CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

CONDITIONALS

I’d like to share the approach I used in my classes to get my students involved in the explanation and make them work grammar rules out for themselves. I asked them to read the dialogues and then formulate and write down the rules.

This approach encourages students to absorb rules better because they participate in the process of working them out.

If my aunt had been a man, she’d have been my uncle
If if’s and an’s were pots and pans…

1. Read the dialogue.

First and Second Conditionals

A: I don’t understand various conditional forms. Second Conditional… Why Second? I don’t remember when our teacher explained the First Conditional.

B: If you didn’t talk in class you would know the material.

A: What did you say? I think you gave an example of a Conditional. But First or Second?

B: Listen attentively. It’s not very difficult. The First Conditional expresses real possibilities. For example: If it rains, we won’t play football. or If there is a car boot sale, I’ll buy some clothes.

A: You mean that we use Present Simple in “if clauses” and Future Simple in “result clauses”?

B: You are right. Remember that we use the First Conditional when a situation is real.

A: And when should we use the Second Conditional?

B: Can’t you guess? We use the Second Conditional when a situation is unreal. For example: If I saw a ghost here, I would run away. or If I were the president of my country, I would...

A: I got the idea. The Second Conditional form is If… + Past Simple …would + Inf.

B: Don’t forget that both conditionals refer to the present and future. The difference is about probability, not time. First Conditional sentences express real situations; Second Conditional sentences express unreal situations… And don’t forget about If I were. In speaking we can either use If I were… or If I was…, but in writing we always use If I were….

2. Complete the rule.

The Rule
We use the First Conditional when a situation is ______.
Its form is: ___________.
We use the Second Conditional when a situation is _______.
Its form is: ___________.

3. Read the dialogue.

Zero Conditional

C: And what about the Zero and Third Conditionals? Could you explain these to me?

D: You use the Zero Conditional to talk about something that is always or usually true. For example: If I read too much, I get a headache, or If I don’t understand grammar, I ask my teacher.

C: I see. Zero Conditional sentences refer to “all time”. And if means when or whenever. In this case we have a conditional sentence with two present sentences.

D: You are right. But sometimes we use the Zero Conditional to give instructions or strong advice.

C: Could you give some examples?

D: Listen… If my mum rings, tell her I’m here or If I’m not back by 9, don’t wait for me.

C: I see. We use the Present Indefinite in “if clauses” and Present Indefinite or Imperative in “result clauses”… Let me write down the rule.

4. Complete the rule.

The Rule
We use the Zero Conditional when something is always or usually true.
Its form is: If + _______, + Present Indefinite ___________.

5. Read the dialogue.

Third Conditional

E: Is the Third Conditional difficult to understand?

F: If you had been at school yesterday, you would have understood it.

E: Is it the Third Conditional?

F: Yes. We use the Third Conditional to speculate about a possible situation in the past which didn’t happen. We use the Past Perfect in “if clauses” and would + have + Past Participle in “result clauses”. Will you take down the rule?

6. Complete the rule.

The Rule
We use the Third Conditional to speculate about ______.
Its form is: ___________.

7. Complete the table.

8. Open the brackets.

1. If Nick (to call), ask him to phone back in the evening.
2. Come to see me, if you (not to be) busy.
3. If you tease me again, I (to hit) you.
4. If it (not to rain), we’ll play football after school.
5. If they invite me, I (to be) very glad.
6. Will they have to wait for him, if he (not to come) in time?
7. If you (to have) more practice, you would speak English better.
8. If you weren’t so absent-minded, you (to get) better marks.
9. If they had known the weather forecast, they (to put on) warm clothes.
10. If she (to catch) the train, she would have arrived in time.

9. Read the explanation and open the brackets in the sentences below it.

Mixed Conditional

• What should we do when we want to connect a possible past event with the Present or Future?

• Then you use the combination of a Second and Third Conditional. Its form:

KEY:

2. We use the First Conditional when a situation is real.
Its form is: If + Present, + will + Infinitive.
We use the Second Conditional when a situation is unreal.
Its form is: If + Past, + would + Infinitive.

4. We use the Zero Conditional when something is always or usually true.
Its form is: If + Present Indefinite, + Present Indefinite/Imperative.

6. We use the Third Conditional to speculate about a possible situation in the past which didn’t happen.
Its form is: If + Past Perfect, + would + have + Past Participle.