Grammar

A2+
zero and first
conditionals
Recommended for:
Gold Experience
Focus
High Note

2019 1
 We use conditional structures in
many different situations.
Let’s look at:
1. When we use the zero conditional.
2. When we use the first conditional.
3. How we make sentences with zero and first conditionals.

When do we use them?

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 Function: When do we use them?
If it rains tonight, we will stay
at home and watch a film.

Look at the first half of what the

It’s a girl says: ‘If it rains tonight...’
possibility.
Is the girl sure that it will rain, or
is it a possibility?

Now look at the full

The sentence: ‘If it rains tonight,
future. we will stay at home and
watch a film.’ Is she talking
about the past, present or
future?

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 Function: When do we use them?
If I’m hungry after
If it rains tonight, we will stay If I’m hungry after
swimming, I usually eat a
at home and watch a film. swimming,
banana.
I usually eat a banana.
If there is a lot of traffic, it
If they
If they don’tdon’t
work work
harder,
takes a long time to get into
harder,
they willthey
losewill
thelose the
match.
town.
match.

zero conditional first conditional

To talk about things that are To talk about possible future
generally true. situations. Now look at all four
sentences and put them in
the correct place in the
table.
To talk about habits. To talk about possible future actions.
Start with the zero
conditionals.

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 Function: the zero conditional
To talk about habits and things that are generally true.

If I’m hungry after If there is a lot of traffic, it

swimming, I usually eat a takes a long time to get into
banana. town.

There are two parts to a zero conditional sentence: Look at this sentence again:
‘If there is a lot of traffic, it
takes a long time to get
1. The If clause: the conditional/situation clause. into town.’

2. The consequence clause. What word can we use

instead of ‘If’ with a similar
meaning?
clause 1 clause 2
If I’m hungry, I eat a banana.
‘When’.
conditional if consequence
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 Function: the first conditional
To talk about possible future actions or situations and
their results.
If it rains tonight, we will stay
at home and watch a film.

Like the zero conditional, a first conditional sentence has two parts:
1. The If clause: the conditional/situation clause.
2. The consequence clause.
clause 1 clause 2
If it rains tonight, we will stay at
How do we make
home. sentences using the
zero and first
conditional if consequence conditionals?
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 Form: the zero and first conditionals
If there is a lot of traffic, it
If it rains tonight, we will stay
takes a long time to get into
at home and watch a film.
town.

clause 1: If conditional clause 2: consequence

Look at the two
zero conditional
highlighted examples
If + present tense , present tense and fill in the missing
words in the boxes.
If I’m hungry after swimming, I usually eat a banana.

If there is a lot of traffic, it takes a long time to get into Won’t is a

town. contraction of
two words. will not
first conditional What are they?
If present tense will/won’t infinitive
+ , +
What is the
If it rains tonight, we will stay at home.
contraction of ’ll
will?
CopyrightIf©they don’t
2019 by work
Pearson harder,
Education they
Gold Experience | Focus won’t
| High Notewin the match.
 Form: the zero and first conditionals
If there is a lot of traffic, it
If it rains tonight, we will stay
takes a long time to get into
at home and watch a film.
town.

clause 1: If conditional clause 2: consequence You can change the order of the
clauses, but if the consequence
zero conditional clause is first, you don’t use a
comma. Look:
If + present tense , present tense
‘We will stay at home and
If I’m hungry after swimming, I usually eat a banana. watch a film if it rains
tonight.’
Can you do the same with the
If there is a lot of traffic, it takes a long time to get into town. other sentence?
first conditional
We can use the contractions of
If + present tense , will/won’t + infinitive will:
1. positive: will = ’ll
If it rains tonight, we’ll stay at home. 2. negative: will not = won’t

If they don’t work harder, they won’t win the match. Let’s practise!
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 Practice activities
Use the correct form of the verbs in brackets to complete the gaps.

have make
1. If I………………………………(have) a lot to do, I usually…………………………..(make) a list before I start.

will/’ll arrive don’t walk

2. We…………………………………(arrive) late if we………………………….(not walk) a bit faster.

make
3. Do you…………………………………(make) get
your bed when you………………………….(get) up in the morning?

is freezes
4. When the weather…………………………….(be) cold, the lake sometimes………………………………….(freeze).

call will/’ll tell

5. If you ………………………………(call) me later, I………………………………………(tell) you where to meet us.

do
6. If you…………………………………(do) will take
your homework now, your dad…………………………(take) you to the
cinema this evening.

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 Explore grammar: -ing and to-infinitive

I can’t stand I’m tired of eating the Don’t forget to bring

I really enjoy acting. I’m
watching long films. same things all the some snacks to the
interested in joining a
I’d rather watch a time. Let’s buy party. Shall we meet
theatre school. I want to earlier and go
series. I love something different.
be an actor when I’m together? Sara’s sick,
following the story It’s important to have
older. so she can’t come.
and characters over a varied diet.
time.
Look at what the four people
How about verb How many examples are say. How many examples can
patterns with the there of verb patterns you find of verb patterns with -
infinitive without to? with the to-infinitive? ing?

four three five

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 Explore grammar: -ing and to-infinitive
I can’t stand
I really enjoy acting. I’m watching long films. I’m tired of eating the Don’t forget to bring
interested in joining a I’d rather watch a same things all the some snacks to the
time. Let’s buy party. Shall we meet
theatre school. I want to series. I love
something different. earlier and go
be an actor when I’m following the story together? Sara’s sick,
older. and characters over It’s important to have
so she can’t come.
time. a varied diet.
Now put the
-ing to-infinitive infinitive without to
phrases in
after certain verbs, e.g. after certain verbs, e.g. after modal verbs, e.g. bold in the
begin, finish, love, start agree, ask, hope, plan must, could correct
enjoy acting love following want to be forget to bring can’t come Shall (we) meet place in the
table. The
in certain phrases, e.g. after some adjectives, e.g. after would rather first one is
don’t mind, look forward to easy, difficult, happy, sad (to talk about preferences) done for
can’t stand watching (it)’s important to have (I)’d rather watch you.

after prepositions, e.g. Some verbs can be followed after let’s

Thanks for listening to me. by either -ing or to-infinitive, (to make suggestions)
interested in tired of e.g. Let’s buy
joining eating love following / love to follow.
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