Zero & First Conditional

Target Structures:

Zero Conditional → If + present simple, + present simple
First Conditional → If + present simple, + will + base verb

Goal:

Use Zero and First Conditionals to talk about facts, habits, and real future possibilities.

1. Warm-Up (3 min)

🗣️ Questions:

1. What do you usually do if you feel stressed?

2. What will you do if it rains this weekend?

3. Do you believe that “if you study hard, you succeed”?

💬 Sample answers:

If I feel stressed, I go for a walk.
If it rains, I’ll stay home and read.

🎯 Focus: introduce difference between facts (zero) and real possibilities (first).

2. Presentation (8 min)

A. Zero Conditional → General facts / routines / truths

✅ Form:
If + present simple, + present simple

✅ Use:
Talk about general truths, facts, or repeated results.

💬 Examples:

If you heat water to 100°C, it boils.
If people don’t sleep, they feel tired.
If I drink coffee late, I can’t sleep.

🧩 Meaning: Always true — no real decision or prediction.

B. First Conditional → Real future possibilities

✅ Form:
If + present simple, + will + base verb

✅ Use:
Talk about real future situations that are likely or possible.

💬 Examples:

If it rains, I’ll stay at home.
If I study hard, I’ll pass the exam.
If we leave now, we’ll catch the train.

🧩 Meaning: A real condition with a future result.

C. Comparison

TypeIf-clauseResult clauseMeaningZeropresent simplepresent simplefact or routineFirstpresent simplewill + verbpossible future result

💬 Tip:
If it’s always true → Zero
If it’s possible in the future → First

3. Controlled Practice (6 min)

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. If you ______ (heat) ice, it ______ (melt).

2. If I ______ (be) late, my teacher ______ (get) angry.

3. If it ______ (rain) tomorrow, we ______ (stay) at home.

4. If you ______ (not water) plants, they ______ (die).

5. If I ______ (see) Maria, I ______ (tell) her about the party.

6. If people ______ (eat) too much sugar, they ______ (get) sick.

7. If you ______ (study) hard, you ______ (pass) the test.

8. If water ______ (reach) 0°C, it ______ (freeze).

✅ Answers + Explanations

1. heat / melts → general fact → Zero

2. am / will get → possible future → First

3. rains / will stay → real possibility → First

4. don’t water / die → always true → Zero

5. see / will tell → future intention → First

6. eat / get → general truth → Zero

7. study / will pass → possible result → First

8. reaches / freezes → scientific fact → Zero

💬 Why others are wrong:

• Will never appears in the “if” part.

• Present + will = correct order for First Conditional only.

4. Interactive Practice (5 min)

Complete with your own ideas.

1. If it’s sunny tomorrow, I’ll ______.

2. If people don’t sleep enough, they ______.

3. If I pass my next exam, I’ll ______.

4. If you mix red and blue, you ______.

5. If my friends visit, we’ll ______.

💬 Example:

If it’s sunny tomorrow, I’ll go to the beach.
If you mix red and blue, you get purple.

🎯 Focus: produce both types naturally in context.

5. Free Practice (4 min) — Engaging Discussion Questions

Answer and explain using Zero or First Conditional naturally.

1. What happens if you skip breakfast?

2. What will you do if you forget your phone at home?

3. If you study English every day, what happens?

4. If your best friend calls you tonight, what will you talk about?

5. What happens if you don’t get enough sleep?

6. If you win a free flight tomorrow, where will you go?

7. What happens if people never rest?

🎯 Focus: contrast fact-based (Zero) vs future-based (First) responses.

6. Extra Discussion (3–4 min)

🗣️ More open-ended questions:

1. Do you believe “If you work hard, you will always succeed”?

2. What will you do if you have more free time next month?

3. If people recycle more, will the planet improve?

4. What happens if you eat only fast food for a week?

5. If you meet your favourite celebrity one day, what will you say?

💬 Encourage clear use of each structure and justification.

7. Wrap-Up & Review (2 min)

🎯 Quick Recap:

TypeStructureExampleZeroIf + present, + presentIf you touch fire, it burns.FirstIf + present, + will + verbIf it rains, we’ll stay inside.

💬 Mini Challenge:
Say one Zero Conditional fact and one First Conditional plan about your life.

If I don’t sleep, I feel tired.
If I finish work early, I’ll go for a run.