The first conditional

Objective & content

This grammar sheet teaches the first conditional: if + present simple, will or won't + verb, for something possible in the future and its result (If it rains, we'll go to the cinema.), with the if part first or second, negatives (If I don't send you a message, you'll know we lost!) and the question What will you do if...? Pupils read a video call between Aaliyah and Celeste, find the missing words and read the rule, given in a box. By the end, they can talk about plans that depend on something and avoid if it will rain.

Pedagogical guide

Page 1 is the video call, with a picture of Aaliyah and of Celeste: Celeste's basketball team has a match on Friday, and if they win, she will play in the final on Saturday morning; if it's sunny on Sunday, the two friends will go to the beach, and if it rains, they will go to the cinema. Pupils find six missing words in sentences from the call. Then they read the rule, given in a box in short lines: if + present simple and will or won't + verb, no will after if, the short forms 'll and won't, the negative after if with don't or doesn't, the comma when the if part comes first, and the question What will you do if...? Page 2 has eight sentences where pupils tick the right form, five verbs in brackets to write in the present simple or with will, four negatives and three questions with What will ... do if ...? Page 3 is the final task, a chain story where each link starts with the end of the one before: pupils put five mixed-up links in order, write the next links with the verb in brackets (the last one brings the story back to the start), then write four links of a chain of their own, starting with "If I get a dog, ...". Every exercise opens with a worked example, except the free writing.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Ask a few pupils "What will you do if it rains this weekend?" and write two answers on the board.
2. (10 min) Read the video call aloud, with two pupils as Aaliyah and Celeste; pupils find the missing words.
3. (5 min) Read the rule in the box with the class; pupils find a sentence in the call where the if part comes second.
4. (15 min) Page 2: the right form, the verbs in brackets, the negatives and the questions.
5. (15 min) Page 3: the chain story, then pupils start a chain of their own.
6. (5 min) Check with the answer key on pages 4 and 5.

Adaptations

[S] In pairs, pupils ask each other "What will you do if it rains this weekend?" and answer.

[A] Pupils write three sentences about their own weekend with if.

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of pages 1 to 3 per pupil. Pages 4 and 5 are the answer key and teacher notes: keep them. Contracted and full forms are both right ('ll or will, won't or will not, don't or do not). The chain of their own is free writing, with no key. Pupils need the present simple, will for the future, and the words for sport, the weather, free time and school. To take it further, the class builds one long chain story aloud, each pupil adding a link that starts with the end of the last one.