

3   She ………………………… out of the tree.

4   He ………………………… before bedtime.

5   It ………………………… into the hedge.

6   They ………………………… the top.

1   It might/may/could rain soon.

2   He might/may/could buy a mobile.

3   She might/may/could fail out of the tree.

4   He might/may not finish his homework before bedtime.

5   It might/may/could crash into the hedge.

6   They might/may not reach the top.

Write sentences about things you will possibly do (a) this weekend, (b) next summer, and (c) when you leave school. Use may, might and could.

1   …………………………………………

     …………………………………………

2   …………………………………………

3   …………………………………………

     …………………………………………

Related Posts

• WORDPOWER: age – English Grammar Exercises for A2
• WORDPOWER: preposition + noun – English Grammar Exercises for A2
• WORDPOWER: Multi-word verbs with on – English Grammar Exercises for A2
• WORDPOWER: Multi-word verbs with put – English Grammar Exercises for A2
• WORDPOWER: by – English Grammar Exercises for A2
• WORDPOWER: change – English Grammar Exercises for A2

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Bussiness English Listening for A1
• Bussiness English Listening for A2
• Bussiness English Listening for B1
• English for daily communication level 1
• English for daily communication level 2
• English for daily communication level 3
• English for daily communication level 4
• English for Daily Conversations
• English Grammar Exercises for A1
• English Grammar Exercises for B1
• English Grammar Exercises for B2
• English Listening Exercises for A1
• English Listening Exercises for A2
• English Listening Exercises for B1
• English Listening Exercises for B2
• English Listening Exercises for Beginner
• English Listening Tests for A1
• English Listening Tests for A2
• English Listening Tests for B1
• English Listening Tests for B2
• English Reading Exercises for A1
• English Reading Exercises for A2
• English Reading Exercises for B1
• English Reading Exercises for B2
• English Reading Exercises for Beginner
• English Speaking Exercises for A1
• English Speaking Exercises for A2
• English Speaking Exercises for B1
• English Speaking Exercises for B2
• English Vocabulary Exercises for A1
• English Vocabulary Exercises for A2
• English Vocabulary Exercises for B1
• English Vocabulary Exercises for B2
• English Word Skills Exercises for A1
• English Word Skills Exercises for A2
• English Word Skills Exercises for B1
• English Word Skills Exercises for B2
• English Writing Exercises for A1
• English Writing Exercises for A2
• English Writing Exercises for B1
• English Writing Exercises for B2
• Learn Vocabulary Through Pictures
• Listening Practice Through Dictation

Pin It on Pinterest

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• Happiness Hub
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Study Skills
• Homework Skills

How to Do Your Homework on Time if You're a Procrastinator

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Katie Styzek . Katie Styzek is a Professional School Counselor for Chicago Public Schools. Katie earned a BS in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She served as a middle school mathematics, science, and social studies teacher for three years prior to becoming a counselor. She holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling from DePaul University and an MA in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. Katie holds an Illinois School Counselor Endorsement License (Type 73 Service Personnel), an Illinois Principal License (formerly Type 75), and an Illinois Elementary Education Teaching License (Type 03, K – 9). She is also Nationally Board Certified in School Counseling from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 554,396 times.

Procrastinating on your homework assignments can make school more stressful and can hurt your grade if you're always finishing homework at the last minute. Once you learn a few techniques to beat procrastination can make homework much easier for you! By keeping organized, setting specific goals, and asking for help, you can transform yourself into an academic star who still has time to watch TV and catch up with friends on Facebook.

Getting Organized

Establishing a Routine

• Set an alarm on your phone to remind you when to get back to work!

Setting Goals

• Very few people can actually work effectively with music playing. If you like to listen to music while you work but find you aren't getting anything done, try going without it for an hour to see if your concentration improves.

Asking for Help

• This doesn't work for everybody. If you find another person distracting, quit working with them.

How Can I Stop Procrastinating?

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Good health can improve your study habits and can help you retain what you learn. Exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep, and skip the alcohol and caffeine. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Ask your parents or a friend to keep your smartphone so you don't get distracted. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try to set an alarm or a task reminder in your phone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Even the best students know that they can't work all of the time. Allow some relaxation time for yourself, particularly on the weekends. Good study habits make you work smarter, not harder. Thanks Helpful 120 Not Helpful 9

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Katie Styzek. Professional School Counselor. Expert Interview. 26 March 2021.
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-stop-procrastinating/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/focused.html
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/take-charge-of-distractions/
• ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/school-help-teens.html

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Mar 28, 2016

Did this article help you?

Shantina Laster

May 13, 2019

Jun 19, 2016

Niyati Nanavaty

Dec 4, 2016

Aviva Keating

Aug 22, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Simple, Compound & Complex Sentences Worksheets & Practice | Types of Sentences

Description

Get Your Students Practicing Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences to Strengthen Their Understanding of the Standard and their writing!

A Done-for-You, Time-Saving Packet of Engaging Worksheets That Get Your Students Mastering Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences !

Say hello to effective grammar practice! We’ve created No-Prep, Ready-to-Use Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences Worksheets that match the standard you are teaching!

No more “busy work” that doesn’t have any meaning! This Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences Bundle gives your students the practice they desperately need in a way that is engaging for them and EASY FOR YOU!

What You Get to Practice Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences:

• Sort: A fun and interactive way for students to practice the standard. Students love a cut and glue activity!
• Reading Passage: Students practice the standard with an engaging reading passage. Students get to see the standard in context and are able to interact with it in a meaningful way that strengthens their understanding of the standard.
• Mystery Picture: Students solve standards-based problems while uncovering a mystery picture! More than a worksheet! Great for incorporating coloring into your day.
• Skills Practice Page: Students get a quick and no-fluff way to unpack the standard. Students start off by identifying and move to application!
• Writing: Get your students writing about their learning! With scaffolded prompts, your students will be successful in showing their understanding of the standard in their writing.
• Art: Great for visual learners! This is an easy way to engage your students and incorporate art!
• Answer Keys: Make grading a breeze! Answer keys included to save you time!

Suggested Uses for These Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences Worksheets:

• Standards Packet: Teaching a standard in class and need a way for your students to practice independently? These activities are the perfect no prep packet for homework or independent working time in the classroom!
• Small Group Instruction/ Intervention Materials: Got a group that could use a little extra practice on the standard? Choose an activity!
• Centers: Make learning meaningful by complimenting your lesson with activities that match the same standard.
• Spiral Review: Want a quick refresher to the standards you’ve covered? Sprinkle these activities throughout your year to keep the standard fresh in their minds!
• Sub Plans: These activities are self-explanatory and the perfect activity for any substitute teacher to feel successful!

❤ Why You Will Love This Resource ❤

• You want to give your students grammar practice that matches your grammar lesson
• You are tired of hunting for meaningful grammar practice and wasting hours of your time
• You want to give your students a variety of activities to access the standard
• You want your students to be motivated and engaged while practicing the standard
• You want to SAVE TIME!

This Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences Bundle is meant to be used AFTER you have taught the standard. If you are looking for the step that comes before this, we have just what you need!

3RD GRADE GRAMMAR YEAR-LONG BUNDLE!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

If you have any questions, email us at: [email protected]

BE SURE TO FOLLOW US BY CLICKING THE GREEN STAR ABOVE TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN WE POST A NEW PRODUCT! ALL OF OUR NEW PRODUCTS ARE 50% OFF FOR THE FIRST 48 HOURS!!!!

BE SURE TO LEAVE FEEDBACK TO RECEIVE TPT CREDIT TOWARDS YOUR NEXT PURCHASE!

This resource is intended for ONE CLASSROOM TEACHER to use. If you would like to share with your colleagues, please purchase an additional license. Thank you for respecting our hard work!

All rights reserved by The Rigorous Owl, LLC.

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Electronic distribution is limited to single classroom use only. Not for public display.

Questions & Answers

The rigorous owl.

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think